The Prince of Wales

Directions for use: Take guide in your left hand and a pint of your favorite brew in your right hand ( you may want to switch these around if you are left-handed–entirely up to you). Now proceed to find out why this bar of long standing has truly become famous all over the world the past few decades.

1. Built in the 1940s, the Kehoe building was converted by the Fey Brothers (whose grandfather invented the slot machine) to a bar in December 1955. Named the Swinging Door, there were to swinging doors at the entrance. Price for a 12 oz mug of beer was 20 cents!
2. Early 1956 saw World War Two pinup girl Betty Grable and bandleader Harry James frequent the bar. They had horses running at Bay Meadows at the time.
3. The upstairs dance floor was installed in 1956 to accommodate a dance school which lasted for several years.
4. A young and struggling group named the Kingston Trio played upstairs in1957.
5. The usual tranquility of the barroom was momentarily disturbed when a tear gas bomb was lobbed into the bar in 1958.
6. Famous jockey Willie Shoemaker dropped in during the 1958 racing season.
7. A seat-belt was installed on the pillar near the bar for those who wanted to “buckle-up” before driving.
8. Hugh Courtney hung the first bristle dartboard in the bar in 1963 and the following year the first All-Star match was played here between San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles Area dart teams.
9. A Go-Go dancer did her thing in 1964 while patrons talked about Carol Doda, the Beatles, and Vietnam.
10. Later in 1964 actor Ronald Reagan bought the bar a round in his hunt for political office.
11. Longtime regular Ash White treated newly elected Congressman Pete McClosky to a drink after the 1964 elections.
12. The present Bird of Paradise “tree” was planted by Len Titus in 1966–when it was 18″ tall. Now it is the tallest in Northern California.
13. All through these years the bar underwent many changes and many owners. Always a beer bar, beer drinkers of repute (Carl, Joe, Wolf, Auggie, Len, Ralph, Ash, Hugh, Red, Jake, Helen, Harry, Stan, Toots, Hubbard, Mike, etc.) have been familiar faces on both sides of the taps. Keeping the action hot on the dartboards has been darters (Hugh, Ralph, Trevor, Al, Terry, Walt, Parker, Phil, Dereck, Brian, etc.) of great and not-so-great repute.
14. Around 1969 an irate person delivered a gunshot from the street through the front door and into the end of the bar–fortunately the bar was closed.
15. Shut down for several months, the bar was reopened in 1971 by Ken Gilley as the Prince of Wales with the present British decor.
16. Popping in and out through 1970–1973 was the famous crooner, Bing Crosby, as he would quietly sip a beer at the kitchen end of the bar. During this time the fantastic Windsor Burger and delicious Fish & Chips were starting to gain local fame.
17. The spring of 1974 saw the present owner, Jack Curry, leave the laboratories of Anchor Brewery and Canada Dry for the cozy environs of the Prince. A bottle of Budweiser costs forty cents.
18. During 1974, tennis superstar Billie Jean King would hold informal meetings with her Women’s Sports magazine staff.
19. International darts superstars Alan Evans, Leighton Rees, and Alan Glazier played head-on upstairs, before the first Golden Gate Darts Classic in 1974.
20. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen, told of the Windsor Burger in his Jan 20, 1975 column. The first of many mentions in his column.
21. A new World Record for the “Ten Hour Darts Marathon” was set in March 1975, by Jack Curry, Russ Zanardi, Ted Rocewidky, and Kip Fanjoy. The 274,828 points (62 points a turn) stood for six weeks before falling to an English squad.
22. Not to be left out of the streaking craze of 1974–1975, Santa Monica’s crazy Australian, Andy Green, performed the Aussie version with a “flamin’ A” in August 1975.
23. Prince of Wales’ shooters Jack Curry and Russ Zanardi won the United States Unicorn Darts Championship in Memphis, Tenn., February 1976. In March, they placed fifth in the World Championships in London!
24. A $2,000 World Darts Invitational was held in August 1976, with 20 international stars from six countries competing. Australia’s Kevin White won the $1,200 top prize.
25. San Francisco television station KPIX awarded the Prince with the Best Darts Pub in the Bay Area award for their Evening Show, September 1976.
26. Members of singer Tom Jones’ band made the P.O.W. their “local” while at the Circle Star Theater in October 1976.
27. The Prince of Wales team marched over to the Fairgrounds to successfully compete in the World’s Largest Pie Fight, October 1976.
28. A benefit darts match between members of the San Francisco 49er’s and the Super Bowl–bound Oakland Raiders was held in December 1976. A special match between sports reporters Wells Twombly and Greg Jordan added extra spice.
29. Englishman, Peter Cooper (who recorded “Winchester Cathedral” with the New Vaudeville Band) and band made the Prince their “local” while in engagement in February 1977. He also led the first Dixieland Jazz Band to play at the pub.
30. The Prince hosted the 2nd Annual World Liar’s Dice Championship–broadcast live on KMPX 107 FM radio, with the John Jensen and Jim Watt, November 1977.
31. A nationally distributed book, entitled The Dart Book was partly written by Jack Curry and contained many pictures from the Prince–published in April 1978.
