SAN FRANCISCO—Joe Betz, who died at the age of 86 on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, was the owner of San Francisco’s popular, iconic House of Prime Rib.
He was born in Bavaria, Germany in 1939. He immigrated to San Francisco when he was 22. He started out as a waiter, and he became a restaurant owner. Betz started out working in the restaurant business for travel and to gain work experience.
At 14, he started out as a waiter in his native country of Germany, working his way through Europe before coming to United States at 20 to work as a waiter at Hoffman’s Grill. Eventually, he bought out the restaurant at 28, making him the City’s youngest restaurateur.
Later, he bought House of Prime Rib, which was founded by Lou Balaski in 1949, in 1985, owning it for 40 years, continuing the work for the love of it and its lifestyle.
He was known for serving free prime rib dinners during Christmas at Glide Memorial Church. He also hosted “Lineman’s Dinner,” which showcased San Francisco 49ers offensive and defensive players whom he felt were underappreciated. He hosted dinners and cocktail parties for student organizations and Blue Angels Flight Crews.
He was a die-hard San Francisco 49ers fan right up to his death, watching the NFL team with his family the Sunday evening before his passing.
He is survived by his wife, Marion Olin Betz and his sons, Michael and Steven, who will help continue to run the restaurant.
