A vintage dining car built in 1927, sitting on Pine Street in San Francisco’s Polk Gulch neighborhood, serving Portuguese food until 4:00 AM. Guy Fieri called it one of the most unique diners he’d ever come across in California. That’s not a throwaway line from a man who has been inside several thousand restaurants. The Grubstake Diner appeared in Season 2, Episode 8 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives — “One of a Kind,” aired November 19, 2007 — and the episode title was not an exaggeration.
Quick Facts
Restaurant: Grubstake Diner
City: San Francisco, California
Cuisine: American / Portuguese
DDD Season: 2
DDD Episode: 8
Episode Title: One of a Kind
Original Air Date: November 19, 2007
Address: 1525 Pine St., San Francisco, CA 94109
Phone: 415-673-8268
Website: https://grubstakesf.com/
Status: Open
About the Grubstake Diner
The dining car at 1525 Pine Street has been operating in some form since 1919, going through names like Dan’s Diner, The Red Caboose, and Orient Express before becoming the Grubstake. In 1989, Fernando Santos and his cousin — natives of Portugal — took ownership and steered it into its current identity: a late-night San Francisco institution that serves classic American diner food alongside Portuguese specialties from Fernando’s own heritage.
The Portuguese side of the menu is the hook that sets Grubstake apart from every other late-night diner in the city. Caldo Verde — kale soup with plenty of linguica — made with kale from Fernando’s own garden. Spicy Portuguese pork chops. Daily specials that rotate based on what Fernando is cooking that week. Guy Fieri interviewed Fernando on camera and made both dishes during filming. The Grubstake has been an SF original ever since, serving the Polk Gulch neighborhood seven nights a week into the early morning hours.
What to Eat at the Grubstake Diner
The Portuguese Pork Chops are the dish that earned the DDD spotlight — spicy, brined for days, cooked until tender, and served with that characteristic Portuguese flavor profile that doesn’t exist on most diner menus anywhere. The Caldo Verde — kale soup loaded with linguica — is the other must-order from the episode.
On the American side, the World Famous Burgers are a one-third pound patty cooked to order, and the Homemade Pies — apple, peach, pineapple crisp — have been a Grubstake signature for nearly a century. The Milkshakes made with real ice cream round things out nicely at any hour.
The kitchen runs until 3:00 AM most nights and 4:00 AM on weekends, which makes this the right call after almost anything else you do in San Francisco.
Plan Your Visit
Grubstake Diner is open nightly. Monday through Thursday 6:30 PM to 3:00 AM, Friday and Saturday 6:30 PM to 4:00 AM, Sunday 6:30 PM to 3:00 AM.
Address: 1525 Pine St., San Francisco, CA 94109
Phone: 415-673-8268
Website: https://grubstakesf.com/
Status: Open
Triple D Essentials
The Grubstake’s late night San Francisco energy pairs perfectly with Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on Amazon — stream the episode before you go. And More Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives covers 60 more California stops worth knowing about.
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Grubstake Diner appeared in Season 2, Episode 8 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “One of a Kind,” originally aired November 19, 2007.