#5162 - Palko's Tavern, Buffalo Township, PA - 5/17/23

Palko's Tavern, Sarver, PA

Palko's Tavern was constructed in either 1935 or 1936, depending on your source, and said to have been created by founder Martin Palko from wood and slate remains of the former Washington Hotel in Natrona. The Palkos hand mixed the concrete foundation of carved most of the bar and shelves from a walnut tree. The bar would soon be taken over by Martin and Helen's son Frank Palko, who ran it for 60 years before his passing in 2007 (his wife Helen had passed in 1981). But it was always a family affair, with all seven of Frank's children working the bar, as well as other relatives and in-laws. On the day I visited, the bar was being worked by granddaughter/owner Helen Palko and bartender Audrey, who has worked there since the 1970s.

Although it is electrified now, and the ice no longer comes wrapped in burlap from the beer trucks, the small tavern retains much of the feel of the 1930s version, and I include it in among my favorites. One of the more eye-catching features is the paintings on the wall, which also date back to the 30s. According to a 1982 article by Mark Celender for the Valley News Dispatch, now framed on the wall of the bar, '"The Palkos let the man live at the bar while he worked, providing him with food and libation in exchange for his craft. "He was something," Palko recalled of the painter. "That guy would stand there painting all day like he was at attention. He would put down a fifth of booze a day but you couldn't tell it. He was good."'

Palko's Tavern - Owner Helen Palko (right)
with long-time bartender Audrey

In addition to euchre on Thursday nights and the annual catfish fishing contest, music has long been a large part of the bar. There are live performances and jam sessions, including a house guitar that can be used by visitors, once often used by Frank Palko himself.

The following additional anecdotes are taken from the same Mark Celender article cited above.

'During the 1950s, the back room of Palko's tavern along Ekastown Road provided a stark contrast to the usual blend of shot-and-beer toting clientele. On any given Sunday, about 40 local children who lived too far from the Catholic schools in Tarentum and Freeport, would gather at Palko' for catechism classes. "We had nuns coming in to teach the classes. The kids needed the schooling to make their holy communion," said Frank Palko ...'

'Frank Palko is a farmer by trade. But he is never far from that trade while taking a shift or two behind the bar. The tavern is smack up against 200 acres of farmland. The back door opens to a herd of 80 dairy and beef cattle who roam about the premises.'

'For years the tavern's only outdoor lighting was provided by a 60-watt bulb on the front porch. It was replaced with a dust-to-dawn streetlight a few years ago. "We really went modern when we got that light," says Palko.'

'The juke box, stocked with selections ranging from Alabama and Conway Twitty to Bruce Springsteen and Culture Club, is turned off this afternoon. Instead, Palko pulls out a worn six-string guitar with one string missing and asks if anyone can play. Somebody does. As the chords are strummed, patrons start coaxing Palko and his nephew, Frank Ruman of Sarver, to start up one of their popular sing-a-long sessions. The two are reluctant at first. But after the Yukon Jack and Stroh's get passed around, they slowly shed that sheepish demeanor and the singing begins. "Tiny bubbles, in the wine..."'

297 Ekastown Rd, Sarver, PA 16055 - (724) 353-2165
Est. year - Building constructed: year
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