Buena Vista Café: A Good View and a Great Irish Coffee at the Wharf
The Buena Vista Café is surrounded by the Italian seafood restaurants of Fisherman’s Wharf and the name is Spanish (for “good view café”). But it’s neither Spain nor Italy, but Ireland, that most people associate with the historic Buena Vista. The Irish connection goes back to 1952, when the owner of Buena Vista Café set out to make an Irish coffee as satisfying as the celebrated drink served at Ireland’s Shannon Airport. He made a trip to Shannon and tried out different recipes with San Francisco Chronicle writer Stanton Delaplane before unveiling the drink at the BV.
To put it mildly, the BV’s Irish coffee, reputedly the first one sold in America, has been a hit ever since. About 2,000 are poured each day. But the Buena Vista was sitting pretty before it had the luck of a leprechaun in the form of a robust drink made with organic coffee, sugar, whipped cream and Irish whiskey.
Long before the tourists came, inevitable for a joint that’s across the street from the Powell-Hyde cable car turnaround at the Wharf, it was filled with sailors and fishermen who enjoyed hot meals and whiskey shots dating back to 1886. It went dry only during Prohibition, when it was an ice cream parlor.
If you don’t want an Irish coffee, BV is also well-known for its New Orleans Fizz (“New Orleans in a glass”) made with Old Tom Gin, heavy cream, egg white, lemon juice, sugar and orange-flower water. The Keoke Coffee, 17 draft beers and 19 California wines are also popular.
Despite the tourist influx, the BV has retained its character. The bartenders wear crisp white coats and ties. A Leroy Neiman painting of the café hangs prominently above the bar. Framed photos of the Buena Vista in 1889 and 1909 line the back wall of the Victorian. Cable cars constantly rattle past. And the bay view from the windows is truly a “buena vista.”
While the bar is the main attraction, the BV also serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The portions are generous, the prices moderate and breakfast items are served day or night. The classic San Francisco dishes include a meal-sized Clam Chowder Sourdough Bowl (chowder in an edible sourdough “bowl” for $7.50); a shrimp salad sandwich on sourdough ($13) and crab benedict ($16).
HelloSanFrancisco Tip: Due to its prime location the BV is packed all the time, so avoid the lunch and evening rush if you don’t want to wait for a table or barstool.
Posted on Jan 30, 2011 by Bob Cooper
