4505 Meats
We were thrilled to work with 4505 Meats on their new barbecue joint. When we first saw this site, it was a long-abandoned building formerly housing “Da-Pit” barbecue and it was an eyesore. After almost 20 years in the practice, we have been in a LOT of buildings and seen some terrifying things, but the interior of this space was the worst we had seen. It was a privilege to be able to take a broken-down building, reeking of rancid grease, and turn it into a hot new BBQ spot. If you’re wondering why it was worth saving, it’s because this is the only building left in the City of SF with a chimney large enough to put a full pig on a spit into. The regulations removing fireplaces in California made this site the ONLY place for 4505 to consider for their first brick and mortar restaurant.
Located on Divisadero and Grove, this has become an INCREDIBLE culinary delight. 4505 Meats has gained a strong following with locals and restaurateurs alike. They are known for their skilled butcher techniques, including steaks and homemade sausages. They’ve had a long standing spot at the Ferry Building Farmers market, and now they have a brick and mortar home where you can eat their mouthwatering barbecue or pick up a slab of marinated ribs to go.
Credits
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Owner:
- 4505 Meats
- 705 Divisadero
4505burgersandbbq.com
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Photographer:
- ACI Construction
- aci-sf.com/
415.986.0316
info@aci-sf.com
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Photographer:
- Victoria Kait
- circumpunctstudio.com
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It goes without saying that we fully gutted this building. In some ways, this was a reconstruction. Our project included 2 parts on two separate properties. The first was the restaurant renovation. Because the building was so small, and the kitchen needed to be expanded dramatically, we needed a separate site for restaurant seating. Our second project was directly next door where we converted a portion of the parking lot into their outdoor patio space. Having these two parts of their business on two separate properties posed some unique challenges, but we were able to get the city to agree to let us share the ADA entry and ramp between the two sites. We were also lucky to avoid a complex planning process for the construction of the partially enclosed patio. Our client threw us another challenge when he asked us to incorporate a shipping container he had found into the patio design. It took a lot of working with the city, but we triumphed and got the container changes approved. Now it’s an integral part of the dining experience.
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The exterior of the building received a full face-lift including new windows, new entry doors, outdoor lighting, painted brick, and painted roof tiles. We also created an accessible entry, installing both stairs and a ramp that can be shared by the restaurant and the patio.
At the interior, we removed all the finishes, gutting the building down to the studs. New kitchen equipment, a thoroughly restored brick chimney, and new service counters were needed. All the interior finishes were selected to create a rustic, but clean environment. -
It’s difficult to tell, but these images are in the same location. The windows in the right side of both pictures front out onto Divisadero Street. Even before our renovation, interior seating was very limited. We took over a small portion of the seating area to create a point-of-sale counter, menu board, and custom beer taps for the restaurant.
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The patio project was a really exciting challenge for us. Not only was it on a separate property from the restaurant, requiring some complex permitting negotiations, it was also a form of new construction, including a shipping container. Shipping containers have gained notoriety for repurposing projects like this one, but they are extremely difficult to get approved. Although the containers are strong, they were never created for human habitability, so proving the structural integrity of these boxes, while poking new holes in them for doors, windows, and skylights, required a lot of structural creativity. Also, although it’s an outdoor space, the wood canopy is also treated as a structure. We were lucky to get Planning approval without a lengthy neighborhood notice and complaint period. Now this outdoor patio is one of the hottest spots on Divisadero to stop and eat.
