This is part of a series called "What It's Like" where we at The Bold Italic tell you what a place in San Francisco is actually like. Based on our own experiences and those of our readers.
- Orphan Andy's: 3991 17th Street, at Castro, in the Castro. Open 24 hours Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. Monday, and noon to 9:45 p.m. Sunday. (415) 864-9795.
- Order the tuna melt with fries, the Monte Cristo, and a milkshake. Don't skip the walk to the bathroom.
Orphan Andy's is named after a donut shop that no longer exists and a man who was orphaned at birth, and both of them are Dennis Ziebell. He started as a busboy at Andy's Donuts, the 24-hour Castro spot that was a Harvey Milk haunt, bought it at 22, ran it for about three years and sold it in 1975. Two years later he took over a little Greek place called the Five Corners Café at 17th and Castro and tried to name it after his old business. "Andy's" was already registered, so he added the other half of his own story.
Bill Pung met Ziebell in 1976 at the Boot Camp, the leather bar Ziebell owned on Bryant Street, and became his partner in the diner and in life. They ran it for 49 years, through discrimination, disco, the AIDS crisis, the dot-com years and the pandemic, and this summer they sold it for $200,000 to Michael Goodrich, a manager at the chain Bun Mee, on the condition that he keep the staff and change as little as possible. The keys changed hands on July 17. The neon, the red vinyl booths, the counter stools and the jukebox are all still there, and so are the chicken fried steak and the Monte Cristo.
How to get there
You can practically fall into it off the train. Castro Station is the same intersection, about 150 feet across the street, and it's served by the K, L, M and the S shuttle. Note that the J, N and T do not stop there, which catches people out. The F-line historic streetcar stops at the same corner and is the better ride.
At 2 a.m. it's the 24-Divisadero. It stops at Castro and 17th inbound and Castro and Market outbound, so it's at the door, and it runs 24 hours with Owl service. Looking for parking in the Castro at that hour is a form of optimism.
What it's like
Thirty-six seats, a counter and booths, no reservations. You wait for a stool or you leave. The bathroom is downstairs and the only way to it is through the kitchen and down a narrow staircase, a detail multiple readers volunteered without being asked.
One scheduling note: the 24-hour stretch is newer than it looks. Round-the-clock service stopped in 2020 and came back in pieces. Tuesday and Wednesday nights only returned in June, tied to the Castro Theatre reopening, so most listings you'll find online are stale. Call if you're making a special trip.
I've been going a long while and love the late-night life. Sitting alone at the bar is just as comfortable as a quick minute with friends. The food is–as the kids say–fine, lol. I commonly rate this one as some of the worst coffee I've ever had, and "chicken tenders Caesar salad" always amuses me. But you're paying much more to feed your soul than your belly.
What people say
People agree about the food and argue about the bill. On ordering, Erin-Leigh Dake was direct: "If you don't order the tuna melt with fries, you're doing it wrong." John Schubert covered both the menu and the plumbing: "The menu seemed deliberately designed to absorb any potential hangovers. The need to traverse the tiny, not entirely sanitary looking kitchen to get to the bathroom brought a whole new sense" of adventure to the trip.
The live dispute in our Facebook comments is tipping under the new owner. Phillip Strickland said an automatic gratuity appeared on his credit card receipt without being mentioned, and that when he asked, he was told "it's the way we do things now per new owners." Two regulars said that isn't what they've seen. Saoirse McKinnon eats there weekly: "I got to choose if and how much to tip, like any other restaurant. I've never experienced forced tipping or any other weirdness with my bill."
Raul Anthony Gomez explained what the place is actually for: "My older gay brother took me there on Saturday mornings regularly. I was 16 ish. He passed away from AIDS in 1988. I always think of him every time I go there."
Watch the calendar
All-night service on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only came back in June, and it came back because the Castro Theatre reopened. We think those two nights could easily move if the theatre's calendar changes.
Orphan Andy's · 3991 17th St., San Francisco · 24 hours Tue–Sat · (415) 864-9795
Been somewhere we should cover? Tell us in the comments or send an email to saul@thebolditalic.com
