S.F. landmark Fog City diner closes permanently after 40 years on the Embarcadero
Fog City, the landmark restaurant that helped launch San Francisco's small plates movement and once defined the modern American diner, closed its doors Friday after four decades in operation.
'With a heavy heart I share some difficult news,' read a message posted by the restaurant on social media. 'Fog City has closed permanently with the last day of service being May 30, 2025. Thank you for the 40 years of patronage!'
The closure was unannounced, and no reason was provided.
Opened in 1985 as Fog City Diner by restaurateurs Bill Higgins and Bill Upson, the eatery became an immediate part of the city's dining landscape with its whimsical Pat Kuleto design and the inventive cuisine of chef Cindy Pawlcyn.
Over the years, its neon signs and bold, globally inspired menu helped cement its place in San Francisco's culinary lore.
Though Pawlcyn departed more than a decade ago, a 2013 overhaul saw the diner reimagined as simply Fog City, with a sleeker look by architect Michael Guthrie and a revamped kitchen led by chef Bruce Hill.
Hill introduced dishes such as wood-oven roasted chicken with kimchi butter, utilizing his patented chef's press, a stainless steel tool that weighs down food to even out cooking times.
Located at 1300 Battery St., the site itself has a layered history — once a roundhouse for trains, then a World War II-era cafeteria, and later a gathering spot for longshoremen.
When it was still known as Fog City Diner, the restaurant appeared in Visa commercials, Farley comic strips, and the 1993 Mike Myers film 'So I Married an Axe Murderer.'
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