Acme Grill was a long-time restaurant at 1616 (originally 218) San Pablo, run by Ben (Obren) and Mike (Milan) Cuckovich. (Chuckovich in a few sources). The brothers came to Oakland in 1906, opened the restaurant in 1908, and ran it for 49 years before retiring in 1955. 1,4
They remodeled the restaurant in 1942, 3 and one article says the restaurant first opened in the Fall of 1878. 2 If so, it was under another name and in a different location. The restaurant at 218 San Pablo before Acme Grill was run by Mitchell Ciciel. 5 He'd previously run a restaurant called The Queen Restaurant and Oyster Grotto; in 1902 that was at 14th and Franklin, but I can't find references to that before 1902. A 1955 article says it was called the Peacock Grill, 4 but I can't any references to it besides the 1955 article.
Links and References
- Daily Knave Oakland Tribune January 28, 1955
- Making the Rounds of Cafes and Nightclubs Oakland Tribune August 28, 1942
- reopening ad Oakland Tribune August 26, 1942
- Brother Restaurateurs End Era of Good Eating Oakland Tribune January 30, 1955
- 1906 Husted's Oakland Directory
- February 16, 1939 menu (printed by Fontes Printing)