SOLANA BEACH — The beloved Tidewater Tavern was filled to bursting on Saturday for a dual celebration — that of owner Sam Lunde’s 60th birthday and nearly three decades of memories at the bar and grill ahead of its forthcoming closing.
Lunde, who founded the tavern along Coast Highway 101 in 1994, announced that he would be closing shop after Labor Day following a 29-year run.
While he hesitated to call it retirement, Lunde said it felt like the right time to move on.
“It’s a little bit bittersweet, but mostly happy. It’s not as easy as it used to be,” Lunde said.
The tavern owner has been working in food service since the age of 11, when he started as a dishwasher in Solvang in Santa Barbara County.
He moved to Solana Beach in the 80s to work at Kona Grill and, years later, purchased the property of a Chinese restaurant called Mandarin Coast at 221 North Coast Hwy 101. This would eventually be opened as Tidewater Tavern; the rest is history.
Along with favorite drinks like The World’s Best Mai Tai, the tavern has fed many hungry customers over the years with signature burgers, hand-cut calamari tacos and sandwiches, homemade dressings, salsa and chips.
On Saturday, the birthday/closing celebration filled the building and spilled out onto the sidewalk. Underneath a “happy birthday” banner above the bar, Lunde received hugs and handshakes from longtime customers and friends.
Lunde said the premises are set to become a pizza place.
