Don the Beachcomber -- former San Diego location, San Diego, CA (restaurant)

Name:Don the Beachcomber -- former San Diego location
Type:restaurant
Street:1590 Harbor Island Drive
City:San Diego
State:CA
Zip:92101
country:USA
Phone:
Status:closed

Description:
I recently came upon an old Don the Beachcomber matchbook that was from its San Diego location. I searched the Net but wasn't able to find out where it was located (there was no address on the matchbook). But thanks to some enterprising librarians at the San Diego Public Library, they undercovered an ad for the place. It was located at 1590 Harbor Island Drive and was part of the Sheraton Hotel. I think Don the Beachcomber was only there a few years in the early '70s. Later it was an El Torito restaurant for quite awhile. Currently the location is being used as a Mediterranean restaurant called Alfiere. Looking around the place there's nothing I could see that would indicate Don had ever been there. It's a shame, but at least it's a mystery solved.

[ Edited by: arriano 2006-07-31 21:00 ]

[ Edited by: arriano 2006-08-01 08:47 ]

I recently spoke with bartender extraordinare Tony Ramos at Ciudad Restaurant in Los Angeles and he told me he was sent down to San Diego to work at Don the Beachcomber there when it opened. He previously worked at Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood.

I picked up a copy of "Tiki Road Trip" and noted that the Don the Beachcomber in San Diego is listed as having been at Vacation Road and Ingraham Street. Unless there were two DtBs in San Diego (and I'm pretty certain there weren't) the book is incorrect.

My postcard from the San Diego Don The Beachcomber lists the address simply as "Harbor Island".

Sabu

On 2006-09-01 15:36, arriano wrote:
Don the Beachcomber in San Diego is listed as having been at Vacation Road and Ingraham Street.

This information came from a vintage postcard.

That said, I have had trouble finding a second source that has coroborrated the info.

Maybe it a was a planned location that never happened?

Maybe checking with the San Diego Historical Society would be of help.
http://www.sandiegohistory.org/histsoc.html

Seems like I remember it being on Treasure Island...but then again I can always claim Alzheimers if I'm wrong. :)

A postcard for the Don the Beachcomber has been posted on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Don-The-Beachcomber-Restaurant-Postcard-Defunct-Vintage_W0QQitemZ130319786037QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1e57aa2035&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A2124%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

Here is that postcard.

DC

Found this brochure for The sheraton Inn-San Diego Airport and Sheraton-Half Moon Inn. Half Moon Inn images everyone has seen, but the Sheraton Inn has a photo of Don the Beachcombers interior.

Wow! That's the first time I've ever seen the interior, and it looks great