#2242 - Rendezvous Tavern, Port Orchard, WA - 7/25/2013

The Rendezvous is a pretty prosaic bar in a small town shopping center, in a space that's held a number of restaurants and bars over the last 46 years. It opened in 2011, replacing the Voodoo Lounge and removing the VIP section and stripper pole.  They serve standard American pub food -- salads, burgers, hot wings, etc. -- have a reasonable selection of beers, and serve their share of jello shots and candy drinks. It's a medium-sized place that hosts both live bands and, of course, karaoke.  Among the positive elements, one local yelps, "... its never over crowded, or filled with tweakers. so that's a mega bonus in Port Orchard."

There are a couple uncommon touches in the place, and as I was taking a picture of one -- a kegerator with some nice pinstriping, the bartender approached me. "I see you taking pictures," she said, "What are your pictures for?  You should really ask before taking pictures." I told her about my blog, and also asked what she thought could have been a bad intention or unwanted outcome of someone taking a pictures of the bar. She told me that "People sometimes use our name to represent things that it's not." I mentioned that I was surprised that this was a big problem for a bar in the South Park Village Shopping Center, but she affirmed that it was. Go figure.

1750 Village Ln SE, Port Orchard, Washington - (360) 443-2545
Est. 2011 - Building constructed: 1968
Previous bars in this location: Shooterz, Voodoo Lounge, Captain K's, Giotto's
Web site: facebook - westsoundnightout
Reviews: yelp

#2241 - Pine Tree Inn, Shelton, WA - 7/25/2013

The Pine Tree Inn was established in 1957 and is said to be the oldest restaurant in Shelton, an old logging town near the southeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula. "It used to be Wilson's, going back to the 20s, I was told by Mel, a regular who has been coming here since about 1960. The bar portion of the Pine Tree is the sort of dive that attracts bikers and elderly locals during the day, eating diner food, drinking coffee and beer, then a younger crowd at night drinking fireball shots and candy-flavored cocktails. Behind the bar, hidden by pulltab bins, caked in dust, and long neglected, is what once was a fine diorama scene with a working waterfall and a model train circling the tracks.  I'd presume this was installed by Alfred Munoz, who I believe founded the place in '57, and it remained working at least into the 60s. A TripAdvisor reviewer who grew up in the area describes the earlier days:

"It is located on the corner of 1st and Railroad. Highway 101, before the Shelton bypass was built, ran right along 1st Street, so this place was ready to serve up the traveler's meals. In addition, it is located only a few blocks from the big sawmill plant in town, so lots of loggers came in here. When I was a child, we were not permitted to go there due to the rough logger crowd. Later, in the late 60's they had GoGo dancers in the bar (which my brother peeked in the window to see)." (rubbertgator, tripadvisor)

The place can still be rough around the edges, and some of the locals are decidedly not fans of the current ownership, as can be seen in some detail at the BoycottThePineTree facebook page, e.g. a former owner posting 'You must be proud of the business you run, as Alfred and I did for many years..we cleaned the place up, run off most of the ''riff-raff'' and ran a good business after that..what happened makes me sick to my stomach!! You have to be there to make sure it runs right, and not let the help run it into the ''DUMP''..'

It's dirty, with patrons who can be gruff to outsiders, and the scent of pot continually wafting in from the smoking tent out back. But at least it's still there. For fans of old dives, it might be regrettable that no one has bothered to even dust the old train layout for many years. But then again, if someone had aggressively cleaned the place up, the faux mountains and waterfalls that take up space more conveniently occupied by pulltabs and cigarettes, the place probably wouldn't have much character, and I would never have had this glimpse of what the old place used to be.

102 S 1st St Shelton, WA 98584 - (360) 426-2604              
Est. 1957
Web site: pinetreeshelton.com - facebook
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor - urbanspoon

#2240 - Bull Pen, Seatac, WA - 7/23/2013

Update: After a fire in August 2016, the Bull Pen Facebook page announced that they would be closed for "3 to 8 months" for repairs. However it has remained closed several months longer than that.

