In the heart of Jackson Square along historic Gold Street is Bix Restaurant, a modern American supper club with nightly jazz. Despite being only 38 years young in a historic district with buildings constructed after the Gold Rush, Bix is today the oldest restaurant in Jackson Square.
Opened in June 1988 by current co-owner Douglas “Bix” Biederbeck, the restaurant is a decidedly personal one that blends high-quality food, jazz, service, and hospitality. “Bixology,” a book published by Biederbeck in 2009, captures the spirit of the restaurant as embodied in his personal passions and perspectives as a restauranteur—his favorite cocktail recipes, books, jazz albums, and foods for entertaining.
Joining Biederbeck as co-owner in 2002, executive chef Bruce Hill made his mark in legendary San Francisco restaurants like Stars and Aqua before continuing Bix’s culinary tradition of creating refined updates on American chophouse favorites. Diners will find dishes like potato pillows with creme fraiche and caviar; steak tartare dressed table side; crab spaghetti with calabrian chili; and chicken hash with morel mushrooms.
After 38 years of cooking in the kitchen at Bix, in 2023 Hill turned over the reins to chef Anthony Tadeo, who originally started as executive chef at the restaurant in 2021. Together with GM and partner Will Sanders, the restaurant remains in capable hands.
Bix occupies a two-story space along a quiet alley at 56 Gold Street. Those who have eaten there will tell you that the restaurant feels like a secret, with an unassuming front door belying its grandiose interior. With a strong cocktail program, white tablecloths, and nightly jazz, Bix draws inspiration from the swanky, tuxedoed nightlife of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. As for dress code, the restaurant’s website states that “it would be difficult for a woman to be overdressed here.”
Its brick-fronted building is listed as a contributor to the Jackson Square National Historic District—it was built immediately after San Francisco’s 1906 earthquake and fire as a warehouse to serve the businesses on Jackson Street. During the creation of the historic district in the early 1970s, this building stood on a lot—together with the Moulinie Building directly across Gold Street—that was owned by the same French family of that name for over 100 years, having been acquired by a French sea captain during a voyage to California after the Gold Rush. As of six years ago, this appeared to still be the case. The building today is managed by the Vincent Wapler Trust.
Before being converted to a restaurant, the building was for some time used by the Four Monks Winery as a cooperage and truck storage depot. The first bar in the space was the The Assay Office Restaurant and Bar, which featured a bronze eight foot by eight foot assay scale from the US Mint in San Francisco once used to weigh gold (1970s).
Today, Bix has become a go-to for special occasions, helping people from all over the Bay Area and beyond discover Jackson Square for the first time. In recognition of the restaurant’s contributions to the city, Bix was added to the San Francisco Legacy Business Registry on January 28, 2019. This first-of-its-kind preservation program recognizes longstanding, community-serving businesses that are valuable cultural assets of the city. Owner Biederbeck shared this brief note with SF Heritage reflecting on this status and looking ahead to the restaurant’s future in the neighborhood:
“Jackson Square has been a home for us for 38 years. Every one of those years has been memorable. We look forward to continuing our legacy”.
—Doug Biederbeck
To experience a touch of elegance on your next special occasion or to just hear some good jazz music and sip a good cocktail, be sure to make a reservation at Bix for when you are next in the neighborhood!
For our Heritage in the Neighborhoods: Jackson Square month, we are spotlighting the historic resources and history of San Francisco’s first historic district.
