UPDATE: Joe’s of Westlake was purchased by the owners of Original Joe’s in San Francisco and reopened in February 2016 after an extensive two year renovation / remodel. The post that follows was published in January of 2014 soon after the sale of the restaurant so it describes the old restaurant before the Original Joe’s family (the Duggans) took it over.

Previously on Le Continental we toured three of the remaining five “Joe’s” restaurants in the Bay Area, Original Joe’s in San Francisco, Original Joe’s in San Jose, and Marin Joe’s in Marin County. Today we are going to visit Joe’s of Westlake, an old favorite I used to visit often starting in the late 90s as some friends lived nearby. (I’ve dined there less often in the last ten years – after a couple of experiences with mediocre food and bad service – so I waited to post about it until I could revisit and get a more current perspective).

image by The Jab

First a bit of news. You may have already heard that Joe’s of Westlake was recently purchased by the Duggan family, owners of Original Joe’s in San Francisco, and it will be closing later this month for an extensive renovation that may take as long as a year. Joe’s of Westlake, which was built in 1956 in the modern planned community of Westlake, is a wonderful building frozen in the mid-century, with most of it’s original modern architecture intact, inside and out. So, understandably, people are worried about the building and the restaurant, which is still very popular with local residents, many of whom have been eating and drinking there for over 50 years.

Yet another classic restaurant closure (of many in the last year) is surely bad news, right? Actually, Le Continental thinks it is great news. Please let me explain why:

• The owner, Melinda Scatena, daughter of the original owner Bruno Scatena, decided to sell the restaurant after recent health problems to “focus on her health” without the pressures of running a restaurant. She started working at the restaurant at 14 years old – she surely deserves a break!
• In almost every case when a 50+ year-old restaurant is sold on a large lot (about one square block) in a prime commercial location it is either demolished for a Walgreens, Starbucks, or other chain store, or vastly remodeled into a new restaurant (usually a chain) unrecognizable from its original form. There typically aren’t many restaurant investors besides the large chains that have the capital and are willing to take a chance on such a risky venture. What has happened to Joe’s of Westlake is a rare ocurrance!
• The clientele of Joe’s of Westlake reflects much of the neighborhood’s demographics: older, long-term homeowners and renters who prefer classic American and Italian food. The problem is that most of Joe’s customers are getting older, passing away, and there simply aren’t many new customers to fill the void. There are a few people, such as myself, who appreciate Joe’s for its time-warp dining, but we are not enough to keep such a large restaurant profitable. Also, there are not a lot of younger people in the area, probably due to a lack of affordable housing and because it’s a suburban area some distance from the heart of San Francisco. So, not a lot of middle-to-upper-class urban professionals who make up most of the city’s diners are flocking to Joe’s of Westlake. Sure, some may come out of curiosity, but they generally don’t like the food because it’s old-fashioned and sometimes pretty bland (check out all the negative reviews on the admittedly flawed Yelp). Yet the ‘new’ Original Joe’s has not had a problem attracting new customers – it’s almost always crowded. I predict the “new” Westlake Joe’s will also be popular and develop a new customer base the old restaurant needed.
• The Duggan family have been owners in Original Joe’s in San Francisco since its founding in 1937 (in 1983 Marie Duggan took over ownership of Original Joe’s from her father, founder Tony Rodin), so they are the perfect owners of Joe’s of Westlake. The restaurant will remain a Joe’s, with the signature Joe’s elements of an exhibition kitchen and its traditional menu of Italian food, steaks, and chops. That, to me, is key! Joe’s is a historical landmark of the Westlake neighborhood, and it will remain so.
• The Duggans did a wonderful job on the new Original Joe’s in North Beach (since the original was damaged in a fire in 2007), incorporating several items from the old OJs in the new space, which has a classic feel, thanks to architect & designer Anthony Fish, who has also been hired as the architect for the renovation of Joe’s of Westlake. The family has stated that they are going to do an “architectural restoration” with “great respect” of the building’s architecture and the restaurant’s history. Le Continental has also heard that a historic preservation specialist will be a consultant on the renovation.
• We don’t often give negative reviews of restaurants on Le Continental, but I have had a few experiences at Joe’s of Westlake when I thought the food and service needed improvement. At first when i experienced this in the 1990s I thought I just ordered the wrong thing or our waiter had a bad day, but it has happened on more than one occasion in the last 15 years since I’ve been eating there. So, I am looking forward to having the same excellent food and service at Joe’s of Westlake that I have experienced when dining at Original Joe’s (both the old one and the new one in North Beach).

