Buena Vista Cafe Irish Coffee ritual gag

The Buena Vista Cafe at the edge of Fisherman's Wharf is widely credited with popularizing Irish coffee in the United States after staff began serving it there in 1952; the cafe continues to serve the drink to visitors. Locals and guidebooks alike joke that ordering an Irish coffee at the Buena Vista is a mandatory San Francisco tourist ritual. The cafe's long-running association with the beverage is documented in food histories and contemporary coverage. Buena Vista Cafe operates in a historic storefront near the Hyde Street cable car line.