Grandview Restaurant was originally named Grandview House which was opened in 1884 as a hotel and tavern by Alanson Story. It served the Mt. Hamilton Stage Co. which ran scheduled trips from San Jose to James Lick Observatory.

The stage line was motorized in 1911, causing Grandview House to close its doors. The house again reopened in 1934 and continued to operate as a tavern until 1942.

On a windy day in February 1942, thirty-mile-an-hour winds fanned a blaze which destroyed the tavern as the Division of Forestry crews watched helplessly.

Grandview House was rebuilt and operated on the same site until 1954, when it was moved across the street to the present location and a new building.

Two years later on November 7, 1956 the Grandview House was again destroyed, along with a very valuable collection of antiques and historic relics, in a pre-dawn fire. Within a year the present building was constructed, and reopened under the name Grandview Restaurant.