Grand Lake Kitchen Expands to San Francisco's Noe Valley

East Bay favorite brings its upscale diner comfort food to a new location in the city.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 10:05pm

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A bold, colorful silkscreen-style illustration featuring a repeated pattern of an iconic diner-style sandwich, conceptually representing the elevated comfort food offerings at Grand Lake Kitchen's new San Francisco location.The vibrant, retro-inspired visuals of Grand Lake Kitchen's new Noe Valley location capture the restaurant's commitment to upscale yet approachable comfort food.Oakland Today

Grand Lake Kitchen, a popular East Bay restaurant known for its upscale diner-style comfort food, has opened its third location in San Francisco's Noe Valley neighborhood. The new restaurant, which is the latest expansion for co-owners May Seto Wasem and Dave Wasem, has already attracted a loyal following in its first week of operation, with some customers visiting five times already.

Why it matters

The opening of Grand Lake Kitchen's third location in Noe Valley fills a void left by the closure of the popular Chow restaurant chain, providing the neighborhood with a new option for elevated yet affordable diner fare. The expansion also demonstrates the Wasems' success in building a thriving restaurant business centered around their vision of 'nostalgic, tasty, satisfying food' in a welcoming, community-oriented atmosphere.

The details

The new Noe Valley location of Grand Lake Kitchen features the same menu of comfort food classics as the East Bay locations, including items like a porchetta pork sandwich, reuben fries, and matzoh ball soup. The 6,000-square-foot space has a full bar and private dining room, allowing the restaurant to cater to a range of customer needs. While the Dimond District location took several years to become profitable, the Wasems are optimistic that the Noe Valley spot will quickly find its footing given the neighborhood's enthusiasm for the opening.

  • Grand Lake Kitchen opened its first location in Oakland's Grand Lake neighborhood around 2015.
  • The Dimond District location opened about five years after the original, around 2020.
  • The new Noe Valley location in San Francisco opened in April 2026.

The players

May Seto Wasem

The co-owner of Grand Lake Kitchen, who runs the restaurant's operations with her husband, Dave Wasem.

Dave Wasem

The co-owner of Grand Lake Kitchen, who runs the restaurant's operations with his wife, May Seto Wasem.

Grand Lake Kitchen

An East Bay-based restaurant known for its upscale diner-style comfort food, which has now expanded to a third location in San Francisco's Noe Valley neighborhood.

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What they’re saying

“In the first seven days of being open, we've had people come in five times.”

— May Seto Wasem, Co-owner, Grand Lake Kitchen

“We try to be affordable and casual. I mean, we sell pork sandwiches, right? It's not super fancy.”

— May Seto Wasem, Co-owner, Grand Lake Kitchen

“Expanding is worse than opening, because the regulars' expectations are confounded by the changes and by the arrival of new customers.”

— May Seto Wasem, Co-owner, Grand Lake Kitchen

What’s next

The Wasems plan to continue monitoring the performance of the new Noe Valley location and make any necessary adjustments to the menu or operations to ensure it becomes a profitable and beloved part of the community, just as their other locations have.

The takeaway

Grand Lake Kitchen's expansion to San Francisco's Noe Valley demonstrates the enduring appeal of its upscale yet affordable diner-style comfort food, as well as the Wasems' skill in building a successful restaurant business centered around a welcoming, community-oriented atmosphere.