Sam Wo Restaurant

"A 116-year-old Chinatown restaurant known for its historical significance and traditional Chinese cuisine. It is set to close in January 2025 due to the lease expiration and the retirement of chef and owner David Jitong Ho." - Dianne de Guzman

"Chinatown legend closing after 116 years as a new owner couldn't be found, marking the end of an era." - Dianne de Guzman

"Sam Wo is a two-story spot in Chinatown that’s been around since 1908, and was famously home to “San Francisco’s Worst Waiter” before closing and moving to a new location on Clay Street in 2015. These days, you won’t get yelled at to sit down and shut up, but not much else about the century-old place has changed. BBQ pork noodle rolls and youtiao remain the centerpieces of every table, the plastic plates and bowls are well-worn and mildly chipped, and there’s still a dumbwaiter to ferry food between floors. Get here for a revival in the form of Singapore-style noodles, or any time you want to eat in a restaurant that’s older than a rent-controlled apartment building. " - julia chen 1, patrick wong, ricky rodriguez

"Sam Wo is arguably the oldest Chinese restaurant in San Francisco, though over the course of its more-than-a-century-long run, it did vacate its original home. No matter: Step inside this narrow Chinatown mainstay and you’ll see there’s still plenty of history to go around. It’s a no-frills dining room with nimble if not overly attentive service. Go to experience classic Cantonese American cuisine including favorite dishes such as bouncy barbecue pork rice noodle rolls, ginger-scented jook, and wok-kissed chop suey." - Lauren Saria, Dianne de Guzman

"Like the awning out front states, Sam Wo has been cooking for over 100 years, and is one of the oldest restaurants in SF’s Chinatown. The two-story Cantonese restaurant—complete with a dumbwaiter—was famously home to “San Francisco’s Worst Waiter” before closing and moving to a new location on Clay Street back in 2015. The service these days is decidedly more polite (and they’re no longer open until 3am), but not much else has changed. BBQ pork noodle rolls and youtiao are mainstays on practically every table, and you’re just as likely to see multi-generational families doling out big portions of fried rice as you will a group of 20-somethings nursing hangovers over bowls of fish jook and wonton noodle soup. " - lani conway, julia chen 1