12 long-lived Bay Area restaurants we said goodbye to in 2025

During tumultuous times we look for comfort And we often find it in our go-to dishes at our longtime favorite restaurants But every year we say goodbye to numerous of those establishments The ones we pay tribute to here had been landmarks for years even generations Selected chefs and owners decided to retire or take a break Others couldn t weather the costs of doing business in this inflationary post-pandemic era Or ran up against redevelopment plans Here in order of longevity are businesses that shut their doors after years or more plus a scant revivals and relocations that we re thrilled about Let us know if we missed one of your favorite legacy restaurants KASPER S HOT DOGS Oakland and Concord years Then-owner Harry Yaglijian shows off one of his popular hot dogs in at the original Kasper's Hot Dogs in Oakland Oakland Tribune archives The legendary Kasper s Hot Dogs which was nearing the century mark shut down both of its remaining locations in mid-October one in Concord and the other on Oakland s MacArthur Boulevard Kasper s was a well-known name among generations of locals It served up Chicago-style hot dogs with sliced onions and fresh tomatoes a garnish approach selected people call dragged through the garden on steamed poppyseed buns Started in in Oakland by Kasper Koojoolian the brand went from from roughly a dozen outposts around the Bay Area in new decades down to zero though Caspers Hot Dogs the chain founded by relatives of the original group still maintains locations in Oakland Pleasant Hill Dublin and Hayward The s vintage Caspers closed in but the Foothill Boulevard eatery is still in business MAC S OLD HOUSE Antioch years Customers wait outside for a table at Mac's Old House in Antioch on April The restaurant closed on June after more than years in business Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group Mac s Old House an old-fashioned Italian restaurant known for its prime rib and minestrone soup closed its doors over the summer after decades of serving up not just traditional dishes but also memories that have lasted a lifetime for customers Related Articles Ohlone cuisine will star at a rare East Bay indigenous restaurant Two restaurants debut at Stanford Shopping Center Elizabeth Olsen reveals she lives in Sonoma recommends local restaurant San Francisco bakery with Michelin cred opens this weekend in Concord New Italian restaurant offers first-ever tableside show in Danville Rick Cook manager and head chef announced that he and owner Gary Noe were ready for retirement We ve not had anyone step in to continue running the restaurant Cook commented I will definitely miss it but at the same time I am looking forward to missing it Noe purchased the restaurant in but the building itself was first built in by Floyd Mac McKinney according to the restaurant s website McKinney converted part of his home into a bar and opened it in running it for years before retiring In the days after the announcement was made patrons shared their memories of Mac s Three generations of the Torrano family have been coming here for dinners and celebrations It s a place filled with friendship and memories It was affordable and the drinks were good Sherry Torrano commented Now it feels like the end of an era RICK ANN S Berkeley years Customers during breakfast at Rick and Ann's Restaurant in Oakland in Ray Chavez Oakland Tribune Archives After decades of cooking Berkeley the comfort food it craves Rick Ann s served its last plate of red-flannel hash full of beets bacon sweet potatoes this September Owner Ann Lauer posted a bittersweet farewell saying she had enjoyed seeing customers that I held as children now with their families and even several now as grandparents And she thanked the public for allowing the Rick Ann s band to experience all of your lives throughout the years Ann and then-husband Rick Lauer started the business in to provide what they were missing from the restaurant scene the food they relished from childhood Rick Ann s fast became a hit with the brunch crowd drawing hourlong lines for its French toast tofu scrambles and low-key Californian cuisine The eatery s fan base grew to include Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry and wife Ayesha Curry as well as Guy Fieri who featured it on his Diners Drive-Ins and Dives Customers flocked to Rick Ann's in Berkeley for a final serving of red-flannel hash Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group archives Lauer announced she s hanging up the towel in order to trip pursue more society involvement and in general move on to the next phase of my life But for those hungering for her breakfast-biscuit platters and buttermilk-fried chicken she plans on keeping her side business Ann s Catering open in a new location IGUANAS San Jose years The Orozco family and staff rolled and wrapped the last Iguanas burritos on July Linda Zavoral Bay Area News Group It was bye-bye Burritozilla when this cult favorite eatery rolled its last burritos both the regular-size ones and the famous -incher and closed the doors at the vibrantly painted Victorian on South Third Street After a thriving -year-long run the whole family has decided to pursue new passions and projects and is retiring the Iguanas brand and businesses the Orozco family wrote on social media According to Mercury News archives that Burritozilla behemoth gets credit for