Bambi Lake
Bambi Lake wasn't alone in finding her way to the Grubstake. Over the decades, the diner has drawn artists, musicians, and storytellers from every corner of the city. Guy Fieri stopped in for Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, calling it one of the most unique diners in California. Hail Mary Mallon made a song titled "Grubstake" and filmed their video in the diner. In 2025, Larry June brought the diner into his world with The Smooth Kind. Different eras, different artists in the same red dining car.
Long before social media and food shows, Grubstake was part of San Francisco's underground nightlife culture.
In her song "Golden Age of Hustlers," San Francisco punk icon Bambi Lake immortalized the diner as a late-night gathering spot for the city's hustlers, artists, drag queens, musicians, and night owls.
"The scent of nuggets and prospectors
drift up from the Grubstake,
where I shared so many cheeseburgers
with my hustler husbands..."
For generations, Grubstake wasn't just a place to eat. It was a meeting place, a refuge, and a front-row seat to the characters and stories that helped shape San Francisco after dark.