Where history is special of the house
The road to yesterday runs right by the 7 Mile House, conveniently located in what the owner calls “the middle of nowhere,” on Bayshore Boulevard just over the San Francisco County line and just inside the boundaries of the city of Brisbane.
This is a place that is steeped in history, but does not take itself too seriously. The 7 Mile House has been in business since it began as a stagecoach stop in 1853, which makes it one of the oldest restaurants in the country. But it has turned into something that resembles the new California — diverse, imaginative, entrepreneurial, a little complicated.
The 7 Mile House is off the radar, near the intersection of Bayshore and Geneva Avenue, not far from the Cow Palace.
It has a bit of everything, like sizzling sisig, a Filipino dish that is a 7 Mile favorite. Diced meat, onions, jalapenos, herbs, spices, a raw egg and rice, all mixed together and served sizzling hot, washed down with a pint of local craft beer.
It’s not a dish for gourmands, but in its way sizzling sisig is more California than the famous California cuisine. The 7 Mile House is not a place where the elite meet to eat. The customers are from the neighborhood: Daly City, Visitacion Valley and Little Hollywood in San Francisco, working folks, office workers on their way home, people who like to watch the basketball playoffs. There is live music every night.
“We are a historic, dog-friendly family restaurant, sports bar and live music venue,” said Vanessa Garcia, who is the owner-manager. “We are in the middle of nowhere as you can see, so we have to give people a reason to come in the door.”
Not too many years ago, Garcia noticed that many of the customers had dogs, which spent their time outside the restaurant, leashed to a pole, looking mournful. So she devised a dog menu, with food for the animals.
The 7 Mile House also sells dog cigars (beef and turkey instead of tobacco), and dog beer (water, beef and meat extract). Now that’s historic.
Besides the standard fare, Filipino food, plus the usual American fare — burgers, pasta, fish, steaks, Brazilian fish chowder — the 7 Mile House serves such curiosities as a Cow Palace Burger, featured on a TV show called the “United States of Bacon.” It’s a giant hamburger for $16.75. Garcia thinks she might have a Cow Palace Burger eating contest, maybe during next year’s Grand National Rodeo.
“The reason I stay in business is because I tried these weird ideas,” Garcia said, “and if it doesn’t work, I’ve learned my lesson.”
So it’s time for a little history lesson. The mile houses began just after the Gold Rush. They lined the highway between San Francisco and San Jose, one every mile or so. The distance from the San Francisco City Hall determined their names.
The mile houses were hotels, restaurants, saloons, post offices, and sometimes brothels or gambling dens. Two have survived — the 7 Mile House and the more upscale 16 Mile House in Millbrae.
The 7 Mile House is the only one in its original location. Until the Bayshore Freeway opened in the mid-1950s, the 7 Mile House was right on Highway 101, but then the highway bypassed the place.
It still did a lively business with a big railroad switching yard across the street, and a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. center buzzing next door. It was a tough place — under-thecounter gambling, motorcycle gangs, a fight every night. During the football era at nearby Candlestick Park, the 7 Mile House was a way station for hard-drinking 49er fans. “They got so drunk sometimes they forgot to tip,” Garcia recalled.
Garcia, who was born in the Philippines, has an immigrant’s optimism. She took over the 7 Mile House in 2004 with big plans to turn the old joint into a family restaurant.
“I went door to door in the neighborhood to see what people wanted,” she said. “I even went out on the highway median myself to hand out menus. I have to admit, I didn’t know what I was doing.”
Garcia’s mother, Cleopatra, helped out, cooking, waiting on tables, giving advice. Vanessa was the bartender, manager and impresario.
It seems to have paid off. “I like the place,” said Jeff Mersman, who was having a beer the other night. “I like the vibe, I like the diversity.”
“Yeah,” said his companion. “And they have pretty bartenders, too.”