launching the career of competitive eating champion Joey Jaws Chestnut In Chestnut then a civil engineering aspirant at nearby San Jose State University entered and won Iguanas annual Scarfing Showdown contest taking home I frequented this amazing establishment almost daily from to when I was in college so it was really special to revisit after all these years before they close permanently a customer named Rae L posted on Yelp Another longtime fan Laura C wrote Thank you for all the delicious memories Your food has warmed me and my friends bellies during our college years and into our adulthoods Ambience feels like a party Amenity is outstanding The Orozco family has now leased the building to a brand-new restaurant Entre Comales WALNUT CREEK YACHT CLUB Walnut Creek years Chef-owner Kevin Weinberg left and co-owner Ellen McCarty stand in the dining room during the last day of the Walnut Creek Yacht Club restaurant in Walnut Creek on May Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group After nearly years of arrangement in downtown Walnut Creek the Yacht Club sold its last bowl of famous clam chowder in May Owners Kevin Weinberg and Ellen McCarty felt ready for the next phase of their lives And while they considered selling the restaurant to owners who could keep it afloat they ultimately decided to only close up and allow customers to preserve their memories of delicious seafood We didn t think it was really viable to keep the brand going under new management Weinberg explained This business is very demanding to transfer a long-standing brand that was independently run You end up with a comparison factor that even though you might change nothing people will say It s just not the same A clam chowder bowl made by Walnut Creek Yacht Club chef and co-owner Kevin Weinberg at his restaurant in Walnut Creek on Feb Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group Weinberg and McCarty are constantly getting sought for their recipes and Weinberg stated he s considering writing a book to share his favorites from the restaurant Up next The space on the corner of Locust and Bonanza will be resurrected by the Ghaben family which also owns fine dining restaurant Lita and American restaurant Broderick on the same corner It s going to be the next hottest thing in Walnut Creek Mike Ghaben commented As for the menu It ll stay a secret for now but Ghaben offered a hint I want to pay homage to the Yacht Club he stated MAIN STREET BREWERY Pleasanton years Matt Billings owner of Pleasanton's Main Street Brewery holds up a glass of their Zone porter in this photo Michael Lucia Bay Area News Group archives The downtown pub and restaurant first began serving its house-brewed beer and pub fare back in but owners Sharon and Matt Billings sold their final beer in September The owners wrote on a goodbye Facebook post that they were ready for the next chapter of their lives Serving you and your families has been one of the greatest joys the owners wrote on a goodbye Facebook post We ve shared meals music laughter and stories Along the way we ve made everlasting friendships people we will invariably remember and times that we will never forget Main Street Brewery was also known for its live music scene where countless local bands were able to get their first opportunities to play in front of larger audiences Several bands commented on the goodbye post to thank the pub s owners for supporting local musicians Closing the restaurant wasn t a sign of financial distress but rather a celebration for the Billings family It s time for the next chapter of our lives and to do the things we inevitably talked about take vacations spend more time with family and even play particular pickleball Sharon Billings stated The Independent When you run a business you love you are consistently there and sometimes it s hard to step away because it s your true love CHEF LI San Jose years In this photo from the year co-owners Lawrence Li and Eric Diec pose in their orchid-decorated restaurant Chef Li on San Jose's Camden Avenue Joanne HoYoung Lee Bay Area News Group archives This popular orchid-decorated Chinese restaurant held court on Camden Avenue for years until this past spring when owner Eric Diec wrote a note to customers saying he was unable to reach a new lease agreement with the property owner We greatly appreciate your sponsorship in our business he revealed We will truly miss you all May God bless you and your family and have a healthy and happy year Devoted customers were distressed to learn of the news posting their gratitude on social media and heading back for more Chef Li meals before the final day of business Oh no customer Candi C posted on the Facebook account of NBC Bay Area which communicated the news April Thanks for awesome lunch specials and delicious crispy noodles over the years Chef Li was such a nice place to dine Others posted on Reddit about graduation parties held at Chef Li and about ordering takeout for movie nights at home Truly I didn t think I would cry about a restaurant closing a customer going by the handle Proud Azorius confided on Reddit It s more like losing a good friend BISSAP BAOBAB San Francisco years An Oakland location of Bissap Baobab had previously closed The San Francisco restaurant will reportedly shut down Dec Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group After a -year run the West African restaurant Bissap Baobab is closing its Mission District