The Ambush opened its doors in November 1973 at 1351 Harrison Street in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood, and anything but timid, it stood until its closure in 1986. It became a home for leathermen, bears, bikers, and western-kink lovers, and was famous not just for its drinks, dim lights, and cruising—but also as an art gallery and workshop where the leathermaking craft was on display. With artwork by Chuck Arnett, “meat racks,” sex in the bathrooms, and a no-rules energy that merged art, sex, and subculture, the Ambush wasn’t just a bar—it was a cultural spark in the leather scene.
