Neptune's Net

Neptune's Net is a seafood restaurant located on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California, near the Ventura–Los Angeles county line. It is known for its coastal setting, casual atmosphere, fried seafood, live shellfish, and long association with motorcycle and automobile travel along the Pacific Coast Highway. The restaurant has also become a recognizable screen location, appearing in numerous television programs and films. The site began operating in 1956 as a combination gas station, real-estate office, and restaurant called Panorama Pacific at Solimar. The property was owned by Eastman N. “Jake” Jacobs, an aerodynamicist and engineer. Local customers soon referred to the restaurant as Jake’s Diner. Its early menu centered on burgers, sandwiches, and familiar fried seafood dishes, reflecting the informal roadside character of the location. In 1971, Jacobs leased the property, then known as County Line Restaurant, to Starlyn H. Young and his family, who had moved to the area from Arkansas. The Young family operated the premises as a combined general store and restaurant, working long days to serve travelers and local residents. Starlyn Young also established a wholesale seafood business and introduced outdoor tanks for live seafood. Under the family’s management, the restaurant shifted away from primarily diner-style food and toward a seafood-focused identity, including Maine lobsters flown directly to California. The restaurant adopted the name Neptune’s Net after a public naming contest. Actor Rockne Tarkington submitted the winning name and received two Maine lobsters as the prize. The new identity emphasized the restaurant’s maritime theme while retaining its accessible roadside format. During the Young family’s tenure, the restaurant attracted celebrity regulars including Goldie Hawn, Barbra Streisand, Shelley Winters, and Ali MacGraw, helping establish its profile beyond the local community. In 1974, the Young family returned to Arkansas after Starlyn Young’s health declined. Jake Jacobs then sold the restaurant to Paul and Dolly Seay. The Seays made improvements to the property and introduced the popular Friday Night Fish Fry, adding a recurring event to the restaurant’s operating tradition. On July 4, 1991, Chong Lee and Michelle Lee purchased Neptune’s Net and became its owners. Reference material identifies them as the current owners. Neptune’s Net remains primarily a destination restaurant rather than a broad multi-unit chain. Its appeal combines seafood, highway accessibility, ocean-adjacent scenery, local history, and popular-culture visibility. The business is best understood as an independent hospitality brand and California roadside landmark. Public reference material does not establish a corporate parent, stock-market listing, nationwide expansion program, or a formal chain structure.

The property associated with Neptune’s Net began as a roadside commercial site in 1956. Eastman N. “Jake” Jacobs, an aerodynamicist and engineer, owned the land near the Pacific Coast Highway at Solimar, close to the Ventura–Los Angeles county line. The original operation, Panorama Pacific, combined a gas station, real-estate office, and restaurant. Local customers came to call the restaurant Jake’s Diner. At that stage, the menu consisted mainly of burgers, sandwiches, and fried seafood, giving the site the character of a conventional roadside diner. By 1971, the restaurant was operating under the name County Line Restaurant. Jacobs leased it to Starlyn H. Young, his wife Virginia, and several members of their family, who had relocated from Arkansas. The Youngs ran the property as a hybrid general store and restaurant, with the family working extended daily hours. Starlyn Young expanded the seafood side of the operation by starting a wholesale seafood business and installing outdoor tanks for live seafood. The restaurant’s culinary direction changed accordingly: instead of focusing on standard diner food, the family developed a seafood-centered business and arranged for fresh lobsters to be flown from Maine. The name Neptune’s Net emerged through a public contest. Actor Rockne Tarkington proposed the winning name, receiving two Maine lobsters as his prize. The name reinforced the restaurant’s maritime identity and distinguished it from the earlier names associated with the property. The Young-era restaurant also developed a celebrity following. Goldie Hawn, Barbra Streisand, Shelley Winters, and Ali MacGraw were identified as regular customers in the historical account. In 1974, the Young family left the business and returned to Arkansas after Starlyn Young’s health deteriorated. Jake Jacobs sold the restaurant to Paul and Dolly Seay. During their ownership, the Seays improved the building and launched the Friday Night Fish Fry, which became a notable recurring feature of the restaurant’s identity and customer experience. Chong Lee and Michelle Lee acquired Neptune’s Net on July 4, 1991. Reference material identifies them as the current owners. The restaurant subsequently continued as an independent Malibu seafood destination rather than developing into a documented national chain. Its visibility was reinforced by its location on a heavily traveled scenic highway and by appearances in numerous film and television productions. The business’s enduring identity rests on the combination of seafood, roadside accessibility, coastal scenery, and popular-culture recognition. Available reference material does not document a parent company, public listing, large-scale franchising, or a formal multi-brand corporate structure.