location on Dec An Oakland location had closed previously Owner Marco Senghor immigrated to the United States about years ago to start a legacy of his own according to Bay Area News Group archives The eatery and dance club has been known for its authentic Senegalese food and vibrant dance scene However Senghor stated the San Francisco Chronicle sustaining such a large space has become too challenging in these times So he mentioned he will look to continue that cultural legacy in a smaller venue instead The Baobab will rise again he noted Meantime the Chronicle disclosed a Dec farewell party is scheduled and Baobab pop-up parties are being held elsewhere st AMENDMENT BREWERY San Leandro and San Francisco years A beer sample is poured at the st Amendment Brewery in San Leandro It was located in a former Kellogg's plant Anda Chu Bay Area News Group Anda Chu Bay Area News Group A leader in the Bay Area s craft beer movement st Amendment shut down operations this year brewing its last Brew Free Or Die Blood Orange IPA and Hell or High Watermelon and closing its San Leandro facility and San Francisco brewpub Co-owners Shaun O Sullivan and Nico Freccia founded the award-winning brewery in The business began as a brewpub beer columnist Jay R Brooks wrote but later became one of the first in both California and the country to put all of its beer in cans That decision presaged the craft can revolution that s taken place over the past two decades Like countless breweries sales suffered considerably during the COVID- pandemic and as people began drinking less both during and after the pandemic the owners tried to figure out how to stay ahead of the curve They brought in a financial partner and upgraded the brewery so that they could also make strength drinks and other beverages But it wasn t enough leading to the bittersweet decision Brooks wrote IZZY S San Carlos years The Garden Patio at Izzy's on the Peninsula offered shade and an occasional glimpse of a small plane taking off from the San Carlos Airport Linda Zavoral Bay Area News Group After a two-decade run Izzy s on the Peninsula a San Carlos restaurant known for its steaks chops and seafood shut down after serving its last dinner on Oct We re grateful for every memory the DuVall Family Restaurant Group revealed on the website inviting diners to come in to this Skyway Road location near the airport one last time for their favorites But there s a silver lining for Izzy s fans The original San Francisco location in the Marina District which dates back to remains open and has been newly renovated Diners there can order their steaks au poivre or sauced with housemade bordelaise bearnaise or chimichurri And The Gomez prime rib meal popular at both locations still comes with Izzy s rich scalloped potatoes and that delicious creamed spinach Our flagship restaurant in San Francisco will continue welcoming you for a large number of years to come the Duvalls mentioned SIENA BISTRO San Jose years Longtime customers packed Siena Bistro in Willow Glen for its final days and nights of provision over the summer They came for one last plate of Angry Arrabbiata Pasta or the decadent Roasted Duck Lasagna or perhaps a final Sole Amandine one of the bestsellers And for a sentimental farewell chat with chef-owner David Wiesner People live their lives differently these days he mentioned adding that younger diners in particular are frequenting casual more affordable eateries that offer shared plates They don t want comfort food from years ago which is what I do Longtime customer Michele Eaton she was here for the Dijon-Crusted Cedar Plank Salmon and husband Chris for the Braised Short Rib estimated that of the diners are repeat customers He seems to know everyone who walks in the door and greets them by name To wit Laurie Stapleton a diner from Day One called the place the Cheers of Willow Glen the quintessential neighborhood comfort stop OPA South Bay and beyond years The -year-run of the Opa Restaurant Group which brought its Greek specialties to more than half a dozen cities in the Bay Area came to an end in late September That month the company filed to liquidate its assets in a move that triggered a shutdown of the chain s remaining restaurants in Campbell Morgan Hill and Santa Clara Early in the year Opa closed its Willow Glen restaurant The Opa group s long run began in in that San Jose neighborhood with a smaller restaurant on Lincoln Avenue that regularly drew crowds for its comfort menu of Greek lamb chops skewers flatbreads salads dips and appetizers Over the years Opa restaurants could also be ascertained in Los Gatos Los Altos and Walnut Creek REVIVALS AND MOVES ARMADILLO WILLY S After years in business this venerable barbecue chain is down to one location in San Mateo But longtime customer John Vink a Silicon Valley engineer who lunched at Willys in the South Bay for years has relaunched the Sunnyvale and San Jose Blossom Hill restaurants as Empire Armadillo with barbecue and deli sandwiches PIZZA OLIVA The original owners sold to a local couple this year which changed the name to Ellie s Pizzeria They added an ice-cream counter and tinkered with the chicken-wings formula but still make the pizza according to the original recipe at Olympic Blvd in Walnut Creek MONA LISA In San Francisco this longtime North Beach restaurant will close after years but sister restaurant Mona Lisa Mare E Monti will remain open across the street at Columbus Ave