Original Joe's
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Original Joe's is the name of a well known pair of restaurants in Downtown San Jose, California and the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco, California. They serve a wide variety of foods, themed more toward Italian food, however other more mainstream American favorites like cheeseburgers are available. Their "signature" is extremely large portions of food regardless of what you order. They also feature an extensive wine selection.
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[edit] Original Joe's San Francisco
The very first Original Joe's was established in San Francisco by Louis Rocca and Tony "Ante" Rodin in 1937. As of 2007 it is owned and managed by Rodin's grandchildren.[1] The restaurant initially consisted of two counters and a row of booths, with 14 seats and a sawdust floor. As business grew, Louis and Tony leased a vacant space next to them that allowed the addition of a full dining room.[1] Later, further space became available next to the dining room enabling the addition of a full bar, thus completing Original Joe's in San Francisco.
The restaurant, located in a run-down part of the Tenderloin neighborhood, is noted for serving large portions of comfort food and for serving people from all walks of life, "from the head politician to the head prostitute."[1] Original Joe's was featured in the 2007 film Zodiac as a restaurant patronized by Jake Gyllenhaal's character. In October, 2007, the restaurant closed indefinitely due to a kitchen fire that spread throughout the building.[1]
[edit] Original Joe's San Jose
Lou Rocca decided to open another Original Joe’s restaurant for his son and his family in the Bay Area and chose San Jose as the location. San Jose was at the time an up and coming city that presented a prime location for a new business. A space became available in San Jose’s downtown where a clothing store had just closed its doors. Original Joe's San Jose opened in May 1956 at its current location on the corner of First and San Carlos Streets. The first owners of the San Jose Original Joe's were Lou Sr. and his son Lou Rocca Jr. along with partners Otto Tortore, and Nino Caramagno and as the years passed, ownership passed to Matt and Brad Rocca.
Original Joe's has been a staple of the downtown area of San Jose for over 50 years. It is the only restaurant in the downtown area of San Jose open after midnight and as such has been a center of nightlife activity in the city since its inception. The restaurant is a favorite of the San José Police Department due to the hours and the good relations with the owners and staff. The restaurant also engenders many "regulars" who continue to patronize the establishment for reasons ranging from the food, the wines, or the atmosphere.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Original Joe's San Jose
- Review of Original Joe's San Jose in Metroactive
