Original Joe's Friendsgiving Dinner: Prime Rib by the Square

Original Joe's sits at 601 Union Street, on the corner that overlooks Washington Square Park, and it is one of the few San Francisco restaurants where a group of 15 can still book a regular table without going through events. Parties over 15 move to the private dining form, which opens up rooms for 30 to 50 seated. For a Friendsgiving dinner, that range covers almost every friend group, from a tight table of eight to the whole office floor.

The restaurant's own story starts in 1937, when Tony Rodin, a Croatian immigrant, opened a 14-stool counter with sawdust on the floor on Taylor Street in the Tenderloin. That location ran for seven decades until a fire destroyed it in 2007. The family reopened in North Beach in a building that had long housed Fior d'Italia, and they kept the parts regulars cared about most, the exhibition kitchen and the leather booths.

Walk in and the grill line is the first thing you see, with the cooks working in full view of the room. The booths are deep enough for six adults, which makes them the right call for a small Friendsgiving, and the waiters in this room have seen every kind of celebration. Expect a crowd of North Beach locals, families on their third generation of visits and tourists who walked over from Coit Tower.

The summer 2026 dinner menu lists Joe's Slow Roasted Prime Rib at $58.95, and it is the closest thing here to a holiday roast. Order the Tomahawk Ribeye at $142.95, a 36-ounce bone-in steak that serves two, if the group wants one showpiece in the middle of the table. Joe's Special, the ground beef, spinach and egg scramble that has been on the menu for generations, is $24.95 and works as a side when it is split four ways.

The pasta section is where a big table saves money. Joe's House Made Ravioli is $26.95 and Spaghetti and Meatballs is $27.95, and both arrive in portions that two light eaters can share. The Dungeness Crab Louie is $36.95 for the friend who wants something cold and bright between rich plates. Joe's Famous Hamburger Sandwich is $25.95, and it is a solid order for the person who insists on something simple on a holiday night.

An honest note: skip the burger if the group is ordering family style, because it does not cut neatly and it fills a seat that a second ravioli plate would cover better. The menu also notes a 6% surcharge on all food and beverage, so build that into any per-person split ahead of time. A table of ten that shares two prime ribs, a tomahawk, three pastas and the Louie eats well without ordering an entree each.

The private dining page lists three named rooms. Parkside has five large windows facing Saints Peter and Paul Church and seats 50, or 60 for a standing reception, which makes it the obvious choice for a large Friendsgiving that wants a view. The Salesian Room seats 30 and has green vinyl tufted walls and a vintage Joe's sign. The Tony Bennett Room seats 32, with aqua tiling and original deco mermaids, a nod to the singer's long association with the city.

Events can be plated, cocktail or reception style, so a group can choose a sit-down dinner or a standing party with passed food. Use the online form for anything over 15 people. For smaller groups, a weeknight table is much easier to get than Friday or Saturday in late November, when the room fills with holiday parties. If the date you want is gone, a Sunday dinner works just as well and closes earlier.

Original Joe's is open Monday to Thursday 4 pm to 10 pm, Friday 11:30 am to 10 pm, Saturday 11 am to 10 pm and Sunday 11 am to 9 pm. The phone number is (415) 775-4877. Muni's 30 Stockton and 45 Union-Stockton buses stop within a block or two, and the Central Subway's Chinatown station is about a 12-minute walk south. Parking in North Beach is scarce on weekends, so a group from the Peninsula should plan a shared ride or allow extra time.

Thanksgiving Day itself is not covered by a published menu on the North Beach page, so treat the weeks before and after as Friendsgiving territory. A late-afternoon Saturday booking gives the group daylight on the square before dinner and gets the group seated before the dinner crowd arrives. Monday through Thursday, service begins at 4 pm, which is early enough for a long, relaxed meal before the room gets loud.

Start the evening on the lawn at Washington Square Park, at Columbus Avenue and Union Street, where the benches face the restaurant across the grass. The square is small enough to cross in two minutes and big enough for a group photo with the church behind you. In the evening the lawn is mostly dog walkers and families heading home from dinner.

Saints Peter and Paul Church on Filbert Street anchors the north side of the square with its twin white spires, which light up after dark and look best from the Parkside room windows. After dinner, the walk down Columbus Avenue toward the old cafes takes ten minutes and makes a good end to the night. Coit Tower is a steep climb from here, so save it for a daytime visit rather than after a prime rib dinner.

Original Joe's, 601 Union Street, San Francisco, CA 94133, on Washington Square in North Beach. Phone (415) 775-4877. Monday to Thursday 4 pm to 10 pm, Friday 11:30 am to 10 pm, Saturday 11 am to 10 pm, Sunday 11 am to 9 pm. Regular reservations up to 15 guests, private rooms seating 30 to 50 by inquiry. Prime rib $58.95, Tomahawk Ribeye $142.95 for two. A 6% surcharge is added to food and beverage.