Moby Dick Celebrates 30 Years of Drinks and Merriment

By Ted Andersen

Through calm and rough seas, Moby Dick has stayed afloat for 30 years and has battled to keep its big fish status among locals and tourists alike.

The nautical-themed watering hole on 18th Street has remained a trademark since 1979, offering cheap drinks and a long happy hour, and even though ownership has changed a few times, it has changed little as a local establishment.

“I believe the Moby Dick bar is special because it has remained the same in its essence as a neighborhood bar where people come to meet up, talk, and find a friendly face and relax during the daytime hours,” said co-owner Joe Cappelletti, who bought the place in 2002 with Doug Murphy. “We have a lot of characters that call the place home, and just as England calls its crazier inhabitants eccentric, I prefer to refer to our characters in the same manner.”

Besides pinball machines, a pool table, and two-for-one frozen margaritas, Moby Dick also has a 250-gallon saltwater aquarium to gawk at. Although the clientele is mostly gay, the bar sees its fair share of international tourists during the daytime and on weekends, according to Cappelletti. He said that he and Murphy take their staff on a trip every year to reward them for a job well done since they are the heart and soul of the establishment.

“Moby Dick is a stabilizing force here in the Castro. People have been coming here for 30 years, and when people talk about the Castro in other places in the world, they know our name often times,” he said. “When I am traveling and I mention Moby Dick, people will tell me it is their favorite bar, which makes me very proud to own it. We have a very attractive friendly staff who go out of their way to make people welcome ... sometimes a little too friendly.”

The bar is calmer during the weekday hours, Cappelletti noted, but picks up steam especially on Sunday afternoons with the attraction of the house softball teams the Whalers and the Seamen. It has a playful spirit and throughout the years has seen its share of memorable events.

“We have had our share of crazy things happen here, everything from naked people to Jane Fonda here speaking when her husband was a politician,” said Cappelletti. “Robin Williams uses us in his act when talking about San Francisco, he finds our name is amusing. Also you should take a good long look at our logo (as) most people don’t see the not so hidden picture in it. We have a neon copy of it in the bar which show it very well.”

Like many LGBT-oriented drinking establishments in the Castro, Moby Dick has chosen to boycott Jamaican products, namely Red Stripe and Myers Rum, in solidarity with the local movement started in late March, supported by Supervisor Bevan Dufty and an SF-based blogger, to draw attention to violence and discrimination perpetrated against the LGBT community in Jamaica.

“Since it seems money makes the world go around, maybe if we don’t buy products from this place it will make them understand that we not only deserve the right to be heard and respected, but we also have a large amount of clout,” said Cappelletti.

Moby Dick is located at 4049 18th St.

Copyright 2009 Castro Courier