32. In June 1978, Jack Curry, Gerry Duncan, and Craig Myren hosted Channel 7’s 3:30 Movie, Hotel Paradise.
33. A Time Capsule with 94 entries was buried in the patio during the “5th year under Curry” party, May 1979. The Mayor of San Mateo gave official presence.
34. The “Beers of the World Club” began in May 1979. Bill Pollock became the first 10 card, Pewter Tankard winner.
35. The newly formed Chili Darters won First at the Santa Cruz Chili Cook-off–October 1979. First in Showmanship, too.
36. A pub known for its “pub crawls”, the Prince completed a Bay Area crawl wearing tuxedos and driving around in a chauffeured limousine, May 1980.
37. The Pub hosted the California State Homebrew Competition, with 103 brews from 15 clubs, two TV stations covered it, August 1980.
38. In October 1980, Harry Pownell, Criag Myren, and Jack Curry travel to Munich, Germany to enjoy the fabled Oktoberfest. Learning from the experiences gained Germany, Austria, and France, the Pub now throws an authentic Oktoberfest Party each fall. Ein Prosit!
39. A Royal Wedding Celebration in the honor of Prince Charles and Lady Diana was held July 1981. Champagne, live music, buffet, and three television stations kept the Pub packed.
40. The Prince of Wales’ 6th Annual Invitational Pub Crawl (25 bars) took place in July 1982, an was chronicled in the San Francisco Examiner.
41. November 1982 saw the formation and inaugural speedwalk of the San Mateo Walkers, a Pub-sponsored fast-walking, elbow-bending, exercise group. The club will do speedwalks for eight years.
42. The January 1983 issue of nationally distributed All About Beer magazine featured the Prince as their Pub-of-the-Month in a three-page spread.
43. In 1985 & 1986, Jack was guest D.J. on KSFO with Jazz beaux Collins playing Brazilian music he had brought back from Rio de Janeiro.
44. May 23, 1985 saw Stu Robinson become the first to complete 100 cards and a earn a trip to London via the GBeers of the World Club–3,000 beers.
45. John Cousins became one of California’s first $10,000 lottery winners when he purchased the lucky ticket at the pub on November 7th, 1985.
46. In August 1986 the Pub’s first Big Guys (over 235 lbs) Pub Crawl took place in San Francisco.
47. In September 1986 the Prince was included in Michael Jackson’s Book Pocket Guide to Beer.
48. The summer of 1987 All-Star Game in Oakland was picketed by Pubbers in a vain effort to “Save our Beer Vendors”.
49. In November 1987 the Chili Darters took 4th place in Terlingua, Texas, out of 95 teams.
50. The pub became the first bar to do Fantasy Play-by-Play during an Oakland A’s–Boston game, August 29, 1988.
51. Following the October 29, 1988 wedding of Jack & Debi Cury (in a DC-3 over the Golden Gate Bridge), they held their reception at the Prince.
52. In the summer of 1989 Gary Smith receives the 1st trip to Maui as he finishes 100 Beers of America club cards–2000 beers.
53. Getting ready for the Bay Bridge World Series, the pub is shaken by the Loma Prieta Earthquake, Oct. 17, 1989.
54. In August 1990 the pub is awarded “Best Lunch”, “Best Burger”, and “Best Bar” by the San Mateo Times.
55. Early 1991 sees the introduction of the popular Jamaican Jerk Chicken and the Jalapeno Tartar Sauce.
56. Jack goes aloft with the original traffic reporter Hap Harper as they report to Gene Nelson on KSFO radio, June 1991.
57. The Prince hosts Baseball Funfest”, Feb. 1992, with nonstop videos, trivia and memorabilia.
58. In August 1992 the World’s Hottest Hamburger–was born on the patio–Richard Whiteley ate the first one.
59. A Prince-sponsored Pub Crawl to San Francisco to search out 28 bars listed in a S.F. Seals scorecard of 1945, found 12 are still going.
60. Jim Freeman, Dennis Paul, and Jack sneak into sold-out Camden Yards for the 1993 All-Star Game in Baltimore, using a Doritos Bag.
61. The Pub’s Chili Darters win the Stanford Chili Cook-off and are awarded trips to Hawaii before 46,000 fans at Stanford/ASU football game–1993.
62. In May 1994 a 20 year anniversary party (Jack as owner) goes on for five days.
63. Stanford is host to Soccer’s World Cup and many pubbers are seen doing the samba outside the stadium on El Camino Real, June 1994.
64. In August 1994 a motorized Cable Car takes 35 through several of San Francisco’s best bars.
65. The Hot & Spicy Chili book is released in Sept. 1994 with The Chili Darters’ recipe and photo.
66. Hall of Fame football great, Ray Nitschke, drops by the pub–November 1994.
67. Longtime baseball fan Jack organizes a boycott of Opening Day, 1995. He 86’s owners, pickets Spring Training Games and issues replacement money–covered by three newspapers.
68. New cookbooks, Heatwave and Wall of Flame have the Prince included. The Chili Darters (Jack, Debi, Glen, Robin, Ross, Joan) travel to San Marcos, Texas where they reach the semi-finals of World’s Largest Chili Cook-Off–September 1995.
69. 1995 ended with the 40th anniversary of the “Swinging Door/Prince of Wales Pub”. Original owners Ed & Marshall Fey joined 40 year man Ash White in the 4-day celebration.