Joe’s once-fabulous signage needs some TLC – image by The Jab

For all these reasons Le Continental believes it is a very positive change for old favorite Joe’s of Westlake. I am sad for the staff, many of whom have worked at Joe’s for many years, but I can’t even imagine what was the likely alternative: destruction or vast remodeling. I’m guessing some things me and my friends like may not stay because not everyone has the same taste (bad clown paintings and plastic grapes aren’t appreciated by everyone). But personally I would rather have the trade off of better food and service than worry about every detail. The design of the building is the most important thing, and I’m confident it will be restored and even improved from its somewhat worn, partly modified appearance.

A Brief History

Joe’s of Westlake under construction, looking north at the back of the restaurant from John Daly Blvd, 1956

Way back in 1939 Bruno Scatena, Tony Rodin, owner of Original Joe’s, and Adolph Della Santina opened Original Joe’s II in the Marina district of San Francisco. In 1953 Adolph left to open Marin Joe’s. Three years later Bruno Scatena opened Joe’s of Westlake in the newly planned community of Westlake, developed by Henry Doelger. The principal designer of the modern post & beam restaurant (and the interiors of many of the houses built in Westlake) was Chester Dolphin.

Tour The Restaurant

entrance and porte-cochere – image by Joe’s of Westlake’s facebook page

The entrance of the restaurant is beneath a marvelous ovoid porte-cochere next to the parking lot (there is an overflow parking lot up the hill).

fireplace in Chianti Room – image by The Jab

The bar, the Chianti Room, is on your left after you enter, and has featured such entertainers in the past as Louie Prima & Keely Smith and Cal Tjader. Nowadays there are some sports items among the wine themed art, and there remains a marvelous modern black fireplace.

grape arbor behind bar – image by The Jab

Main Dining Room

The main dining room is a spectacular space with a high open beamed ceiling of cork tiles painted in a gloss dark red (I hope the new owners return it to a flat dark color, which would look more appropriate), the signature exhibition kitchen and counter, and the tables, which are all booths, just like at every other Joe’s including the original one. In fact the layout is quite similar to Marin Joe’s, with the large windows opposite the kitchen. San Jose’s layout is also similar, but reversed. Everything is still almost the same as in the vintage photo below, including the gold vinyl upholstery and wood grain Formica tops. The main difference is the lamps have been changed to cylindrical ones.

original interior

recent pic, same view (notice the red painted cork ceiling) – image by The Jab

There are large plate-glass windows with views of the major streets in back of the restaurant. They don’t show in my interior pics, but they are visible in this exterior night shot:

image by The Jab

There is also a large banquet room off the lobby called the Cascade Room, which should be avoided at all costs. It’s bland and ugly. They may try to seat you in there if it’s busy, which is all the time lately since its closure was announced. You’re better off going home than sitting in there.

The menu is similar to those at all the Joe’s – an extensive choice of Italian-American food, including the Joe’s Special, charbroiled burgers, steaks, and chops, ravioli or spaghetti as side dishes, and daily specials. Le Continental recommends the Steak a la Bruno, a tender top sirloin (not to be confused with the tough sirloin sold in the supermarket), with ravioli on the side please, and the chicken parmigiana.

A gripe: Last Monday night I took this photo in the main dining room at Joe’s of Westlake. Right above us was a security camera! Was this placed there to watch the customers so they don’t steal sugar? Or was it placed there to watch staff so they don’t make mistakes? Whatever the reasons, none justifies this kind of invasion of privacy in a restaurant. I don’t want someone watching me with a camera while I’m eating out. Bad move, Joe’s, and any restaurant owner that may be reading this: Le Continental does not approve of this and will not recommend restaurants that spy on their customers or staff!

