A few weeks back I was fortunate enough to get a pair of tickets to see David Sedaris at the War Memorial Opera House up in San Francisco. Then the question turned naturally to “what’s for dinner?”. We quickly realize we were in walking distance to Tommy Joynt and that was all the decision making involved.
If you can believe Guy Fieri, since my information came from that old episode of Triple D I somewhat remember, Tommy’s Joynt has been a San Francisco institution for many years. All the recipes are tried and true. And somehow they managed to keep the prices low.
We arrived a little early at dinner to give us ample time to find parking, walk over, and try to decide what to eat. The place looks like a dive bar on one side and a Hofbrau on the other. We were fortunate enough to be there on a night when lamb shank was on the menu. We probably should have ordered a couple of different things, but hey… I can’t argue with lamb shanks. It was definitely more food then I anticipated. Two meaty lamb shanks and potatoes drenched in savory gravy plus a dinner roll to soak up the remnants. It was very tasty and tender. You will want more after one, and will be holding your stomach after two. We also saw on other tables hand carved sandwiches and meatloaves served in similar proportion. I certainly appreciated the generous portions, but I think the thrifty person in me made some of the taste with the value.
One caution is that the place tends to get crowded. As I said, we were there earlier in the evening and evaded the line. The line was almost out the door by the time we left. It was a very good meal for where it was and the price was right. I’m not sure if it would be a destination for out-of-towners. On the other hand it is a great local hangout and it is certainly affordable. This will make my “fall back” list when I’m in the area.
Gastronomdia 