Miss Smith's Tea Room

Miss Smith's Tea Room served beer and wine to bohemian patrons but never actually offered tea. Operating from 1954 to 1960 at 1353 Grant Avenue, it stood as a pioneering lesbian bar in the North Beach neighborhood. The establishment became a frequent gathering place for Beat poets and writers, who often congregated there for the weekly Wednesday night poetry readings. Patrons occupied a space where sawdust covered the floor, and it was common for visitors to carve their names directly into the wooden tables. LaVeta Connie Smith managed the bar as a vibrant, if frequently targeted, community hub. The state eventually revoked the bar's liquor license in 1956 as part of a broader campaign to disrupt LGBTQ meeting places, though the venue continued to function for years afterward.