Aloha spirit

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Duke's Malibu's Barefoot Bar allows people to eat and drink either inside or outdoors by the ocean. Photos by Devon Meyers/TMT

Duke’s celebrates its first decade in Malibu.

By Kim Devore / Staff Writer

Malibu. The name conjures up images of the endless summer, rocking waves and breathtaking expanses of the pacific. Yet, when it comes to dining, those scenic vistas are few and far between.

Unlike our neighbors to the north in Santa Barbara and south in San Diego, Malibu isn’t exactly home to a vast selection of ocean-view, let alone oceanfront, eateries. Luckily for locals and out-of-towners alike, there’s Duke’s. Today our favorite right-on-the-sand spot is marking a milestone-with ten candles on the old huli pie.

There was celebration all around when the Hawaiian- themed estahblishment-replete with classic boards, vintage shirts and surf memorabilia-took over the dank and dated Sea Lion location (later Charlie Brown’s) back in 1996. Living just a few doors down, my neighbors and I were delighted at the prospect of having a local hang with good food at reasonable prices, a great bar and, best of all, 300 feet of beachfront.

I treated the Barefoot Bar as my personal dining room in those early days. I’d spend a warm, sunny afternoon reading the New York Times and working on scripts with nary a soul in sight. Duke’s was a dream for those of us who couldn’t be bothered to drive, would walk in without a reservation and always felt like we had the joint all to ourselves. On the other hand, we wanted the place to succeed so we could continue to enjoy the crashing surf over parmesan- and herb-crusted Ono and a nice chardonnay.

A series of road closures, rock slides and fires made a slow start even worse. “When we first opened there were a lot of hindrances,” says longtime employee Jim Harris, “but we wanted to embrace the community and were here to serve anyone who was able to walk in.”

When PCH re-opened, Duke’s hosted a parking lot celebration and handed out “Welcome to Malibu the Coast is Clear” tee-shirts. With the highway back in action, Duke’s was suddenly discovered. I was starting to get lots of company on my little stretch of sand, not only with out-of-towners but also an increasing number of locals who once dismissed the place as a bit too touristy for their authentic Malibu tastes. Surfers sailed in for “Big Wednesdays,” Pepperdine undergrads packed the place for “Taco Tuesdays,” love birds hit the main dining room for a romantic evening, families lined up for Sunday brunch, sport fans watched the playoffs over pina coladas

Now everyone was catching on to what I already knew. Why? “It’s the essence of Malibu,” says Harris. “Its all about the vibe.” The Duke’s vet who was there the day the doors opened and worked his way up from busboy to bar manager says his decade at Duke’s has been “an awesome experience.”

These days it’s a little tougher to get into Duke’s. I have to wait or make a reservation like everybody else. Still, I’ve enjoyed 10 years of battered fish tacos with extra guac and look forward to many more. So dudes, Happy Birthday and thanks for sticking around. It’s a helluva hang and considering the alternative, I don’t mind sharing.