The Spanish style building and various references to bulls make this feel like a Mexican restaurant, but inside it is one of those medium-sized, suburban, neighborhood bars that caters to desires to the desires of the locals.  That means American bar food (steaks, burgers, fried food, breakfast), dive bar drinks, a nice selection of beers along with crappy ones, and above all, sports on TVs and karaoke every night.

City guide records of these suburban areas are spotty, but at least briefly a bar called The Camel Rider operated here in the mid 60s.

Don Liberty established the Bull Pen in 1981 and has owned the place ever since. He and wife Margaret previously owned Liberto's restaurant in Tukwila, and briefly expanded into the Bull Pen II in the old Flame Tavern location in Burien (now Fiesta del Mar).

20011 International Blvd SeaTac, WA 98198 - (206) 824-4070
Est. 1981 - Building constructed: 1938
Previous bars in this location: The Camel Rider
Web site: bullpenseattle - facebook
Reviews: seattletimes - yelp - urbanspoon - seattlesouthside

#2239 #1155 - Star Brass Lounge, Seattle - 7/20/2013

Scott Horrell, who already has given the area 9lb Hammer, Loretta's, and Square Knot, has added another classic Georgetown bar.  A great old building across from the old Rainier Brewery, lots of exposed brick, collections of mid-century decor (e.g. lamps, ashtrays), good quality American comfort food, and a relaxed, hip clientele all seem to perfectly reiterate the spirit of the neighborhood.

Some history of the building from the owner:  "From 1904 to 1964 it was the Airport Way Hotel. Downstairs, it housed the Palace Tavern. It was for some time the Volunteers of America Industrial Store and the Wallace Transfer. And of course, it was the home of Star Brass Works, which now lends its name to the lounge downstairs! We have named our main gallery the Palace Gallery in honor of the old tavern."

5813A Airport Way South, Seattle, Washington 98108                
Est. April 2013 - Building constructed: 1905
Previous bars in this location: Palace Tavern
Web site: facebook
Reviews: link - yelp - tripadvisor -  talktothemanager - thestranger

#2238 #1154 - Stoneburner, Seattle - 7/19/2013

Stoneburner is on the ground floor of new, fancy "Hotel Ballard" constructed by the owners of the Ballard Inn and the Olympic Athletic Club. The facade of the new hotel was designed by local architects Gordon Lagerquist and Gene Morris and it is said that they "included a handmade stucco and sandstone and wood panels to ensure that the hotel’s façade featured a similar feel to that of the historic Ballard Avenue buildings surrounding it." (MyBallard)  If this is an accurate and sincere description of their intention, one can hardly imagine a more unmitigated failure. Not that it doesn't look nice or luxurious, but some folks who love both the history and the current revitalization of this great old avenue wish that they had indeed created something that fit in with the surrounding buildings and looked a little less like a French embassy.

The restaurant too, is very non-old-Ballard, but in a much more pleasant way. You seem to be entering through a massive wine barrel, and the art deco bar seems like it's been around for a hundred years. It is the latest, instantly popular restaurant from James Weiman and Deming Maclise, who have already establish large and constantly packed Seattle restaurants with pronounced thematic designs: "Bastille" (French) and "Macleod's (Scottish) in Ballard, and "Poquitos" (Mexican) and Von Trapps / Rhein Haus (Bavarian) on Capitol Hill. The bar includes a pressed tin ceiling reclaimed from an old schoolhouse and wood reclaimed from an Italian Embassy in Buenos Aires. It includes cocktails from the estimable Erik Carlson, and an Italian themed menu from the chef who gives it its name.  I had a couple excellent cocktails improvised by bartender Tyler. It is airy and especially nice during warm days when the large windows are open. It is yet another of an exploding number of great places to eat and drink in what is increasingly difficult to discern as an old Scandinavian shipping town.

5214 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, Washington 98107 - (206) 695-2051
Est. 2013 - Building constructed: 2012
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: stoneburnerseattle.com - facebook
Articles Ranked: seattlemet - eater - seattletimes - seattlemag - seattleweekly - eatinseattle - thrillist - thestranger - yelp

#2237 #1153 - Asgard Tavern, Seattle - 7/18/2013

Update: Odin Brewing closed the Asgard Tavern as of Jan 1, 2015 (a new taproom was opened in Tukwila, WA the previous year).

