Serving Since

San Francisco

Serving since

1849

177 years in San Francisco

Tadich Grill

Financial District · Seafood

Go here for
Seafood cioppino · Hangtown fry · Pan-fried sand dabs
Why go
Cioppino and charcoal-grilled fish at a restaurant that traces its start to an 1849 coffee stand, run by the Buich family for more than 90 years.
Local character
Locals + visitors. The Infatuation (2026) says weekly regulars and finance lunches share the room with families visiting the city for the first time.
Directions Official website

Began in 1849 as a coffee stand run by three Croatian immigrants. John Tadich later bought it, and it has been at 240 California Street since 1967.

Why it matters

Three Croatian immigrants, Nikola Budrovich, Frano Kosta and Antonio Gasparich, started a coffee stand in 1849 serving merchants and sailors. John Tadich, who arrived from Dalmatia in 1871, was hired as a bartender and later bought the business. After the 1906 earthquake destroyed the building, he partnered with John Sutich, then opened on his own at 545 Clay Street in 1912 and gave it his name.

The Buich family has run it for more than 90 years; sources give 1928 or 1934 for the takeover. It moved to 240 California Street in 1967.

On July 31, 2020 it closed during the pandemic, after its PPP funds ran out. It reopened on April 5, 2021.

The official site calls it the oldest continuously run restaurant in California.

What to order

  • Seafood cioppino
  • Hangtown fry
  • Pan-fried sand dabs
  • Dungeness crab and prawns à la Monza

The story

  1. 1849Three Croatian immigrants open a coffee stand1
  2. 1912John Tadich opens at 545 Clay Street under his own name1
  3. 1967Moves to 240 California Street1
  4. 2020Closes July 31 during the pandemic5
  5. 2021Reopens April 57
  6. TodayStill serving San Francisco

Going to San Francisco? Get all places offline, with walking routes: the San Francisco kit, $9.

Notes on the record

  • Sources differ on when the Buich family took over: the official site says 1934, KQED says 1928.
  • Tadich Grill calls itself the oldest continuously run restaurant in California. We report the claim rather than make it.

Details

Address
240 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
Neighborhood
Financial District
Ownership
Family-owned
Status
Open · verified Sep 2026

OldScore

A secondary, editorial measure. The founding year above is the fact that matters most. How it works.

Age35/ 35
Continuity15/ 20
Local significance15/ 20
Local food culture15/ 15
Independence10/ 10
OldScore90/ 100

Local character: Locals + visitors. The Infatuation (2026) says weekly regulars and finance lunches share the room with families visiting the city for the first time. This is separate from OldScore: a place can be popular with visitors and still belong here.

More like this

Sources

  1. Tadich Grill (official site) Founding year, History, Ownership, Address, Current status
  2. Tadich Grill (official site, Menu) What to order
  3. San Francisco Examiner, "How 175-year-old Tadich Grill has lasted test of time in SF" Founding year, History, What to order
  4. KQED, "Built to Last: Some San Francisco Businesses Date Back to the Gold Rush" (May 8, 2025) Founding year, History, Ownership
  5. NBC Bay Area, "Tadich Grill in SF Temporarily Closing Due to Pandemic" (Jul 29, 2020) History
  6. KTVU, "SF's Tadich Grill to close until indoor dining returns" (Jul 29, 2020) History, Ownership
  7. Hoodline, "San Francisco's Tadich Grill is reopening Monday, April 5" (Apr 2, 2021) History
  8. The Infatuation, '25 Classic Restaurants In SF' (Aug 25, 2026) History