Another Fun Filled Fact ‘Bout San Francisco: John’s Grill

From the SFHotelstories History File: Places

John’s Grill is located in the Flood Building was where the offices for “Continental Ops” were located. The fictional detective agency Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade worked for.

Opening in 1908, John’s Grill was the first downtown restaurant to open after the quake. To this day has been the premier gathering spot for political and financial movers and shakers.

Their famous seafood salad named for fitness pioneer Jack LaLanne, who himself was a San Francisco native.

Until the last 1906 Earthquake survivor passed in in 2016, John’s Grill hosted an event every year for those who lived through the most important event in San Francisco history.

Author Dashiell Hammett was a real detective, and worked for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, and as it was in the same building as John’s Grill, he was a frequent patron.

Sam Spade, Dashiell Hammett’s fictional detective from the Maltese Falcon, was also a regular patron of John’s Grill.

One of the four original Maltese Falcon props from the 1941 movie starring Humphry Bogart, was displayed for many years.