Alioto’s Plaza Opens at Fisherman’s Wharf, on the Site of the Demolished Restaurant

Alioto’s Plaza opened to the public at Fisherman’s Wharf on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, in the footprint of the Alioto’s restaurant building that was demolished in January. Mayor Daniel Lurie and members of the Alioto family attended the ribbon-cutting.

What’s there

The Port of San Francisco built the plaza on the site between two buildings facing the harbor. It has picnic tables, benches facing the Bay, landscaping, and sculptural seating shaped like waves. There is also a pop-up space for retail and beverage service, with a view across the lagoon toward the Golden Gate Bridge.

Woods Beer & Wine Co. has that pop-up space and begins outdoor service at the plaza later this month. The San Francisco brewery is also fitting out a permanent taproom a short walk away, in the ground floor of the former Fishermen’s Grotto No. 9 at 2847 Taylor Street. That location is scheduled to open in late September and will be the company’s sixth in the city, and its first with a full liquor license.

The building that was here

Alioto’s started as a fish stall at the wharf in the 1920s under Nunzio Alioto Sr., who died in 1933. His children and grandchildren ran the restaurant afterward. It closed during the pandemic, and the family gave up the lease for good in 2022. The Port could not find a tenant for the 11,000-square-foot building and decided to replace it with a public plaza, releasing the designs in September 2025. Demolition followed in January 2026.

“Alioto’s Plaza opens the wharf to the water, creating a new place for people to sit and gather, while honoring the fishing industry,” Lurie said in a statement.

The wider wharf project

The plaza is part of Fisherman’s Wharf Forward, the Port’s multi-year plan for the area along Taylor and Jefferson streets and the inner lagoon. A lagoon overlook on Al Scoma Way opened in May 2026 and hosts a weekly fish market. The Mayor’s Office says more than 15 restaurants and businesses have opened in the neighborhood since 2025, among them Humble Sea Brewing, Nation’s Hamburgers and a Taco Bell Cantina.

Visiting

Alioto’s Plaza sits on the inner lagoon side of Fisherman’s Wharf, near the corner of Taylor and Jefferson streets. It is open to the public and free. The F Market historic streetcar runs to Jones and Beach, two blocks away, and the Powell-Hyde cable car ends at Aquatic Park, a few blocks west. Check SFMTA’s trip planner for current routes.

For what else is nearby, see SFGuide’s guide to San Francisco’s main attractions and things to do in San Francisco in September 2026.

Sources: SFist, KPIX, and the San Francisco Standard on the Woods taproom.

Photo: fishing boats moored at Fisherman’s Wharf in front of the Alioto’s building, which was demolished in January 2026 and replaced by Alioto’s Plaza. Credit: Slyronit, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.