Many people in the 925 were extremely excited to hear that Original Joe’s, the iconic San Francisco restaurant, will be opening its first East Bay branch in Walnut Creek, California.
Original Joe’s is taking over the space originally occupied by Stanford’s Restaurant. It’s tucked into the very corner of Broadway Plaza, across from the Macy’s and near the new location of the Coop.
Original Joe’s serves upscale American cuisine in an understated but fancy interior. Original Joe’s first opened in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood in 1937 and has since expanded to Daly City’s Westlake neighborhood and San Francisco’s North Beach at 601 Union Street. The restaurant is known for its classic Italian-American dishes.
Original Joe’s Walnut Creek was originally slated to open in April or May of 2025. That’s fast approaching—so how are we looking on the timeline?
I recently stopped by for the Bay Area Telegraph to have a look at the construction and see where things stand.
When I visited, the construction site was a flurry of activity. Contractors and construction workers were moving in and out carrying blueprints, and carpenters were hard at work assembling massive wooden trellises that will be part of a new outdoor patio.
There appears to be extensive work going on inside the restaurant as well.
Essentially, it seems like Original Joe’s is planning to take the Stanford’s location and totally redo it from the inside out. This isn’t an example of a restaurant quietly moving into an existing space—it’s a total gut and rebuild type of job.
Although the construction seems to be going well, it also looks like it’s nowhere near complete. The interior is still full of equipment and scaffolding, and the exterior has freshly poured concrete and lots of exposed wood.
A construction fence surrounds the entire site, and adding in greenery or landscaping feels like a distant-future project.
All that’s to say: while the level of effort here means Original Joe’s is definitely going to happen in Walnut Creek—and it will probably be beautiful both inside and out when it does arrive—we’re nowhere near the restaurant opening.
Based on conversations I’ve had with people knowledgeable about the restaurant, it sounds like we’ll have to wait at least two more months for Original Joe’s Walnut Creek to open.
A representative for Original Joe’s confirmed that the opening date is still up in the air, telling us, “The opening date is still TBC.” We were not given any more details than that—the two-month plus estimate is based on our own research and reporting.
So there you have it. Original Joe’s is definitely coming to Walnut Creek. But we’ll have to wait a while longer to try the delicious American food at this upscale new place.
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