DISPATCH: The Outside Lands, Ocean Beach
Room and Board (Sidebar I)
Crash Pads
Due to an influx of dot.com arrivistes in the 1990s, housing and rents have shot up dramatically but are still some of the lowest in The City. Tip: cultivate your San Fran friendships for couch-surfing privileges.
Local’s Grinds
San Francisco has long been famed as a foodie’s Mecca, and the outer Sunset fires on all culinary cylinders. Block for block there are more small family-owned ethnic eateries than anywhere outside of New York. The Sunset fare is primarily Asian, but there are plenty of great Italian, Greek, and Mexican restaurants within walking distance as well. For that pre-session jolt, it’s hard to find a bad cup of coffee anywhere within SF City limits. Here’s a sampler of surfer favorites.
Java Beach
1396 La Playa St. Located at the end of the streetcar line on Judah St. just before the Great Highway. Surfer-friendly coffee shop, “Last gasp for coffee before Japan.”
Simple Pleasures Café
3434 Balboa St Washburn’s personal favorite. Custom roasted beans with wireless access. The open-face bagel combos are the go for a manwich-sized post-surf appetite.
Beach Chalet And Brewery
1000 Great Hwy 180-degree view of The Beach, good food, beer garden out back. Check out the fully restored historical WPA murals by Lucien Labaudt. Washburn’s tip: “Monday is dollar beer night, Tuesday is fish tacos.”
Tommy’s Mexican Cafe
5929 Geary Blvd Washburn’s favorite after-session munch-out palace. Tequila bar (275 brands), handcrafted margaritas, savory Yucatan specialties, lots of cute tattooed women…what’s not to like? Try the puerco pibil, a house favorite.
Roadside Attractions (Sidebar II) Sights
Golden Gate Park: Forming the northern boundary of Ocean Beach, this botanical wonderland was ground zero of the Summer of Love, 1967. Rick Griffin, Surfer’s premier cartoonist and later psychedelic rock artist, created the poster for the watershed “Gathering of the Tribes” while living in Haight Ashbury in the mid to late 60s.
Sutro Bath’s ruins: The former Sutro Estate is a great place to let grommets run wild with pirate fantasies.
Steinhardt Aquarium: Great resource for understanding the Bay, the Beach, and the Bar.
Nightlife
C’mon, it’s San Francisco!
Links (Sidebar III)
RELATED STORIES
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READER COMMENTS
Mon Mar10, 2008, 11:02 AM
Doc a Legend? Maybe for exploiting SF to the max.PeeWee,he is legend,a great surfer,soft spoken,and would probably not want to mentioned in your article.
Mon Mar10, 2008, 8:23 PM
This article is pretty weak. most of the "LOCAL" surf community is super bummed about the article. They way the photographers went about to get the images was pretty scandalous too. Thumbs down Surfer Mag!
Mon Mar10, 2008, 8:26 PM
Good read, Barlo! For all you Norcal cold-water chargers, your annual chance to give back to the warm-water destinations you hit every summer is coming up. Be a part of the global surf community's efforts to support SurfAid International's life-saving programs in the Mentawai Islands and Nias, Indonesia. Sign up for Swim 4 life happening in the city on April 12. For registration, fundraising tools, and more information go to www.surfaidinternational.org/swim4life
Tue Mar11, 2008, 1:10 AM
Here's a couple "actual" legends of Ocean beach, biatch: http://youtube.com/watch?v=ePvCMrrWMjE
Tue Mar11, 2008, 2:22 AM
Hey, Barlo! Your taste in Outer Sunset food sucks. C'mon, buddy, next time you're in town, we'll take you out proper like. Good thing you didn't mention any of the really good places. Shhhhh. And are you sure you shoudn't have gone with "The Badlands"? Cheers, buddy, Os
Tue Mar11, 2008, 11:34 AM
What a sellout article,complete with dining guide.How Gay.
Tue Mar11, 2008, 5:53 PM
What a bunch of garbage. Wasburn was born in the east coast. he is not even a true native of the city just a frickin' doc wannabe which is even sadder. The saddest thing is that the fotog is a boogie boarder from engalnd who moved to the beach to sell it out. double donkey sellout. the Writer needs to get his facts straight KOOOOOK!!!!
Wed Mar12, 2008, 1:44 AM
I loved the article, I am ready to move to O.B. and start surfing Potato Patch on the big days. I've surfed big waves all over Florida and the rest of the east coast. I have a quiver of brewers. Now I know that an east coaster can run the spot, I know I'm gonna be one of the boys in no time.
Wed Mar12, 2008, 2:34 PM
I remember when SF was one of the best kept secrets,then came Doc,then the PSSA,then Jeff Clark and Matt Warshaw,now Grant Wahburn wants his cut.
Fri May30, 2008, 6:39 PM
I've been around the beach for over 20 years. 90% of the surfers I have met and come to know, came from somewhere else. Who care where you are from or who you hang with, the reality is when the waves are pumping there are plenty to go around. OB seporates the men from the boys. Yea Doc, Jeff, Matt & Grant are just a few who have brought attention to the beach but they are not the only ones. Don't blame them. We are all part of the same community. Instead of complaining or blaming, do something positive. OB can be a very polluted beach because of our city but I see very few surfers who call OB their home clean her up. Most just walk right past garbage on the beach after a session on their way home. Yea and if you want to get local then anyone who lives east of say 46th should go find a wave pool somewhere in land...HA HA HA Peace, Love and Respect to all. Take care of Mother Earth and she will reward all of us.
Thu Jul30, 2009, 2:48 PM
I remember the time Mark Renneker and I (at his suggestion; he was ALWAYS the one making crazy suggestions to see who would bite) paddled out at SCARY big winter surf at the OB middle beaches, 1979 I think it was ... it was and easy triple overhead. ... my claim to fame is that after about an hour of paddling/getting beat I made it out and Doc Hazard gave up and went down to Sloat where it was smaller (meaning only 2.5x overhead)... Good News: I MADE IT OUT! Bad News: I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FRIGGIN' OCEAN.. ALONE! I finally rode a "smaller" wave until I got to the bottom, dropped to my belly and hung on for dear life. I rode that same wave forever it seemed like; came rumbling onto shore in front of 2 elderly couples walking the beach... ...they FREAKED; thought they've seen an apirition: "WHERE the hell did you come from?" Scariest day of my life. Doc Hazard deserves the name. What a guy, Clay www.standupjournal.com
Fri Nov13, 2009, 2:26 AM
When I think of Ocean Beach legends, the three guys listed are not what I have in mind. Steve Lowry, Aaron Plank and most importantly Pee Wee are three REAL LOCAL SURFERS who have done and still do amazing surfing in any conditions. Just because they aren't shameless publicity whores doesn't mean they don't exist. This whole article's a joke.