Larry’s Beach Club at 1145 South Tremont Street is remembered by many as “McCabe’s Restaurant” or “McCabe’s Beach Club”. Those a bit older will go back to when it was known as “Across the Tracks.” Even older locals will remember it as “The Pump.”
But the history of the bar goes beyond most memories — back over 75 years when it was first called the “Old-Fashioned Garden Cafe.”
The unusual name referred to the property which was once used as a garden and orchard. Julius and Mary Ulrich owned the property on the northwest corner of South Tremont and Short Street (now Oceanside Boulevard) since 1914 and grew produce there which included Gravenstein apples. The couple resided on the property for several years, raising and selling rabbits along with hens and eggs.
Then in 1949, Earl and Margaret Rice, who came to Oceanside in 1947, opened a little bar and restaurant there, what was considered a bit “out of the way” from more popular establishments in the immediate downtown area of Oceanside. Off the Highway 101, it might have been missed by the traveling public, but it became popular with the locals.
The Old-Fashioned Garden Cafe featured Acme Beer “drawn through a cooler keg at five or ten cents a glass” and “specialized” in corned beef and cabbage, Virginia baked ham, sour Brotton and roast beef.
The original building fronting Short Street (Oceanside Boulevard) was smaller in size than the present building, and a residence, located just to the west was occupied by Earl and Margaret. This dwelling later became an addition to the restaurant/bar.
By 1955 Bill Bolton acquired the business and renamed it “Bill’s Pump Room.” (Bill Bolton would later own Bolton’s Casino at 107 North Tremont Street in the 1970s.) Along with a range of food, Bill’s Pump Room served cocktails and Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer on tap. The venue hosted a wedding reception that year, after Cpl. Leonard Whitke married hometown girl Ethel Swanson at Oceanside’s First Baptist Church.
The name of the restaurant was shortened to “Bill’s Pump” and by 1957 simply called “The Pump.” The phone number was Saratoga 2-5961 (Saratoga was the telephone exchange name and stood for the number “72” which would later become the local prefix of 722.)
The Pump opened at 10 am and closed at 2 am. An advertisement beckoned customers: “When you want some real good food which is served amid comfortable and relaxing surroundings, you should visit The Pump in Oceanside. You will enjoy their delicious, hot corned beef sandwiches, roasted chicken or shrimp.” The Pump also offered cocktails and draft beer.
Like any bar selling alcohol, it had its share of notoriety with fights or brawls. It wasn’t uncommon for disagreements to arise between Marines and locals. One call to the Oceanside Police Department was prompted by a probable shooting in the parking lot, but when police arrived, they discovered the “victim” was simply sprawled out in the parking lot passed out.
One fight likely inspired by boxer Mike Tyson resulted in one man biting another man’s ear off after two women started fighting inside what was then McCabe’s Beach Club. Officer Brian Sandberg responded to the incident which had spilled out into the parking lot and said, “The victim told me he could feel the suspect’s teeth grinding away on his earlobe. He didn’t realize his ear had been bitten off until the bouncer told him.”
The victim, a Marine, drove himself to the Main Gate of Camp Pendleton and police were called. Harbor Police Corporal Dwight Carwell found the missing ear in the bar’s parking lot, Sunberg said, but military doctors were unable to reattach the ear. The suspect remained at large.
In 1975 The Pump was sold to Dee and Bette Coursey, along with a partner, Aurel J. Pierce, Jr. (Pierce operated the Ice House in Escondido for several years in the 1970s.)
The Courseys soon sold their interest in The Pump to Pierce, who sold it in 1977 to William Planer. Planer and his partner, Richard Barkdull, changed the name of the bar to “Across the Tracks” in March 1977.
The bar under the same name changed hands again in 1982 when it was sold to Uncle Jed’s Golden Spike, Inc., a corporation owned by Jed Landin. (Landin owned a bar at 1910 Oceanside Boulevard called Uncle Jed’s.) While Landin maintained ownership of the building, the establishment still operated as “Across the Tracks.” That year John and Danita Ward stepped in as the new managers.
In January 1983 new proprietors Joe Mrozek and Jack McCabe took over. They had a five-hour happy hour, seven days a week and advertised “sounds of the 50s” on a jukebox and live entertainment. They advertised specials and events in the Caboose, Club and Engine Rooms in “a plush atmosphere with a wisp of sea breeze and a ray of moonlight.”
“A unique approach is off to a successful start at the newly remodeled ‘Across the Tracks.’ The restaurant’s new owner Jack McCabe has been a local businessman in the area for seven years. The new head cook, Jerry Michael, has been in the area for 27 years and specializes in home cooked meals, just like grandma used to make. Jerry is assisted by Marty Roemer.
“Joe Mrozek, host and managing partner, invites you after work if you’re in the area, to stop by for Happy Hour in the Engine Room Lounge for free hors d’oeuvres. All well drinks are only a dollar from 2 PM to 7 PM daily. If you’re a sports buff, there’s a wide screen TV for your sporting pleasure. We also feature music of the 50s.”
In October 1983 “Across the Tracks” was renamed for its owner Jack as “McCabe’s Restaurant.” The new name came with all new entertainment “featuring Billy Fowler at the piano bar who recently came over from the Mira Mar restaurant and will be playing Satin Doll to Stevie Wonder music Tuesday through Saturday for your dining and dancing pleasure. Sunday and Monday dance to the music of Mac Soo. Mac recently finished a tour on Princess Cruise Ship, The Love Boat for one year.”
The following year, in 1984, a grand opening was announced for “Poncho and McCabe’s”, a new “Mexican restaurant and Irish pub featuring authentic Europato Mexican style food, and American dishes.” This however, was short-lived.
Jack McCabe was a local philanthropist, helping each year to raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. His efforts raised thousands of dollars here locally for the national charity made notable for its annual telethon hosted by Jerry Lewis.
Introduced in the 1980s was McCabe’s Babes, prominent in parades and other events, along with car washes on location to help raise money for various charitable causes.
Many locals will remember Donovan Lee, a popular disc jockey who played at McCabe’s Beach Club in the late 1980s and early 1990s when McCabe’s was one of the few spots in Oceanside for dancing on its notoriously tiny dance floor.
This was the decade of wet T-shirt and bikini contests and an annual calendar was printed and sold. In 1989 Cheryl Johnson, an Oceanside resident, was the winner of “McCabe’s Babes Bikini contest” winning $750. She had already amassed a number of titles, including Miss Bocce Ball, Miss Acapulco, Rancho Bernardo and Miss Belmont Mission Beach.
Jack McCabe continued his philanthropic efforts throughout the years, building a mock “jail cell” in his establishment. A patron paid $1 for anyone in the bar they wanted to be arrested and put in the cell. The cost to bail them out was another dollar, however, others could “raise the bail” to $2 or more to keep the “jailbird behind bars.” This amusing form of fundraising helped the Oceanside Police Department purchase a need K-9 police dog.
In 1997 McCabe listed his business for sale and sold it in 1999, although the name was retained for several years. In 2008 it was purchased by Larry Doan, who changed the name in to “Larry’s Beach Club.”
Whatever the name, it’s remained a favorite hangout for locals since it first opened its doors as the “Old-Fashioned Garden Café” in 1949.
Histories and Mysteries 
Loved the Pump! Richard (Hatch) and I used to go there in the 60′. Best coleslaw ever. Downtown was full of Marines. Getting drafted was the conversation topic of the day.
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