The Big Rock Beach Café had a great location looking out over Malibu Beach and the blue Pacific Ocean. This photo was taken in 1953—back when Malibu real estate was affordable. Or at least affordable enough to be able to run a little café like this. And I love that very-late-40s Nash parked out front. You certainly don’t see many of them kicking around LA anymore.
Susan says: This was just south of where the Las Flores Inn was (Las Flores became The Sea Lion sometime in the early 50s I think it was). You used to be able to get great clam chowder (a huge bowl) for about 40 cents here at Canfield’s Big Rock Cafe. I think a dinner of abalone was around $2.00. Abalone or Sea Bass (about $1.75) dinners were my fav thing here. Today, this old Big Rock Cafe is where Moonshadows is.
Andie says: I ate there many times, often for breakfast (the only restaurant I knew of that served fried grits). During 1959 and ’60 I would house sit for friends of my boss on the weekends when they had shows to do and their maid and gardener were off. I worked half day on Friday so I could get there before they left, to collect the keys. I met all kinds of people on the beach. It was still pretty quiet and fairly casual and the houses were not as elaborate. I usually had dinner at The Albatross because the homeowners had a “house account” there and Saturday night dinner was part of my “compensation” for having to stay at a house on the beach!!!
And here’s a postcard showing the interior:
Susan also says: That counter was horseshoe shaped – the cafe side tables were to the right of this photo with pass-through open window spaces that looked out to what they called the ‘poop-deck’ seating where the real good view was.
Later, it was called Canfield’s Big Rock Café:
My family moved to 20612 PCH in 1964, just north of the Big Rock Cafe. I attended Malibu Park Junior High, now Malibu High School, and after school and on the weekends I would go to the Big Rock Cafe regularly. It was where I pilfered candy and gum when the cashier wasn’t looking. It was where I also put an issue of Playboy under my shirt and walked out without consequence. I was 12 or 13 at the time. The BRC parking lot was originally a Shell gas station. Although defunct by the time we moved there, I learned to skateboard on the former station’s smooth concrete surface. It was back when we built our own skateboards in woodshop at MPJHS. Since then, I’ve visited the current Moonshadows restaurant to eat and enjoy the memories.
I remember this spot as Bass Rock. Used to go here when I was a kid. My mom and dad would take the whole family to this spot. We used to get so excited that they sold bubble gum cigars. Good times.