What Happened to Joe's Cable Car Restaurant? (San Francisco, CA)
Current status
As of September 2026, Joe's Cable Car Restaurant has closed — confirmed via the business's own closure notice, July 11, 2026.
Last verified
What the source shows: Wikipedia (revised 2026-07-11) states the restaurant closed in 2014 and its building was slated for demolition as of January 2021; a Yelp listing updated August 2026 marks the business as closed.
- Season / episode Season 2, Episode 12
- Original air date
- Address 4320 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94112
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What happened after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives visited Joe's Cable Car Restaurant, a cable-car-shaped restaurant in the Excelsior District of San Francisco, California, known for grinding its own beef in-house for its burgers, during the episode "Burgers, Rings and Fries," which aired 2008-01-21. The restaurant was founded in 1965 and was owned and operated by Joe Obegi until 2014, according to Wikipedia (revised 2026-07-11). According to Wikipedia, the restaurant closed in 2014 and that the building at 4320 Mission Street was slated for demolition in early 2021. A Yelp business listing for the restaurant, updated August 2026, marks it as permanently closed. No source located indicates the business reopened or relocated since 2014. The cable-car-styled dining room was purpose-built for the restaurant, a design detail Wikipedia's article credits with helping cement its local reputation, during Obegi's near half-century run, as home to one of San Francisco's best hamburgers.
Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
- Season / episode
- Season 2, Episode 12
- Original air date
- Episode title
- Burgers, Rings and Fries
- What was featured
- Cable-car-shaped diner's fresh-ground beef burgers
- Role
- Featured restaurant
- Name on the broadcast
- Joe's Cable Car Restaurant
Frequently asked questions
Is Joe's Cable Car Restaurant still open in 2026?
As of September 2026, Joe's Cable Car Restaurant has closed — confirmed via the business's own closure notice, July 11, 2026.
What happened to Joe's Cable Car Restaurant after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives visited Joe's Cable Car Restaurant, a cable-car-shaped restaurant in the Excelsior District of San Francisco, California, known for grinding its own beef in-house for its burgers, during the episode "Burgers, Rings and Fries," which aired 2008-01-21. As of September 2026, Joe's Cable Car Restaurant has closed — confirmed via the business's own closure notice, July 11, 2026.
Is Joe's Cable Car Restaurant permanently closed?
As of September 2026, Joe's Cable Car Restaurant has closed — confirmed via the business's own closure notice, July 11, 2026. We publish a closure only with a dated source behind it, and we say plainly when it has not been independently confirmed.
Where is Joe's Cable Car Restaurant located?
4320 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94112. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.
What season and episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Joe's Cable Car Restaurant?
Season 2, Episode 12 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, first aired January 21, 2008. The episode is titled “Burgers, Rings and Fries”.
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Visit info
- Address
- 4320 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94112
- Venue type
- restaurant
- Official website
- None found
- State hub
- TV restaurants in California
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Sources
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Record ddd-0074 · last verified .