The Red Mountain Inn – La Jolla’s Bird Rock Bar
Written by mac meda on September 4, 2009 – 3:20 am -If there was a bar designed for Mac Meda, the infamous Dave Osborn’s Red Mountain Inn would win hands down. It was named after the screw-top, rot-gut wine, Red Mountain, which was a must if you wanted to get drunk and had little money, because it was $1.50 for a gallon.
With that said, it seemed logical that the Red Mountain Inn became Mac Meda Destruction Co. Official Headquarters!
The bar opened in 1966 at 5525 La Jolla Blvd in Bird Rock. Opening day over 17 kegs of beer was consumed.
The original bartenders were Jack Macpherson, Rick “Ricky Rocket” Johnson, Mike Wilson, Dave Schrader and later Reggie Hasley and Ron “Anchovy” Barca joined to help with the overflow of thirsty and fanatical customers.
You ordered by the pitcher or two. Drinking one beer was unheard of. If you tried to order ONE beer the bartender stared you down. And chances are you would get eighty-sixed for being a fagot!
Friday and Saturday nights were standing room only. Cigarette smoke would bellow between the crack of the front door, and almost knock you down when opening it. A passerby could get drunk just by looking at the place from across the street.
Red Mountain Inn's T-shirt Design - Just like the rot-gut wine.
Red Mountain had a band that drummed out enough rock to make your ears ring for the next few days. At first, Cookie Taylor was the singer, and leader of the band (see him in slide-show) and then ran dinner food specials for a while until he become the head cook at Bully’s down the street.
Stories were wild, people that drank there were crazy with one thing in mind, getting shit faced and having a good time. Its customers were all types, bikers (notice the Hell Angels and Iron Horsemen in the photos, before they become hated rivals), surfers, jocks, long hairs, girls, drunks, idiots, dirtbags, and just plain people who wanted to let their hair down.
One night the cops raided the place for underage drinkers. And the ONLY person they took to jail was Jack Wilhelm, who forgot his ID that showed he was 21 at the time. In other words, if you looked 21, or had a ID (regardless of whose picture was on it) that said, you were 21, you were in …
Across the street (or within stumbling/falling down distance) was the Sip n Surf (or Hungry Horse depending on who owned it at the time) that served hard booze. And heading north a few doors was the White Whale, a hippy bar where pot and incense bellowed out as strong as the cigarettes smoke did at the Red Mountain.
Clear-Light acid and Mescaline was passed out like candy. The Make Love, Not War was exercised to the fullest … even a blind man could get his rocks off there.
Bird Rock was a great spot. Beer, booze, pot, and end the evening by getting laid – and all within 50 yards. And farther down, on Cass street, was the “Touch of Class” a 24hr massage parlor … that did more then massages 
Oh my – it didn’t get much better!
Special thanks to David Osborn for supplying the historical content and photos.
Tags: idiots drunks dirtbags, mac-tales
Posted in Bars, Meda People, Meda Rant and Rave | 11 Comments »
By Crazy Lew on Oct 5, 2009 | Reply
When Dave enlarged the Mountain, I tried to sell him some hose molding…but no takers. Lew
By Tracy wynn on Oct 9, 2009 | Reply
Most excellent! Although a purple haze prevents me from remembering all of those times, the good thoughts remain dear to my heart, especially to those who have fallen in defense of this most loving and spirited of the 60s brotherhood.
By WHEN CRABS ROAR on Dec 10, 2009 | Reply
I was lucky to live in Bird Rock, I could crawl home!
By Mike Okey on Dec 11, 2009 | Reply
Dave did you forget that I tended bar in those days? I still remember the beer chugging contests we used to hold as well as Cooky Tayler’s cooking.
By the way I still have an original Mac Meda T-shirt, although it does not fit any longer.
By Bill Sowles on Apr 12, 2010 | Reply
I still have my original RMI teeshirt that Dave gave me, c.1965 I think I may donate it to the LJ Art Museum.
By John K. Weldon on May 4, 2010 | Reply
James Rydell in the forefront of the Long Bar photo’s Dad was the Gallo wine distributer…There was not a grape in Red Mountain wine. On road trips to Newport and Balboa for Easter break we drank Royal Occasion and Stein beer…Nothing but the cheapest
By Hap Freiberg on Dec 26, 2010 | Reply
I tended bar and checked IDs at the Whale for a few years while I was stationed in San Diego (Navy, ‘68-’71). Met my ex, bless her, checking IDs…
A wonderful place with wonderful people: Dan (owner and benefactor), Buck & Joanne, the 2 Susans, dark-hair and blonde. Manny. Sgt. Pepper, best dealer ever. Bands Penrod and Buffalo Breath. Monday night $1 spaghetti “dinners”. Brandies at Bully’s, freaking out the straights.
Sometimes nostalgia is what it used to be…
By valerie Forward on Jan 15, 2011 | Reply
The bar moved from Ozzie’s house to La Jolla Blvd., becoming the Red Mountain Inn. I recall tipping a few with friends on many occasions in both places.
By Michael Johnson on Apr 19, 2011 | Reply
I recall running back and forth between the Inn and the White Whale across the street. As the evening would progress it became more and more of a challenge as one would expect. The bands were good and the covers cheap (if at all). I wonder what ever happened to the White Whale bunny (waitress). Could barely walk but never dropped a beer.
By WILLY on Jul 7, 2011 | Reply
THE RMI WAS THE GREATEST BAR, EVER. THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER ONE LIKE IT. DAVE DO YOU REMEBER THE NIGHT THE HELLS ANGELS CAME A-CALLING, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THEY WERE REAL GENTS.
By Boop on Sep 30, 2011 | Reply
Did Tom Waits frequent The Red Mountain Inn in the late 60s? Jack Macpherson’s photos of TRMI include a bar customer who looks a lot like Tom Waits…
And while on the subject of music and Windansea…any Jon Close stories? Jack used to tell his favorite JC story…”There was this little kid…he used to play piano at parties…he was incredible. He was like 8 or 9 and could play Cast Your Fate to the Wind”…he never knew the name of the kid…until 1999…when the kid had grown up and dropped by to invite Jack to an evening performance he was doing uptown at The Colonnial Inn on Prospect…what a great evening…