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Bully’s first opened its doors January 19th, 1967 in La Jolla,
California. The original owners,
Lester Holt and George Bullington, were both avid horseracing fans who
worked in the racetrack
business, thus the racehorse theme.
Lester Holt started in Santa Anita right after World War II as a groom and
a west coast surrogate
for jockeys such as Bruce Headley, Donald Pierce, and Bill Shoemaker. Holt
then worked as a
Trainer, and quickly became well-known and respected in the field.
George Bullington was a booking agent for jockeys at the Santa Anita
racetrack, and began working
as a bar manager at the old Court Room on Hershel Avenue in La Jolla,
California. The two men
met in 1966, during the summer race season at Del Mar Racetrack. It was
over dinner with Beverly
Becker at Chuck’s Steakhouse in La Jolla that the idea to open a
restaurant came about. They
decided that a shortened version of George Bullington’s last name had
a certain “zing” to it, and
the name “Bully’s” was created.
.jpg) Lester himself provided the financing,
and one of
the horses he had trained, Don B., later helped with
his stud fees. Don B. was a wonderful horse that
earned money by being put to stud after finishing
6th in the 1968 Kentucky Derby. The horse was
named after its owner Don B. Wood. Lester was
the horse’s Trainer, and the Jockey was Donald
Pierce (Pierce is retired, and lives in Encinitas,
not far from Del Mar Racetrack). Don B.’s
portrait currently hangs in both the La Jolla and
Del Mar Bully’s. Lester also trained Tragniew,
a horse that ran in the 1966 Kentucky Derby with
Pierce as the Jockey.
Bully’s “English Pub” look was inspired by
Bullington’s historical English last name. They created
an authentic “Pub” feeling, with rich red leather booths, dark
wood ceilings, a conversation-friendly
environment, and large portions of hearty food. George Bullington actually
poured the first drink
ever made at Bully’s La Jolla.
The original menus were hand-lettered by Beverly Becker in India Ink, and
you can see one on
display near the front door at the La Jolla Bully’s.
.jpg) A
local artist painted the famous “Nude Lady”
painting that hangs over the booths in La Jolla
(A painting that has embarrassed many a small
child over the years).
Other artwork includes:
Leroy Neiman paintings, photos and drawings of
racehorses, caricatures of local customers, and
historical photos of the early landscapes of La Jolla
and Del Mar. The beautiful hand-carved wooden doors
(At all three Bully’s) were created by Mark Seaman.
The waitresses at that time wore knee-length khaki shorts with pockets, no
aprons, and white
tee-shirts with broad horizontal stripes. During the sixties and seventies,
the restaurant was
incredibly busy with Navy Pilots, professional athletes, stewardesses, and
locals. So busy, in fact,
that the servers had to pick up their food from the kitchen, exit the
building through the front door,
and re-enter through another door to get around the crowds and deliver the
food to their tables.
Among our famous customers that have frequented Bully’s over the
years are:
Bandleader Harry James and his wife Betty Grable, composer Burt Bacharach
(Who also owns
racehorses), Angie Dickenson, Victor Mature, George Brent, Wilt
Chamberlain, Bill Shoemaker,
Earl Schieb, Desi Arnez and Lucille Ball, Jack Haley, and scores of great
Jockeys, Managers,
and Trainers.
Bully’s was an instant success upon opening, and based on the loyalty
of their wonderful customers,
they soon opened their second location in Del Mar, California on May 25th,
1969. The Del Mar
Bully’s, or Bully’s North as it is now known, is located about
one mile from the beautiful Del Mar
Racetrack. It is a popular lunch spot for the many local businesses, as
well as a late-night place to
get a bite to eat and a cocktail. The kitchen stays open until midnight
every night, and the bar is
filled with young, cocktail-savvy customers until closing time at 2am.
Bully’s North is also a favorite among the thousands of people that
visit Del Mar Racetrack every
year for the summer racing season. The track holds races daily from mid
July to early September,
and has live concert events on the weekends as well. Opening day at the
track is quite a spectacle,
with contests for the most creative ladies’ hats.
Bully’s opened two more locations: Bully’s East on Texas
Street, and Bully’s Mexican Café on
15th Street in Del Mar. John Dahlen (J.D.) was the first bartender at
Bully’s La Jolla, and he went
on to become part owner of Bully’s East.
On October 25, 1995 Lester Holt passed away, and his adopted daughter
Beverly Becker became
the owner of the Bully’s in La Jolla and Del Mar. She and her husband
Charlie run both restaurants
to this day.
Our commitment to quality food and service has kept the red leather booths
full for 40 years.
We use all natural Montana raised 100% Angus Corn-fed Beef. Our beef is
humanely raised
on an all-vegetarian diet, and contains no antibiotics or growth hormones.
Bully’s has fresh baked bread delivered daily. We receive Sourdough,
Pumpernickel, and our
specialty Onion Rolls from O’Brien’s Boulangerie Bakery in Del
Mar Heights. Our soups are
home-made by our chefs every day, and we run daily “chef’s
specials” at both locations.
Although we started as a Prime Rib and Steak specialty house, we have
expanded our menu to include:
Fresh Northern Halibut, Atlantic Salmon, and Mahi Mahi specials; King Crab
and shrimp dishes;
St. Louis Baby Back ribs; Several chicken dishes; Burgers, chicken
sandwiches, steak sandwiches,
calamari sandwiches, and prime rib sandwiches; Breakfasts, salads, and
lunch entrees; and of course
our daily selection of desserts.
The famous Keoke Coffee was created, according to Bully’s current
owners Beverly and Charlie
Becker, by George Bullington himself. The restaurant staff was
experimenting with different cocktail
recipes after hours, and George put together a tasty coffee drink. The
staff called it “George’s Coffee”,
and a Hawaiian cook suggested “Keoke
Coffee”(“Keoke” is Hawaiian for “George”).
The drink is hand-crafted using:
½ oz Kahlua
½ oz Dark Crème De Cacao
½ oz Brandy
4 oz coffee
and topped with real whipped cream.
It has been a signature drink at Bully’s for many years.
It is not unusual to see a table filled with small children, their parents,
and grandparents, all of whom
have grown up on Bully’s great food. We have regular customers that
take pride in the fact that they
have been customers for 30 plus years. Bully’s has been a tradition
for over forty years, and we look
forward to serving you and your families for another forty years!
Bully’s Staff
Patty Hurlbut was the first Manager in La Jolla, and stayed with the
company for 20 years.
The original Bully’s bartenders were John Eckberg, George Elam, and
John Dahlen (J.D.).
We have had many popular kitchen staffers over the years, including
“Cookie”, Enio Duque
(La Jolla’s Kitchen Manager) and Ismael “Izzy” Trejo (Del
Mar’s Kitchen Manager).
Tony Camito was the General Manager from 1984-2003, he started out as a
dishwasher in the 60’s.
Barbara Klein is the Del Mar Restaurant Manager, she has been with
Bully’s for over seven years.
Karen Kaminski is our Lead Server and local favorite. She has been with us
for an unbelievable 25 years!
Some notable bartenders over the years include: Donald Dominguez, Jerry
McClosky, Tim Blackmore,
Charlie Brown, Tom Siegel, Brian Davis, and Tom Yahnke of Bully’s
North who retired after 20 years.
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