• 1991

  Chong and Michelle Lee become owners

  [1]Neptune's Neten.wikipedia.org

  Chong Lee and Michelle Lee purchase Neptune’s Net on July 4 and are identified in reference material as its current owners.

• 1974

  The Seays acquire the restaurant

  [1]Neptune's Neten.wikipedia.org

  Paul and Dolly Seay purchase the business after the Young family returns to Arkansas. They improve the building and introduce the Friday Night Fish Fry.

• 1971

  The Young family takes over the restaurant lease

  [1]Neptune's Neten.wikipedia.org

  Starlyn and Virginia Young and members of their family lease the business, then known as County Line Restaurant, and begin moving it toward a seafood-focused format.

• 1971

  The Neptune's Net name is adopted

  [1]Neptune's Neten.wikipedia.org

  A public naming contest produces the Neptune’s Net name, with actor Rockne Tarkington receiving two Maine lobsters for the winning entry.

• 1956

  The site opens as Panorama Pacific

  [1]Neptune's Neten.wikipedia.org

  The Solimar property begins operating as a gas station, real-estate office, and restaurant under the name Panorama Pacific.

A casual, destination-oriented seafood restaurant combining fresh and fried seafood with the atmosphere of a historic Pacific Coast Highway roadside stop.

• Restaurant menu · 1956

  Fried seafood

  Fried seafood is a core part of Neptune’s Net’s casual menu tradition. The restaurant’s early format already included fried seafood classics, and the later Young-family operation made seafood the central focus of the business. The offering reflects the restaurant’s roadside, accessible positioning rather than a formal fine-dining concept.

• Live and fresh seafood · 1971

  Maine lobster

  Fresh Maine lobster became a defining part of the restaurant’s seafood identity during the Young family’s ownership. The family arranged for lobsters to be flown directly from Maine and maintained live seafood in outdoor tanks. Lobster also features in the story of the restaurant’s naming contest, whose winner received two Maine lobsters.

• Restaurant menu · 1956

  Burgers and sandwiches

  Burgers and sandwiches were among the principal foods served when the site operated as Panorama Pacific and Jake’s Diner. They represent the property’s earlier diner-style identity and its broad appeal to highway travelers before the restaurant moved more decisively toward a seafood-led menu.

• Recurring dining offering · 1974

  Friday Night Fish Fry

  The Friday Night Fish Fry was introduced by Paul and Dolly Seay after they acquired the restaurant in 1974. It became a recognizable recurring feature associated with their period of ownership and reinforced Neptune’s Net’s informal seafood-centered character.

• 1974

  Introduction of the Friday Night Fish FryOther

  Background

  Paul and Dolly Seay acquired the restaurant after the Young family left California and returned to Arkansas.

  Action taken

  The Seays made improvements to the building and added a recurring Friday Night Fish Fry.

  Aftermath

  The event became a notable part of the restaurant’s operating history and public identity.

  Source

• 1971

  Shift from diner fare to seafood specializationStrategy

  Background

  When the Young family leased the restaurant, the property combined a general store with a restaurant that had previously served burgers, sandwiches, and fried seafood. The family also developed a wholesale seafood business and installed outdoor tanks for live seafood.

  Action taken

  The Young family repositioned the restaurant around seafood and began bringing fresh Maine lobsters directly to California.

  Aftermath

  The change established the seafood identity that became central to Neptune’s Net’s long-term brand.

  Source

1. 1Neptune's Neten.wikipedia.org