Authentic Maritime Dive | “Museum of Oddities” | Radical/Literary Haven

The History

Tucked into a narrow alleyway directly across from City Lights Bookstore, Specs’ (formally Specs’ Twelve Adler Museum Cafe) is a North Beach institution that defies the march of modernization. Opened in 1968 by Richard “Specs” Simmons—a merchant marine, union activist, and legendary neighborhood character—the bar has occupied a space with a colorful lineage. Before Specs, the building served as a Chinese Joss House, a mid-century fisherman’s social club, and “Tommy’s Place,” one of the city’s first lesbian bars. Specs designed the bar to be a “home for misfits,” and it remains a bastion of San Francisco’s fading bohemian and labor-centric soul.

The Vibe

Walking into Specs’ is like entering the hold of a vintage sailing vessel that has been decorated by an eccentric socialist explorer. It is dark, moody, and crammed with hundreds of artifacts that Richard Simmons collected or received from merchant sailors.

The Museum: The walls and curio cabinets are filled with everything from Northwest Coast indigenous art and maritime pennants to a stuffed mongoose fighting a cobra and the bar’s most famous resident: a petrified walrus penis bone.

The Spirit: It is a “no-nonsense” bar where conversation is the primary currency. There are no TVs and no Wi-Fi. It remains a union-run shop (Unite Here Local 2), reflecting the founder’s lifelong commitment to labor rights.

The “Big Table” & Nightly Sounds

Specs’ is as much a community center as it is a bar, maintaining traditions that have lasted over half a century.

The Wednesday “Big Table”: For over 40 years, every Wednesday night (approx. 6:30 PM), writers, poets, and artists gather around the massive central table for an open, informal session of storytelling and discussion. It was famously the haunt of the late Revolutionary Poet Laureate Jack Hirschman.

Nightly Live Music: While the music is often spontaneous or unamplified, you can catch nightly performances ranging from bossa nova and acoustic blues to intimate jazz trios. The sound is designed to complement the atmosphere, not drown out the regulars’ debates.

The “Only” Food

True to its roots as a classic dive, Specs’ does not have a kitchen. However, they have a singular, legendary food offering: The Cheese Plate. It consists of a hefty wedge of Edam cheese (cut from a giant wheel kept behind the bar), a pile of saltine crackers, and sometimes a few pepperoni slices. It is the quintessential North Beach “dinner” for many a starving artist.

Know Before You Go

Cash is King: Specs’ is cash preferred (there is an ATM inside/nearby).

The Address: The alley was renamed William Saroyan Place in honor of the famed author, but locals still look for the orange brick and the fire escape draped in flowers.

The Crowd: You will find an all-ages mix here—crusty locals who have had the same stool for 40 years sitting next to young poets and curious travelers.

Heritage Status: It is an officially designated San Francisco Legacy Business, now run by Specs’ daughter, Elly, and granddaughter, Maralisa.