Tucked on a quiet side street, Grumpy’s Restaurant and Pub reopened last year after a pandemic-induced closure
I remember noticing Grumpy's Restaurant and Pub for the first time during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. I was working around the corner at KCBS Radio, and would pop out of the office every now and then for a breath of fresh air or to pick up some food nearby.
Grumpy’s, at 125 Vallejo St., was shuttered, dark, and with its front window smudged and cracked. Despite the rough exterior, I could imagine this place as somewhere fun to drop into for a drink or a bite during its heyday. For many in that area, which is dominated by television news studios and ad agencies, Grumpy’s has been just that since it first opened in 1986. But Grumpy’s closed in 2020. Its regulars mourned its absence, and those like me missed out on the chance to truly enjoy the industry hub. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. In 2024, Tod Alsman and his three partners, who also run the nearby Old Ship Saloon and have operated other bars throughout The City over the years, took over the space. They reopened Grumpy’s last year and are looking to restore it to its former glory while adding touches of their own. “We hate seeing bars go away or get destroyed,” Alsman told me on a recent visit. “We feel like that happens a lot.” When I stopped by to chat with Alsman, I was struck by the small size of the place, but noted that it didn’t feel cramped. With high ceilings and large pillars decorating the walls, along with the two “ladies” above the bar — plaster busts reclaimed from a Hollywood studio — the bar feels polished as well as cozy. Alsman said that he feels like the place is a “hidden gem” enough off the beaten path that most people who don’t work in the area wouldn’t know about it unless they somehow wander over from North Beach or the Embarcadero. I couldn’t help but agree. If I hadn’t stumbled upon it years ago, trying to escape from my dark office, I wouldn’t have known it was there. But the atmosphere was jovial, with a large group in one corner from Ripple, a cryptocurrency company with an office nearby, and a few folks watching a sports game at the bar . Grumpy’s cocktail menu at the moment still had holdovers from the holidays, with peppermint sticks and espresso martinis and one terrifying-sounding drink that included Mexican Coca-Cola and red wine. Alsman made me try that last one, and it wasn’t as terrible as I thought it would be. Kind of like communion wine. But when asked what drinks he felt best represented Grumpy’s 2.0, Alsman was quick to self-deprecate. He said that cocktails and cocktail making were not his “forte,” but after working in the industry for nearly 20 years as a bartender in dive bars and manager, he picked it up enough to put together the drink menu. I’ve met some bashful folks before doing this column, and as a dilettante myself, I understood. But despite his caveats, the two cocktails Alsman chose wound up being classics, but with a slight tweak, reimagining them just enough to make them something new again. The first one he chose was what they call their frozen martini. This, he said, could be made either with vodka or gin, with an olive or a twist. Ex // Top Stories New businesses flock to Tenderloin with city funding Falafelland owner Billy Alabsi is one of several grant recipients bringing life to vacant storefronts in the neighborhood One event will decide a San Francisco skier’s Olympic fate Erik Arvidsson has a chance to flip the script after two years of heartbreak — but in some ways, he said, he already has Word on the Street: ‘Heated Rivalry’ rekindles interest in pro ice hockey Like everyone else who has watched the Canadian television sports romance, Ali Wunderman’s life has since been turned upside down The key is that everything used is kept in a freezer behind the bar. The cocktail starts, of course, with a martini glass, ice cold from the freezer. Then, an ice cube made with equal parts vermouth and water is placed into the glass. This is something I’ve never done before with a martini, and Alsman said he likes it because it keeps the martini cold for as long as 20 minutes after serving. If you’ve ever tried to finish a martini after it’s gotten warm, you know how unpleasant that is. Then, 3 ½ ounces of either gin or vodka is added to the glass and stirred just a couple of times. Add whatever garnish you prefer, and it’s done. I tried Alsman’s version with gin and ruled it too gin-forward for my taste. Making my own, I opted for vodka. Ketel One, not Tito’s. Tito’s is not real vodka, and I will die on this hill. The effect was incredible. I love a vodka martini, but achieving the right temperature is a struggle, one that the most seasoned bartenders have a strong opinion on. It was crisp, refreshing, and perfect. At least it was to me, the perfect martini can be incredibly subjective, but this might have cracked the code. The second cocktail was the Philosopher’s Manhattan, which Alsman said is a New York City-inspired creation. It starts with 2 ounces of Colonel EH Taylor Bourbon poured into a glass mixing tumbler. This is followed by ¾ of an ounce of Grand Marnier and ¾ of an ounce of Italian sweet vermouth and a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters. This is stirred with ice for around 30 seconds and then strained into a coupe glass, garnished with an orange peel squeezed and run around the rim to release the oils. I often find Manhattans a little too sweet, with the bourbon and the cherry. With this element of citrus from the orange peel and the Grand Marnier, it was still sweet, but with a bit of a bite.“You can go anywhere and get a Manhattan,” he said. “I'm more of a dive bar guy; I'm not a cocktail guy. I'm not fancy, but this cocktail is so freaking bang-for-your-buck.”Sitting at the bar afterwards, chatting with Alsman, I internally lamented the lost time when Grumpy’s was closed, when I could have been a regular and called that place home. But in just a few short minutes, it felt like I’d always been there. For Alsman and his partners, it seems as if this is their goal for everyone who walks through the door.
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