If you’ve ever stepped foot inside Perry’s – at the original on Union Street in San Francisco, on San Francisco’s Embarcadero, or at the two Marin locations (Larkspur and Novato), you’ve likely met Perry Butler. Fifty-six years after opening his first restaurant, Perry still goes to his office at the Union Street restaurant every day, handling whatever needs doing, meeting guests, and checking in with staff. “He’s still Perry,” says son Aldy Butler, who along with siblings Margie and Hannah, is now running the show. “He doesn’t need a title. Maybe ‘Chief Social Chair?’”
Perry’s enthusiasm for connecting with guests and staff defines the culture at his restaurants. Though Perry and Aldy toss around the “Cheers” analogy – the popular TV show – the warm conviviality shared with anyone who walks through the door is a known Perry’s calling card. Perry is at the top of an egoless workplace that values getting to know you. Staff stay on for years. Guests visit on certain days, to socialize with staff members as much as to eat. Everyone knows your name. Really!
On most days, you'd be hard pressed to find an empty seat at the bar. Perhaps it’s the frosted glass filled with on-tap local beer. (It’s said to be the coldest beer in Marin.) Or The Perry’s Burger ($18.50). “It’s what put us on the map a million years ago,” Perry says. “I had come from New York and I liked a big, juicy hamburger. It didn’t seem to exist in San Francisco in 1969.”
Weighing in at nine ounces of grilled Certified Angus, the classic burger arrives on a toasted Panorama brioche bun with sharp cheddar, lettuce, tomato and a pickle alongside. Perry calls it “no muss, no fuss” but the house will make it any way you want. No matter how you take your burger, it never leaves the menu and remains a top seller.
Another signature since Day One? French Onion Soup ($14). A riff on a Julia Child recipe, Perry adapted it to fit in a large crock and serves it topped with melted Swiss and croutons.
Perry’s Cobb Salad ($18) – Romaine lettuce topped with chicken, bacon, hard-boiled egg, avocado, egg, tomatoes, and blue cheese – comes together with a tangy red wine vinaigrette. You can eat it with a fork – no knife required. Other Signature dishes include Potato Skins ($16) and Buffalo Wings or Tenders with blue cheese dressing ($16).
Perry calls BBQ Baby Back Ribs ($30) an unsung hero of a dish. Not quite a full rack, the ribs are cooked low and slow, then painted with house made, tomato-based sauce before they are grilled, the better to enjoy crispy edges. Served with cole slow and French fries, it’s a two-person, two-napkin meal.
Like the food menu, cocktails ($13 each) are American classics and can be found at all Perry’s restaurants. The Perry’s Manhattan – High West double rye and Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, Angostura bitters and a brandied cherry – is served up in a coupe, an old school champagne glass. It’s a top seller, further immortalized by artist Michael Schwab whose poster of the drink graces the Novato bar area.
Rendered in its own poster, Perry’s Bloody Mary pairs Gordon’s vodka and Sacramento tomato juice, enriched with celery salt, a couple dashes of tobacco bitters, salt and pepper, and a swirl of Worcestershire. Served in a 10 ½ oz glass with a lemon wedge, the drink is a meal unto itself.
Some see the glass as half empty. Some see it as half full. At Perry's they believe that the glass can always be refilled!
It is for this reason that Perry's offers 1/2 off bottles of wine every Tuesday.
Perry's sister restaurant in Novato offers the same 1/2 off vino special on Wednesdays!
So loosen that tie, uncork that bottle, and get ready to "wine down."
** This tasty promo is available all day. Dine in only.
Perry calls Larkspur home and this year, the Butler family is marking the 10th Anniversary of the opening of the Larkspur Perry’s with a party and a family fun run. (Perry used to be a serious runner – he ran the New York Marathon five times and, over the years, Perry’s has hosted half-marathons in San Francisco and Marin.)
Called “Perry’s to Perry’s,” the run, scheduled for October 26, will start and end in the restaurant driveway where an outdoor festival with food, drinks, and live music is planned. A community event feels like the perfect way to celebrate a restaurant family dedicated to making the people of its many communities feel welcome. Perry agrees. “We are happy and proud to have been in Larkspur for 10 years,” he says. Be sure to stop by and say hello to our local legend.
