The Golden Bull opened in May 1971 on the west side of Coastal Highway between 70th and 71st streets. At 14,000 square feet it immediately became one of Ocean City’s largest restaurants with a seating capacity for 500 guests in the dining room and another 150 in its cocktail lounge. It had an upscale menu featuring steaks and prime rib.
The beach north of 62nd Street was sparsely developed in those days; the Golden Bull was one of just a handful of restaurants in northern Ocean City. That would soon change with the opening of the Route 90 Bridge in August 1971 bringing an increase in tourism to what is today “mid-town.”
The Golden Bull changed ownership after the 1972 season when it was purchased by the Taustin family of The Embers and Candy Kitchen fame. Although it had existed for only two summers, the Golden Bull left a lasting legacy. It reopened in 1973 as The Bonfire and continues today as one of Ocean City’s most popular family restaurants.
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Postcard image courtesy Karen Leshko