After 58 years, By-Th’-Bucket pulls up anchor
Seafood kitchen served up clams, catfish and more to loyal customers
Over nearly six decades, thousands and thousands of buckets of steamed clams bordelaise, catfish and cioppino streamed out of this Santa Clara restaurant kitchen.
That culinary legacy came to an end over the holiday weekend when By-Th’-Bucket quietly closed its doors at 4565 Stevens Creek Blvd., an old-school spot where posters of Dean Martin and Sophia Loren mingled with San Francisco 49ers memorabilia.
“It is with great sadness, teary eyes and a heavy heart that the Furiosi family has decided to close By-Th’-Bucket effective today, Sept. 4,” read a note on the website. “The time has come to pursue other endeavors and devote more time to our families.”
The family went on: “Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this legendary dining institution. We are especially thankful to the late Mike Garcia for the opportunity he gave our family 20 years ago. By-Th’-Bucket over the past 60 years of operation has served millions of guests and has created countless memories and for that we will be forever grateful.”
Devoted fans took to social media Tuesday to show their appreciation.
“Thanks for the years of great clams and catfish!” a diner named Robyn K posted on Yelp. “Even after moving to Morgan Hill I found myself coming back up here for good fish. Another institution gone. … Good luck to the Furiosis in their future endeavors.”
Earlier in the year, a customer had noted the restaurant’s wide appeal: “At what restaurant can you bring a hot date and still see your sports event on TV? The Bucket has been around since the last century, outlasting my first marriage, and 13 years into my second marriage.”
On Tuesday afternoon, co-owner Jim Furiosi expressed his gratitude for such supportive customers, especially during this wrenching time. “It’s been very hard emotionally for my entire family,” he said. “I just said goodbye to an employee who has been here since 1985.”
According to Mercury News archives, in 1959 original owner Garcia opened a joint that attracted folks from all walks of life — “hard hats, cowboys, collegiates and sand-lot ball players.”
“It was a hearty place with a good ol’ boy attitude of camaraderie,” then-restaurant reviewer Joseph Izzo Jr. wrote. “You ordered at a big counter, took a number and waited for your food to skid onto the stainless steel deck.”
Later, Izzo wrote, “The old building, with all its weathered and tattered historical significance, was erased from the Earth. Replacing the old is a brand-spanking-new ByTh-Bucket, a chic, upbeat, expanded version, with waitresses, neon lights and a smooth operation.”
Over the years, more sophisticated entrees were added to the menu, and By-Th’-Bucket became one of the few South Bay restaurants with a full crab menu for Dungeness season.
And this decade, with the construction of Levi’s Stadium in the city, the renovated restaurant became a gathering spot for football fans.
A 2014 Mercury News special section on Levi’s Stadium called By-Th’Bucket the “Best place to take the sting out of a 49ers loss,” noting that “If you don’t feel uplifted after a trip to By-Th’-Bucket Bar and Grill, then you’re not a true member of the Faithful.
“At this classic Italian/ seafood restaurant, you can surround yourself in memorabilia from the 49ers’ glory days — helmets, jerseys and footballs signed by all the greats — to remind yourself that there’s always next week. Then dig into the ultimate San Francisco-style comfort food: Cioppino by the bucket, as the name says.”