The Buena Vista Cafe

In 1886 a lodging house and saloon stood across the street to the left, hosting dockworkers and people coming to enjoy the popular swimming cove of Black Point Beach, now Aquatic Park. It was named the Buena Vista Cafe in 1899. Meaning "good view" in Spanish, the Buena Vista moved to this corner around 1907 and was rebuilt in its current Queen Anne style in 1911. Known to locals as the "BeeVee," it was a favorite gathering place for fishermen and waterfront denizens. Irish coffee was invented in 1943 by Joe Sheridan at the flying boat terminal at Foynes Airport in Ireland, and later crafted at nearby Shannon Airport. On November 10, 1952, owner Jack Koeppler challenged travel writer Stanton Delaplane to recreate the drink, and after many experiments they matched the recipe. The beverage became so popular that Sheridan immigrated to America to work at the Buena Vista Cafe, where locals and visitors from around the world still begin their mornings with Irish coffee.

San Francisco, California · United States