#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)