#4271 - Tim's Bar and Grill, Kelso, WA - 6/26/2021

Tim's Bar & Grill, AKA Tim's Tavern, Kelso, WA

Tim's Bar and Grill in Kelso, previously known as Tim's Tavern and Tim's Timber Tavern, is half dive bar, half Kelso historical museum. The museum part is in the form of over 200 historical photographs of the Kelso area -- all or most from the Cowlitz County Historical Society -- which line the upper walls of the place, including pre-prohibition Kelso saloons like the Old Corner Saloon, Secors Saloon, and Swager Saloon.

The bar itself has been a substantial part of Kelso history. Tim Bonner appears to have purchased the Timber Tavern here in 1982 and run it for over three decades before he passed away in 2017. His daughter Teresa Bonner appears to have run it since. It was called Tim's Timber Tavern or just Tim's Tavern for most of that time. The Timber Tavern had previously been there since the 60s, and before that Howard's Tavern in the 40s and 50s, and perhaps earlier. The structure was built during prohibition (1923).

Tim's Bar & Grill, AKA Tim's Tavern, Kelso, WA

Beyond the large collection of framed photos, the bar is a fairly typical neighborhood dive, with pool tables, shuffleboard, a good selection of beers, and a menu of classic diner/bar food that emphasizes breakfast. It is located in an odd part of "Old Town" Kelso where Allen Street splits into a major road that bridges over the Cowlitz River and a smaller road of the same name that houses three blocks of small businesses before running into the river's edge.

213 Allen St, Kelso, WA 98626 - (360) 636-2627

Est. 1982 - Building constructed: 1923
Previous bars in this location: Howard's Tavern, Timber Tavern
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