A new location of Little Original Joe's, this one with seating and a full bar, is set to open Thursday at the corner of Chestnut and Scott streets in the Marina.
It's technically more of a Medium Original Joe's — not as large, and with a more concise menu than the flagship Original Joe's in North Beach, but not as small and takeout-focused as the Little Original Joe's that opened during the pandemic in West Portal. We first heard that it was coming to this spot at 2301 Chestnut, a former Lucky Jeans store, back in the fall of 2021, and it has finally come to be.
That first Little Original Joe's, which features frozen entrees and pantry items in addition to takeout rotisserie chicken, pizza, and pasta, was a welcome addition to sleepy West Portal when it debuted in 2020. But it only ever had a couple of tables outside, and never was intended to be a full-service restaurant.
Sibling owners John and Elena Duggan have gone on to open a splashy new Mexican restaurant in West Portal, Elena's, which just debuted in February to immediate crowds.
The new location features 100 seats, a full bar, black leather banquettes, and several sleek chandeliers, as the Chronicle shows us. And that full bar means one thing is for certain: Original Joe's famous martinis will be on the menu.
The place looks more modern and bright than the North Beach Original Joe's, and will feature a different menu of Italian American fare — including meatballs, chicken wings, garlic parmesan knots, rigatoni alla vodka, ravioli, and chicken parm. New menu additions for the new location include zucchini fries, mushroom parm, and a "cacio e macha" pasta made with malfadine and salsa macha — basically Mexican chili crisp — from Elena's.
The first Original Joe's opened at the foot of Taylor Street in 1937, and lived in that location 70 years until it was hit by a fire in 2007. The Duggans took the fire as an opportunity to leave the Tenderloin and relocate to a corner spot by Washington Square Park in North Beach, which debuted in 2012. They also reopened Original Joe's Westlake, in Daly City, the interior of which feels like even more of a throwback to the mid-20th Century following a 2015 renovation.
The Marina location brings their local restaurant empire to five locations — other similar restaurants, like Original Joe's San Jose and Marin Joe's are not related. And they are opening a sixth, to be called Original Joe's, in Walnut Creek later this year, with hints that they'll be expanding elsewhere in the future.
The OpenTable page for the new Little Original Joe's is live, however it doesn't look like they're accepting reservations yet.
Little Original Joe's - Marina — 2301 Chestnut Street at Scott — opening May 30.
