Serving Since

San Francisco

Serving since

1947

79 years in San Francisco

Tommy's Joynt

San Francisco · American

Go here for
Pastrami sandwich · Buffalo stew · Turkey dinner
Why go
Sliced-to-order pastrami, turkey and buffalo stew at a counter-service hofbrau on Geary since 1947.
Local character
Neighborhood regulars. The SF Chronicle (2015) says the lunchtime line shows it remains a gathering place for all walks of San Francisco life.
Good to know
Counter service, first come first served; no reservations.
Directions Official website

Why it matters

Tommy Harris opened Tommy's Joynt in 1947, with a partner whose name sources give differently. It became known for sliced-to-order pastrami sandwiches, buffalo stew and carved turkey, served cafeteria-style from the counter.

Susie Katzman ran it with her sons Sam and Zack from 2000. In 2015 the Katzmans sold it to Chris Henry, a San Francisco native, on condition that the name, the staff and its Local 2 union status stay. It closed in March 2020 for the pandemic and reopened about eight months later, in time for Thanksgiving.

The story

  1. 1947Tommy Harris opens Tommy's Joynt2
  2. 2000Susie Katzman begins running it with her sons2
  3. 2015Katzman family sells to Chris Henry2
  4. 2020Closed from March for the pandemic; reopens about eight months later4
  5. TodayStill serving San Francisco

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Notes on the record

  • Sources name different co-founders alongside Tommy Harris: Billy Veprin (San Francisco Chronicle, 2015) and Al Pollack (KPIX, 2020).

Details

Address
1101 Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94109
Ownership
Not verified
Status
Open · verified Sep 2026

OldScore

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

Age22/ 35
Continuity—/ 20
Local significance10/ 20
Local food culture10/ 15
Independence—/ 10
OldScoreNot yet scored

"—" means unknown. We don't publish a total until every part is verified.

Local character: Neighborhood regulars. The SF Chronicle (2015) says the lunchtime line shows it remains a gathering place for all walks of San Francisco life. This is separate from OldScore: a place can be popular with visitors and still belong here.

More like this

Sources

  1. Tommy's Joynt (official site) Founding year, Address, Current status, What to order
  2. San Francisco Chronicle, 'Tommy's Joynt buyer has no appetite for change' (2015) Founding year, Ownership, History, What to order
  3. CBS News Bay Area (KPIX), 'Management says iconic San Francisco hofbrau Tommy's Joynt not permanently closed' (Sep 2, 2020) Founding year, Ownership, History
  4. KTVU, 'San Francisco's Tommy's Joynt reopens after eight month closure' (Nov 5, 2020) Founding year, History
  5. San Francisco Chronicle, 'S.F. institution Tommy's Joynt is reopening in...' (2020) Ownership, History, What to order
  6. Resy, 'Blessed Be Tommy's Joynt, the Last San Francisco Hof Brau' (Sep 2021) Founding year, What to order, History