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A relaxed little tasting room for the Odin Brewing microbrews, in the Fremont area, just off the Burke-Gilman trail.

1300 N Northlake Way, Seattle, Washington 98103 - (206) 762-3909
Est. June 20, 2013 - Building constructed: 1999
Previous bars in this location: None
Web site: blog - facebook
Reviews: thestranger - yelp - thrillist - washingtonbeerblog - tripadvisor

#2236 - Aloha Tavern, Pacific Beach, WA - 7/15/2013

Aloha Tavern, Pacific Beach, Washington

Fairly often I get tips on good bars to visit from chatting with the locals at other good bars, and when a couple at the Green Lantern at Copalis Beach told us about the Aloha Tavern, it seemed like it would be worth a bit of a detour. And indeed, as you round a bend on North Beach Road, about three miles south of Moclips and a mile east of the ocean, and see the old sign and the weathered beach house decor suddenly pop into view, you instantly know it was well worth it.

Buzz, the Aloha Tavern, Pacific Beach, WA

It's hard to say for sure how old the place is. We were told the building was constructed in 1903, served as a bunk house for workers at the Aloha Shake Mill that used be across the road, and was moved across the street in the 1920s. But an old real estate listing describes it as being built in 1937, and that's what the county tax records say as well. In any case it's plenty old, and it now looks just like you would want a beach house or an ocean coast bar to look, with lots of old wood and years of eccentric objects collected around the place.

When we arrived, we were greeted by Lloyd the owner, and served by Buzz, who was there with his dog Josie. It's the sort of place and time where Lloyd will go to his house to get you a cigarette, and Buzz will inform you that they're all out of Corona "because Jim's sister was here the other night." It's also the sort of area where the local "shake rats" celebrate Kelper's Day each Labor Day weekend, and where everyone seems to have a nickname. Local "Hippie Bruce" once explained to Seattle Times writer that 'Nobody has a last name. There's a guy who just wanted to be Bob, but even he is "Ordinary Bob."'

I happened to be wandering around outside when two dowdy Jehovah's Witnesses had just dropped by Buzz's trailer around back of the bar, but they had no interest in saving him, or any of the rest of us, if it meant stepping inside the bar. I could try to tell you more about the bar, but if the photos alone don't make you want to visit the place yourself, like the Jehovah's Witness ladies, we probably don't have a lot of common interests anyway.

2990 Ocean Beach Rd, Pacific Beach, WA 98571 - (360) 276-4723
Building constructed: 1937
Links: nerdseyeview - sale (cached)

#2235 - Green Lantern Tavern, Copalis Beach, WA - 7/15/2013

Green Lantern Pub, Copalis Beach, WA

The Green Lantern Tavern/Pub lies across the street from the southernmost point of the Copalis River, and about 2,000 feet from the Pacific Ocean, and the southwest coast of the Olympic Peninsula. In 1805, Lewis and Clark estimated the population of Copalis Indians here at 200 in 10 houses. It is now home to about 350 people, but swells to 1,500 during the few days a year when people can legally dig for its famous razor clams.

The Green Lantern is a homey, medium-sized bar filled mostly with locals and long-time regulars, mixed with tourists during the summer months. I haven't much narrowed down how old the bar is -- I've seen a comment that it's been around since the 1930s (the building was constructed during prohibition) -- but one of the locals told me that this was not always the current name, and in fact the building was previously red. It's a nice bar serving diner comfort food, and the feeling that it seems to pop up in the middle of nowhere adds to the attraction.

Green Lantern Pub, Copalis Beach, WA

Green Lantern Pub, Copalis Beach, WA

3119 Washington 109, Copalis Beach, WA 98535 - (360) 289-2297
Est. ? - Building constructed: 1916
Web site: facebook
Reviews: fodors - tripadvisor - walkaboutwithwheels