Did You Know…

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

…that while feasting on pasta and meatballs at The Old Spaghetti Factory in the Gaslamp Quarter, you are immersed in a treasure chest of architectural history?

The three-level restaurant is housed in a circa-1898 building designed by famed architect Irving Gill. Its style was considered modern-industrial at the time, and served as rental spaces for companies such as Buel-Town Chemicals and Western Metal Company—both long out of business.

Aside from the building’s vintage exterior details, which include an arched corner-lot entrance and decorative brickwork, the inside greets with precious antiques fitting of a museum.

Those chandeliers twinkling overhead date back to 1910. Preserved stained glass appears throughout the dining areas. And old brass-bed headboards provide sturdy backs for booth seating.

But the restaurant’s main focal point is a streetcar residing on the first floor. It was built in 1917 and originally operated for nearly 20 years in Bellingham, Washington. It was sent down to San Diego in the early 70s, when it was refurbished and installed at the restaurant. The car spans 28 feet in length and contains several highly requested dining tables inside.