If you still want to visit Joe’s of Westlake before it closes for renovation you better go soon. It is due to close on January 26th. I went yesterday (on a Monday), arriving at 5:45pm and put my name on the waiting list (they no longer take reservations), specifying the main dining room. After about an hour they called me but said for the “Cascade Room”, which I refused so there was an even longer wait. They open daily at 11:00am for lunch (some items on the dinner menu are not on the lunch menu) and I expect they will be busy all day and night until the closing. From my visit last night it appeared to be about half old regulars and half the curious who wanted to visit the place for the first time after hearing it will close.

Joe’s of Westlake
11 Glenwood Ave, Daly City, CA 94015
(650) 755-7400
Open Sun-Th 11:00am – 11:00pm, Fir-Sat 11:00am – 12:00am

Related posts:

Val’s Restaurant, Daly City, California Marin Joe’s, Corte Madera, California Original Joe’s, San Jose, California Original Joe’s, San Francisco, California

Part three in Le Continental’s tour of the Bay Area’s restaurants named after Joe.

Previously on Le Continental we posted about Original Joe’s in San Francisco and San Jose. Today we travel to the north bay to one of my favorite restaurants in California, Marin Joe’s. I love the building, I love the space, I love the food, I love the people who work there, and I love the late hours. Need I say more? Well, before you jump in your car and head over there, read on, please.

The Jab at Marin Joe’s

image by Heather David on Flickr

In 1954 Marin Joe’s was opened by Adolph Della Santina, who was a partner in Original Joe’s II in the Marina District of San Francisco from 1939 to 1953 (it closed a long time ago). To design the restaurant Adolph hired noted bay area architect Mario Gaidano, who also designed many San Francisco landmarks, including the Fairmont Hotel tower (1961, still standing), the House of Prime Rib (1949, still open), the original Mel’s Drive-In (1947-1973, in the movie American Graffiti – it was demolished after the filming), and Fior d’Italia restaurant’s fifth location at Union and Stockton Streets (1953, damaged by fire in 2005, now Original Joe’s). For Marin Joe’s Mario built a modern single-story building with a long peaked roof, wood siding on the left front, large plate glass windows in the restaurant section in the middle, and stone facing in front of the bar with a sign reading “marin Joes” in a jaunty cursive style. Very modern, so just right for U.S. highway 101 in Marin County, which was a hot spot in the mid-20th century for modern architecture. In the 1950s the restaurant was right on four-lane highway 101, so it looked like a classic road house (later the highway was widened and now the restaurant is on a frontage road).

Marin Joe’s in the 1950s. Photo by Marin Joe’s & Jason Lewis’ marinnostalgia.org.

Adolph’s nephew, Romano Della Santina, from Lucca, Italy, was a waiter at the Original Joe’s II in the Marina of San Francisco. He went with Adolph in 1954 to Marin Joe’s, first working as a waiter, then as an owner the following year. Romano’s oldest son Paul became a partner in 1984. In 1997 Romano’s other son Ralph joined the restaurant.

Adolph (R) and Romano (L) Della Santina in Marin Joe’s. Photo by Marin Joe’s & Jason Lewis’ marinnostalgia.org.

Marin Joe’s is still owned by Paul and Ralph Della Santina. Romano Della Santina, who was bestowed with the highest honor of ‘Cavaliere’ by the Italian Government for his involvement in many Italian civic organizations, was an owner until his death in 2015. Many celebrities have dined at Marin Joe’s in the past, including John Wayne, Joe DiMaggio, and Clint Eastwood. The place is always humming, usually packed every night of the week. Some people have been regular customers since the 1950s and 1960s.

