Tommy Harris was a popular young radio crooner on KFRC in San Francisco in the 1930s before moving to NBC. In 1947, he and partners Al Pollack and the Veprin family opened Tommy’s Joynt at the corner of Van Ness and Geary on Route 101, calling it “the most gorgeous joynt in S.F.” and welcoming late-night musicians with hot food and cold beer after their shows. The tradition has not changed much in the 77 years since. Tommy’s appeared in Season 5, Episode 5 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Long Time Legends,” which aired January 5, 2009. Guy Fieri said the corned beef “just melts in your mouth” and called the roast beef “better than prime rib.” Metallica famously invited bassist Jason Newsted to join the band at Tommy’s in 1986 after the death of Cliff Burton. Anthony Bourdain covered it on his show. SF Weekly named it the Best Place to Drink Around the Globe in 2010. The building itself looks like, as Frommer’s once described it, “a Buffalo Bill museum that imploded.”
Quick Facts
Restaurant: Tommy’s Joynt
City: San Francisco, California
Cuisine: American / Sandwiches / Carvery (Hofbrau)
DDD Season: 5
DDD Episode: 5
Episode Title: Long Time Legends
Original Air Date: January 5, 2009
Address: 1101 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94109
Phone: 415-775-4216
Website: https://tommysjoynt.com
Status: Open
About Tommy’s Joynt
Tommy’s is a hofbrau, the German-American cafeteria-style format where you line up, tell the carvers what you want, and carry your tray to a table. The steam table near the entrance holds the hot meats — turkey, pastrami, brisket, corned beef, ham, lamb shanks — carved fresh to order from whole cuts. The walls are covered floor to ceiling with taxidermy, antique firearms, international beer posters, old photographs, and enough accumulated tchotchke that regulars who have been coming for decades still find new things to look at. Over 100 international beers are available by bottle. The neon sign outside is the original from 1947, saved from a fire that damaged the building when the neighboring Second St. Mary’s Cathedral burned in 1962. Tommy’s operates on a no-reservation, counter-service, self-seating model and has since 1947. The restaurant is open until midnight.
What to Eat at Tommy’s Joynt
The Corned Beef Sandwich is what Guy called out specifically — sliced thin at the carving station, piled on sourdough, and finished with mustard. The Roast Beef was the other standout, with Guy saying it beats prime rib. The House-Roasted Turkey is the item the restaurant bills as “World’s Best Turkey.” The Pastrami, Brisket, Lamb Shanks, and Buffalo Stew round out the rotation. The meats are best when they’ve just come off the roasting pan — ask the carvers what’s freshest when you arrive.
Find a San Francisco hotel on Booking.com and add Tommy’s to a late night in the city.
Plan Your Visit
Tommy’s Joynt is open daily 11:00 AM to midnight. Counter service, self-seating. No reservations required or accepted.
Address: 1101 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94109
Phone: 415-775-4216
Website: https://tommysjoynt.com
Status: Open
Triple D Essentials
Stream the Long Time Legends episode on Amazon and pick up More Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives to map out your full San Francisco DDD run.
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Tommy’s Joynt appeared in Season 5, Episode 5 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Long Time Legends,” originally aired January 5, 2009. The restaurant opened in 1947 and is San Francisco’s original hofbrau.