Did you know that there is a restaurant in San Francisco devoted to celebrating California Grown garlic? Actually, devoted might be a bit of an understatement. The Stinking Rose goes all in on California garlic – infusing it into every deliciously campy (and vampy!) detail.
The Stinking Rose: An Iconic San Francisco Garlic Restaurant
The inspiration for the Stinking Rose restaurant came from Gilroy, California — the “Garlic Capital of the World” — located just two hours south of San Francisco. After spending a day at the Gilroy Garlic Festival sampling everything from garlicky pesto to garlic ice cream, founders Jerry Dal Bozzo and Dante Serafini returned to San Francisco, inspired to create a restaurant celebrating garlic in all its aromatic glory. The Stinking Rose opened its doors in 1991. The restuarant quickly became a favorite among North Beach neighborhood tourists and San Francisco locals.
Why is the restaurant called “The Stinking Rose”?
Garlic is cheekily called “the stinking rose”. The moniker is a reference to the Greek word for garlic, “scorodon,” which, according to French physician Henri LeClerc, translates roughly to “stinking rose.” We’ll take his word for it; our ancient Greek is just a bit rusty. Regardless, the nickname fits well enough.
Garlic obviously has a pungent aroma, hence “stinking”, while “rose” likely refers to the rosette shape of the bulb.
Fun fact: California farmers produce over 400 million pounds of garlic each year. The Stinking Rose uses 40 pounds of garlic every single day!
Where camp meets cuisine
The Stinking Rose has become a landmark in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood. It’s possible guests are attracted by the inescapable aroma wafting down the block, but the campy decor and vibe deserve a little credit, too. The Stinking Rose leans heavily into all things garlic – including the myth that garlic repels vampires. So, Dracula mans the restaurant’s voicemail and protects the passenger loading zone. Upon entering the restaurant, guests will find every square inch of the brightly colored establishment plastered with garlic-themed memorabilia, with garlic braids trailing down the walls at regular intervals.
Only in California
Why are garlic and California so closely linked? The answer is simple – virtually all American garlic is grown in California. In recent years, Fresno County has surpassed Gilroy in garlic production. Gilroy still plays a significant role in California’s garlic industry, as most garlic processing continues to take place in Gilroy.
If you’re driving to San Francisco from Central or Southern California, you’ll likely pass through Gilroy. If we’ve done our job well, when your lungs fill with the pungent aroma, you’ll be reminded to book a table at The Stinking Rose. Your pores might ooze garlic afterwards, but it’s an experience that you’ll only find in California!
The Stinking Menu: Garlic, garlic and more garlic
Obviously, with a name like The Stinking Rose, guests can expect to find A LOT of garlic on the menu. While that’s true, the amount of garlic in every dish varies – and the staff is happy to help you choose appropriate menu items depending on your current level of obsession.
What to order at The Stinking Rose
Full disclosure: We identify as garlic enthusiasts. With that in mind, these are a few of our favorite things to order at The Stinking Rose:
Appetizers
True garlic lovers will want to start with the Bagna Calda – think copious amounts of garlic cloves roasted with olive oil and anchovies, then served with a loaf of warm bread.
Salads
The Stinking Rose’s namesake salad is drizzled with a delightfully pungent dressing, but the Arugula Salad is an actual masterpiece. California-grown arugula, onions, and avocados are coated in a tangy garlic dressing that pairs perfectly with creamy clumps of Point Reyes blue cheese.
Main Dishes
If you order only one item at The Stinking Rose, it has to be their famous 40-Clove Garlic Chicken. Forty cloves might seem like too much garlic, but we guarantee that you’ll find yourself digging through the garlic mashed potatoes side to make sure you haven’t missed a single craveworthy clove.
Mains with an honorable mention include Count Vladimir’s Sizzling Garlic Rib Eye Steak and the Silence of the Lamb Shank (with garlic-infused fava beans, obviously).
Dessert
The only acceptable way to end a meal at the Stinking Rose is with a bowl of garlic ice cream and chocolate sauce. If we’re being completely honest, the idea of garlic ice cream was less than appealing, but we were intrigued (insane?) enough to order it. The taste was a pleasant surprise – mild and creamy. The garlic was so subtle that we found it hard to detect. There is, however, the distinct possibility that our taste receptors had grown numb at that point due to the massive amount of garlic we’d already ingested. Either way, it definitely exceeded our expectations.
Plan your visit to The Stinking Rose
430 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 781-7673
Open daily 12pm -8pm
Street parking is available, as well as two paid parking lots within 1.5 blocks of the restaurant
Want to learn more about how garlic is grown in California?
Article by Hilary Rance. Photography by James Collier.