Old Clam House slated to reopen with new owners

Just when it started to look like San Francisco’s Old Clam House might become a victim of the pandemic, closing after 161 years, new signs of life have popped up in its windows at the corner of Bayshore Boulevard and Oakdale Avenue — white signs reading “Opening soon.”

The restaurant, founded in 1861, was sold to the owners of the Mona Lisa Restaurant in North Beach, the Florese family, who plan to reopen it — probably in early May.

They don’t plan to change a lot about the historic restaurant, including its name, decor and its classic dishes — even the clam juice, said Filomena Florese.

She bought the restaurant a few weeks ago from the previous owners, Jerry Dal Bozzo, his wife, Jennifer, and business partner Dante Serafini, who owned it since 2011 but shut it down when San Francisco headed into the lockdown in March 2020. With no real room for outdoor dining and a menu not well-suited for takeout, The Old Clam House stayed closed and the owners announced last may May that the restaurant was for sale.

Florese said she didn’t plan to buy the restaurant when she first visited it late in 2021.

“I went to see it, and wow,” she said. “I was so impressed with it: the memorabilia, the history, that I said, ‘we have to reopen this.’ It’s the oldest restaurant, it’s in the same place. I makes you feel like you’re back in time.”

Florese plans to keep the same look and feel The Old Clam House fans have grown used to — the big windows, checkered tablecloths and wooden bar on the inside, and the historic front with a neon sign sporting a martini glass.

After two years of closure, the restaurant is getting a thorough cleaning and Jerry Dal Bozzo said he was working with Florese on designing the menu ahead of the reopening.

As for the menu, Dal Bozzo and Florese said it will retain all the old favorites — the clam bake cioppino, steamed clams, clam chowder, clam linguine — even shots of hot clam juice, a restaurant tradition.

Dal Bozzo said The Old Clam House, which served only Manila clams, may add cherrystone and razor clams. Florese said they also plan to add some family favorite Italian dishes.

“Since we’re an Italian family, we might add some pasta dishes,” she said. “Our tradition. But I want it to have the same feel people are used to, the same feeling I had when I walked in. You just kind of want to sit there and have a good meal and relax.” The Old Clam House is the oldest San Francisco restaurant operating in the same location. Tadich Grill is the city’s oldest restaurant, but it has moved locations.

Dal Bozzo and Serafini said they were pleased to find an owner who wanted to keep The Old Clam House alive.

“They’re a great family,” Serafini said, “and it’s going to be a great tradition.”

Old Clam House The new owners of the Old Clam House, founded in 1861, plan to reopen soon. It’s the the oldest S.F. restaurant to have operated from the same location.