7 Mile House Celebrates 165 Years With its Annual Free Adobo Bowl Giveaway, Launch of the “See You at the 7” eBook and a Self-Guided History Tourd
7 Mile’s 165th Anniversary Celebation Schedule of Events
7 Mile House Celebrates 165 Historic Years in the Bay Area
With its Annual Free Adobo Bowl Giveaway, Launch of the “See You at the 7” eBook and a Self-Guided History Tour
BRISBANE – January 25, 2023 – 7 Mile House turns 165 years old on Saturday, February 4, 2023. Established in 1858, 7 Mile House is a family and dog-friendly restaurant and sports bar serving ‘San Francisco Bay Area Comfort Food’ (American, Italian, and Filipino) in both an outdoor patio and indoor dining space.
This year, 7 Mile House is celebrating its thriving history and lessons learned.
“7 Mile House has been woman-owned for at least 70 years. Camille Steuhler, proprietor from 1955 to 2004, has served as an inspiration to me. Her fighting spirit and stories of her persistence and survival through extremely tough times have kept me going.” says Vanessa Garcia, owner of 7 Mile House for the past 19 years who plans to turn over the business to her daughter Visadora Villacarlos, 23, once she is ready. “The future owner of 7 Mile House will look back at this era and use the lessons of today’s challenges. I know I need to keep our past alive to ensure 7 Mile’s future.”
The History
7 Mile House is the Bay Area’s last ‘mile house’ left standing in its original location. Mile Houses, established in the mid 19th century, served as old stagecoach and wheel exchange stops, hotels, and sundry shops, where horses rested and riders or drivers took a break from the arduous travel. Later, mile houses evolved into popular neighborhood watering holes.
7 Mile House has undergone many ownership changes, but today’s current owner, Garcia, describes her restaurant as a place where she wants everyone to feel at home. You’ll often find Garcia working on the floor exchanging stories with guests and welcoming folks into the restaurant. This feeling of community is so important to her, she even has a neon sign above the front entrance saying, #wherethelocalsgo.
Before the ownership change, there were familiar items on the menu like the Famous 7 Mile Burger and pasta dishes. Growing up in the Philippines and now living in the Bay Area herself, Garcia wanted to bring some of her own food and culture into the restaurant. Her inspiration? The little representation of the Filipino community in the food scene, even though there is a large Filipino contingency in the Bay Area.
Garcia and her mother first began introducing Filipino food on the menu (like sisig and adobo) in 2005 but often had to educate guests about the food and convince them to order adobo, sisig, or lumpia over their usual orders. It didn’t catch on right away, but eventually these and others have not only become mainstays on the menu, but the most popular items!
Now, you’ll find Garcia hosting yearly Adobo Cook-Offs with 100% of proceeds going to a local charity and yearly Ube Bake-Offs that help give money and a platform to rising local bakers.
To learn more about the history of 7 Mile, Garcia is releasing the eBook version of her self-published book on Amazon Kindle starting February 4, 2023, “See You at the 7: Stories of the Bay Area’s Last Original Mile House,” which won the 2018 National Indie Excellence Awards in the "Biography Historical" category.
The Food and Drinks
Since 2004, when Vanessa Garcia took over as owner, there have been additions to the menu that have made the offerings at 7 Mile House even more diverse. The food at 7 Mile House is an eclectic menu featuring Filipino staples, such as adobo and lumpia, mixed with San Francisco classics, such as cioppino and clam chowder, and other American favorites, such as The Famous 7 Mile Burger and fettucini alfredo.
7 Mile House can also be thought of as a neighborhood watering hole with drink specials and happy hour every day. Garcia has even created fun and unique drinks like Boba Cocktails to attract a younger crowd.
Garcia describes the menu as, familiar ‘San Francisco comfort food’ where anyone can find something that they’ll want to eat.
The Party
To celebrate 165 years of history, 7 Mile House will be hosting a free party all day on Saturday, February 4th from 11:30 a. m. - 9 p.m. The first 200 guests will receive free adobo and rice bowls to go when they sign up for the 7 Mile House loyalty program. There will also be a $1.65 shot special of Jack Daniels as an ode to whiskey being the drink of choice during the gold rush. Limit 2 shots per person, dine in only. Drink responsibly.
Before 7 Mile House opens, Garcia will also be giving a 7 Mile House history talk at 11 a.m., offering complimentary coffee and mimosas for attendees. And for those who miss it, guests can enjoy a self-guided history tour using QR codes posted around the restaurant.
7 Mile House is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 11 a.m. - 8 p. m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30 a. m. - 9 p. m. (closed Tuesdays) with reservations available at 7milehouse.com. 7 Mile House is located at 2800 Bayshore Blvd, Brisbane, CA 94005. For more information, visit 7milehouse.com and follow along on social media @7milehouse.
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Media Contacts:
Angelina Hong
angelina@gourmand.group
Vanessa Garcia
vanessa@7milehouse.com