Stanley's Diner Story

Stanley's Diner

Photo: Bill Delaney

Stanley's Diner sat on old PCH highway 1, 10 miles north of the city of Ventura California. The Diner was founded in the mid 40's by the Barber brothers Mervil and Stanley. "Stanley" was the bartender while his brother cooked the Steaks. Stanley abandoned the venture leaving brother Mervil to operate the Diner. Mervil was surfer friendly often letting surf contest organizers use electricity for pa systems.

Pee Wee Shaw Photo: Bill Delaney

Evert Wilbur Photo Bill Delaney

Stanley's was situated between two creeks that emptied sediment onto a system of cobble stones and oil pier remnants. The resulting sand bars produced excellent summer time surf. Protected by an extensive offshore kelp bed, afternoon wind swells coming down the Santa Barbara Channel were groomed into perfect peaks that spun into walls of glass. Chapters could be written about the antics that occurred in the Oil Company owned parking lot. On any summer afternoon you could find yourself having fun alongside many of the great surfers of the era.

Pee Wee Shaw Photo: Bill Delaney

Tom Morey
Photo Bill Delaney

Evert Wilbur
Photo Bill Delaney

Old PCH Hwy 1 was a narrow dangerous stretch between Ventura and La Conchita. There was plenty of room to build the new freeway unfortunately oilfields caused caltrans engineers to swing the freeway over the beach. Stanley's was demolished in 1971 making way for the Seacliff 101 freeway off ramp.

Diner Sketch
Surfer Mag

Photo: Larry Bennett

Bob Carlson
Photo Bill Delaney

Bob Cooper
Photo Bill Delaney

Thanks to Bill Guthrie
for pic from 60's CA Surf Map

Ad from the Ventura Star Free Press in Oct 1977 (Great month of surf) featuring the relocated Stanley's Dinners, renamed Stanley's Steak House and Seafood. Shaper Stan Fujii remembers eating at the Santa Paula location whith his folks as a kid. Thanks to Ron Dorn for the newspaper featuring ad.

Our friend Lori Schouten lived at the firehouse with her family just north of Stanley's in the 60's and 70's. At any given time her back yard was full of surfboards left by injured or otherwise inconvienced surfers. Laurie was more interested in fast cars than surfing. One night returning from Ventura to the firehouse She hit a tree, totaling her MG sportscar. Here's views looking north from Stanley's into Hoffman campground and the back of the firehouse (which is still there today, minus the ocean view of course). Oilpiers is off in the distance. Check out the pier remnants at the high tide line. The "Hoffman" peak. Piers were side by side from La Conchita to Ventura in the booming 20's.

VENTURA OIL PIERS

The Seacliff oil pier complex has operated since the 1920's adjacent to the former location of Stanley's. Sheltered from the north wind by the hill above Mussel Shoals this area is usually glassy all day drawing surfers, jet skiers, and other assorted party animals. Stories of the Oil Piers have become legend. A poor surfer from Saugus was shot in the ass with buckshot by a shot gun wielding demented surfer for shoulder hopping! Sucked dry of oil, the piers are now gone. An artificial replacement is now being proposed by Stanley's Reef Foundation http://stanleysreef.org the new reef will trap sand, prevent erosion and enhance breaks to the south

Revised: 02/01/2008
Stanley's Story