San Gabriel’s Original Steakhouse
Since 1966
Huge Portions & Great Memories Await
This is where it all started. In 1958, John Clearman built a restaurant in Monrovia that looked like an Alaskan hunting lodge. When the 210 Freeway came through, he loved the place so much that he had it moved to San Gabriel, log by log. That was 1966. The logs are still standing, the steaks are still sizzling, and the cheese bread is still a cult favorite.
Located at 7247 Rosemead Boulevard, North Woods Inn San Gabriel is the original Clearman’s steakhouse, a restaurant where nearly six decades of tradition live in every detail, from the peanut shells on the floor to the stained glass glowing above your table. Whether you’re celebrating a milestone or just craving a meal that feels like an occasion, this is the place that started a legacy — and the one that continues to set the standard.
Step Inside San Gabriel’s Only
Snowy Mountain Lodge
Pull open the heavy wooden door of North Woods Inn and leave San Gabriel behind. The dining room is dim, warm, and rich with detail. Jewel-toned stained glass, antique chandeliers, oil paintings, and the soft amber glow of old-world lamps cast light across heavy log walls. A mounted grizzly bear stands watch near the entrance. Peanut shells scatter across the floor beneath your feet, just like they have for generations.
This is the restaurant that inspired it all. Designed to look like a 19th-century Alaskan hunting lodge, the atmosphere has remained remarkably unchanged since the day it opened. It’s a room where time slows down, where dinner feels unhurried, and conversation flows easily. Couples settle into booths beneath antique sconces, families gather around long wooden tables, and children reach for peanuts to toss on the floor before the menus are even open. It’s the kind of dining experience that you can’t find anywhere else in the San Gabriel Valley.
Multi-Generational Favorites
Salads & Cheese Bread
The meal begins before anything is even ordered. House salad with bleu cheese dressing, red cabbage salad, and our signature cheese bread — warm, garlicky, and the single most talked-about item on our menu. Our starters are served with most entrees and have been part of the North Woods Inn experience for nearly 60 years.
Steak, Seafood, & More
Hand-selected steaks, cooked to your preference and served with both salads, cheese bread, rice pilaf, and a baked potato. Our seafood — like rock lobster, Atlantic salmon, and jumbo scallops — holds its own alongside the grill, while our Prime Rib Dip has a loyal following that fills the dining room on a Tuesday afternoon.
Desserts to Die For
Our desserts are built on the same principle as everything else here: generous portions and no cutting corners. Rich chocolate cakes, classic pies, creamy cheesecake, and frozen options for anyone who claims they’re too full for something heavy. Every dessert is sized to share, and most tables end up ordering more than one.
Frequently Asked Questions
A San Gabriel Tradition Since 1966
Every restaurant has a story. This one was worth moving a building for. When the 210 Freeway threatened the original North Woods Inn in Monrovia, John Clearman refused to let it go. He had every log carefully dismantled and reassembled on Rosemead Boulevard, piece by piece, creating the San Gabriel landmark that still stands today. That kind of devotion to a vision is rare, and you can feel it the moment you walk through the door. The stained glass, the warmth, the laughter echoing off log walls, and the unmistakable aroma of cheese bread drifting from the kitchen. Today, North Woods Inn is part of a proud family of Clearman’s restaurants spanning San Gabriel, Covina, and La Mirada, and every night, new guests discover what San Gabriel families have known for generations. If you haven’t experienced the original, there’s a table waiting for you. Come see where it all began.
