Original Joe's began in 1937 as a 14-stool counter on a sawdust-covered floor at 144 Taylor St. in San Francisco's Tenderloin. Its founder was Croatian immigrant Ante "Tony" Rodin. The restaurant's own history says Rodin "had witnessed hunger, war and adversity" before he came to the U.S.
The Tenderloin years
As business grew, the restaurant leased the space next door for a full dining room and later added a full bar. It served old-fashioned Italian-American food from an open kitchen and drew everyone, Wikipedia says, "from the head politician to the head prostitute." Its signature dishes include Joe's Special, chicken parmigiana, the Joe's Famous Hamburger Sandwich, and steaks and chops.
The fire and the move
In 2007 a fire that started in the restaurant's flue just before lunch damaged both Original Joe's and the single-room-occupancy hotel upstairs. The Taylor Street location never reopened. After years of insurance and financial delays, Rodin's grandchildren reopened the restaurant in 2012 in North Beach, in a space once home to Joe DiMaggio's and Fior d'Italia. Mayor Ed Lee declared Jan. 26 "Original Joe's Day."
Westlake and beyond
Joe's of Westlake in Daly City was opened in 1956 by Bruno Scatena, a former partner of Rodin. It closed at the end of January 2014, when Scatena's daughter sold the building and land to the Duggan family. After a two-year renovation it reopened in February 2016 as Original Joe's Westlake, the brand's second location. The restaurant's website now lists North Beach, Westlake and Walnut Creek. Original Joe's in San Jose shares the history but has been independently owned since 1980 and isn't affiliated.