Romano and Adolph seated at bar. Photo by Marin Joe’s & Jason Lewis’ marinnostalgia.org.

matchbook image by Heather David on Flickr

On the interior Gaidano kept the dining room open, with a cathedral open beam ceiling that extends beyond the plate-glass windows along the front of the room, as in many modern homes, to soften the gradient between the inside and outside spaces. The layout is very similar to the old Original Joe’s in San Francisco and San Jose, with three rows of naugahyde banquettes of different sizes and a long counter in front of an exhibition kitchen (a signature of all the Joe’s restaurants). In the middle of the room are posts with clusters of cylindrical lamps (original and still in use). The room is almost completely original with the exception of the heat lamps over a waiter station in the center of the counter (added some time in the 1960s I presume), small contemporary hanging lamps over the front booths, and some vases which may have been added more recently (but in brown tones that fit in with the restaurant’s overall look). It’s almost a miracle that it has been so well-preserved! There are some wonderful old photographs on the walls so make sure to check those out when you visit.

Marin Joe’s in the 1950s. Photo courtesy of Jason Lewis’ marinnostalgia.org and Marin Joe’s.

Marin Joe’s in the 1970s. Photo courtesy of Jason Lewis’ marinnostalgia.org and Marin Joe’s.

Marin Joe’s today. Photo by The Jab, October, 2013.

The extensive menu is pretty typical of all the Joe’s restaurants: steaks & chops, Italian dishes, seafood, and of course the Joe’s specialties: a charbroiled cheeseburger on sourdough and the Joe’s Special of hamburger, spinach, and onion (optional mushrooms). But there are many dishes unique to this location, including a spinach w/vinaigrette and cheese dish that is prepared tableside, and specials each day during lunch Monday through Friday. The sourdough bread is fresh and good. In my post on Original Joe’s I forgot to mention that sourdough bread is a signature item at all the Joe’s restaurants.

Marin Joe’s special cheeseburger. Photo by The Jab.

Mesquite grill in action. Photo by The Jab.

Since I work nearby I often come to Marin Joe’s for lunch, usually sitting at the counter. In the winter I like to warm up in front of the mesquite broiler (the same one from the 1950s) and watch the grill chef hand carve steaks to order and prepare the special cheeseburger, which he patties by hand after vigorously mixing the freshly ground beef with diced onions (an identical scene as in the following photo from 1972).

Grill chef in action, 1972. Photo courtesy of Jason Lewis’ marinnostalgia.org and Marin Joe’s.

The menu is massive. It would probably take you a year to try everything on it if you went there every day! Previously I mentioned the daily specials. Here are a few of them.

Beef tongue Wednesday lunch special. Photo by The Jab.

Lamb stew Tuesday lunch special. Photo by The Jab.

Mesquite grilled catch of the day Friday lunch special (trout). Photo by The Jab.

Osso Buco with rice Wednesday lunch special. Photo by The Jab.

The cocktail lounge has nice original rock walls, a fireplace, an L-shaped bar, a piano, framed historic photos, and, unfortunately, a large TV. On most evenings there is a piano player and delicious complimentary cheese spread and crackers (with a jazz trio on Sundays). The bartenders are all veteran pros that know their craft.

Image by marinmagazine.com.

Thanks to Jason Lewis for generously allowing me to use his historic digital photos of Marin Joe’s that he obtained from the restaurant. I love seeing old photos of places like this, especially when you can see how little they have changed. Check out his website Marin Nostalgia for more historic photos of Marin.

Marin Joe’s
1585 Casa Buena Drive, Corte Madera, CA 94925
(415) 924-2081
Open Mon-Thu 11am-11:45pm, Fri 11am-12:45am, Sat 5pm-12:45am, Sun 4pm-11:30pm

It can be a little tricky to reach it after you drive by it on 101 and see smoke coming out of the chimney and the parking lot packed with cars. You need to exit 101 at Tamalpais Drive and take it north towards the town of Corte Madera, then turn left at the first light (Madera Blvd) and immediately turn left again on the first street (Casa Buena, the freeway frontage road that it’s on). You can leave your car at the valet stand or continue past the restaurant to a parking lot on the right on a hill above the restaurant (or park on the street just before the restaurant).

Related posts:

Val’s Restaurant, Daly City, California Joe’s of Westlake, Daly City, California Original Joe’s, San Jose, California Original Joe’s, San Francisco, California