San Francisco's famed Sam Wo Restaurant may have closed for good
A venerable San Francisco Chinese restaurant with an extensive history has officially closed its doors for the foreseeable future.
The Sam Wo Restaurant is believed to have served its first meal soon after the 1906 earthquake at its original location at 816 Washington St. The Chinatown institution has been run by the same family for generations and was reportedly a late-night hangout during the 1950s frequented by such Beat generation poets as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.
Known for its late hours, no-frills food and surly service, the restaurant gained fame in the '60s as the home of Edsel Ford Fong, who earned a reputation as the "world's rudest waiter." The Sam Wo Restaurant has been featured in numerous San Francisco guidebooks and during its history hosted such notable visitors as China's president, David Letterman and a host of other celebrities.
The restaurant's original Washington St. location was shut down due to health code violations and fire safety issues in 2012. It eventually reopened in 2015 on nearby Clay Street.
According to reports last fall, the restaurant's lease was set to end in January of 2025. With no buyers stepping up to acquire the business and main chef and part owner David Ho retired, it appears that the establishment had its last day in operation on Sunday. So far, there is no word on the restaurant continuing at the 713 Clay location or elsewhere.
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