Sinbad's Throws in the Towel After 40 Years of Waterfront Antics

After months of dodging the bullet, 40-year-old Sinbad's Pier 2 Restaurant has finally succumbed to the sands of time (and the demands of its landlord, the Port of San Francisco). Despite last month's last minute effort to stay open by filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the Port has succeeded in closing the restaurant, as of midnight last night.

A waterfront fixture for decades, Sinbad's has been a bit worse for the wear in recent years with low scores from the Health Department and sad, sad Yelp reviews slamming the food and aging décor. But despite the low marks, the restaurant has maintained a loyal customer following and staff that spans the decades. And not one to miss out on a dive nor a controversy, Anthony Bourdain recently visited the doomed restaurant with writer John Birdsall who said "I tell anyone to come and meet me here, my friends, and they sort of laugh at me. They're like 'Sinbad's?' But it's this thing that doesn't really exist in San Francisco anymore. It's not self-consciously divey. It has this kind of faded glamour. It's kind of worn out; it smells kind of sour."

According to the Chronicle, the Stinson brothers, who operated the business, say they're most concerned for the staff, many of whom have been there for almost the lifespan of the restaurant. Now that their legal maneuverings (which included allegations from the brothers that the Port didn't negotiate their lease in good faith) have come to an end, so will the employment of a staff that Tom Stinson says reaches "34 or 35 [employees] in peak periods.

The last vestiges of Sinbad's reign will be removed today, including the iconic statue of Sinbad the Sailor. Stinson said he's not sure what will become of the restaurant's eponymous mascot, though he hopes to find a home for him somewhere else.