West Portal Indian restaurant closes after 17 years

Clay Oven - and its $17 lunch buffet - has closed its West Portal location after 17 years.

The Indian restaurant at 385 West Portal Ave. shuttered a couple months ago, an employee told the Chronicle. He cited a "building issue" but didn't provide more details.

The same restaurant group continues to operate the original Clay Oven location at 2436 Clement St. Another branch of the restaurant previously closed at 1689 Church St.

West Portal has been one of the most active restaurant and retail corridors in San Francisco, with hot spots like Elena's Mexican Restaurant and Khao Tiew drawing crowds. The former Clay Oven space is next to Little Original Joe's pizza, which is also owned by the family that owns Elena's.

The 385 West Portal Ave. space is one of the few vacancies on the avenue. Hardware Coffee Co. recently opened in the former Pappenhausen Hardware space. A housing project is proposed for the long-shuttered Empire Theater.

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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 7:08 PM.