#6064 - Corner Cafe, Pittsburgh, PA - 2/3/2025

Corner Cafe and Bar, Pittsburgh, PA

This is a cool neighborhood bar in the South Side Slopes section of Pittsburgh. It may or may not fit your description of a "dive," it is old school in many ways, but certainly not all, hosting live hardcore bands, comedy acts, and late night drag shows. But for me, the main attraction is the beautiful back bar.

I have nothing like a comprehensive history of the bar, but continue to slowly piece things together. The "Corner Cafe" appears to first show up in city directories in 1938. But the building and hotel have been around since at least the 1880s. A framed photograph in the bar itself claims to be from 1890 and notes that the location was then known as the Fischer Hotel. Sure enough, the 1907 Mowrey Directory for Pittsburgh contains a listing for John Fischer at S 18th and Monestary in the Hotels section -- although I can find no application for a liquor license for the location. (John Fischer does, however, apply for annual liquor licenses for a restaurant at 128 17th Street, which I believe is the location of the current Dish Osteria.) 

Corner Cafe and Bar, Pittsburgh, PA 

I do not know the origins of the bar itself, but it is impressive, with gold trim and appliques, a curve awning-style top section extending outward, and top shelves on either side featuring a small railing. I assume it is pre-prohibition, and if it came from one of the major manufacturers of the time, it seems a little more in the style of B.A. Stevens bars than Brunswick. If anyone can point me to any more history of the building, bar, or business, I'd love to hear it.

  

2500 S 18th St, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 - (412) 488-2995
Est. 1938 or earlier - Building constructed: 1887 or earlier
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: instagram 
Reviews: yelp

#5915 - Bay Horse Cafe, Cincinnati, OH - 9/12/2024

Bay Horse Cafe, Cincinnati, OH

While it has been closed and threatened many times over the years, the Bay Horse Cafe traces its history back to 1962 in its current location, back to 1879 under its current name (across multiple locations), and purportedly back to 1817 as a business. Cincinnati Magazine provides this overview:

Bay Horse stakeholders trace the bar’s roots back to 1817, a Water Street location that suffered frequent flooding. It moved a few times, landing on Fifth Street where, in 1878, it picked up its name after a horse broke free of its pen across the street and wandered into the cozy interior.... the drinkery moved to its current location at 625 Main Street in 1968 [sic] when the federal building forced relocation. By 2004, the business had fallen on hard times and, after a shooting occurred outside its front window, the city declined renewal of its liquor license. For a while, the building faced threat of demolition.

Then, in 2017, a local entrepreneur and real estate investor named Fred Berger bought the building and, alongside his partner, Lori Meeker, renovated the bar, returning it to its glory days. The reopened Bay Horse Cafe quickly became a beloved local fixture until the tragic death of Meeker [in May 2022] led to yet another closure. A “For Rent” sign eventually appeared in the front window.

A longtime local bartender, Kyle Smith had been looking for a place to call his own for more than a year when he heard the Bay Horse was for rent. He called the number, and Berger answered. The two instantly hit it off. "He said, ‘You can’t change anything,’” Smith recalls. “’The sign has to stay on the front. I don’t want you to change the name.’ I said, ‘Fred, you don’t have to worry about a thing.’”

(cincinnatimagazine)

The 1817 date is very far from certain, and we know from primary sources that the move to the current location was in 1962 rather than 1968, but in any case we know that the business is very old. I first discovered it when it was still closed due to the death of Meeker, so I was delighted to be able to go not too long after it re-opened in early April 2024. It was Meeker and her partner Berger who were most critical to its survival and current form, for it was they who rescued when it had been closed for 12 years and slated for demolition in 2016. Not only did they revive the business, but they rescued it from a troublesome clientele, and restored much of its former glory, exposing the old tin ceilings and tile floors, and restoring the great early mid-century neon sign.

"The Bay Horse became to be known as a neighborhood trouble spot. In 2005 it was closed after it was found that it was operating without a liquor license and also after a shooting occurred during the day right outside its door. After the its closing, Quikstaff operated an employment firm for a short time but it appears the building has been vacant for some time. It had been for sale but now the owner has applied for a demolition permit that has to be reviewed by the Historic Conservation Board."  (diggingcincinnati)

Much of the bar's history is documented on the walls of the bar itself, e.g. a Jan 15, 1936 article from the Cincinnati Post which notes:

"The Bay Horse was originally opened by William Brothers, who was proprietor until 1891. During the great panic of 1891 to 1896, the cafe was sold half a dozen times. Gus Schmleg worked for each of its owners. He acquired it, together with a partner, Ed Schott, who is now 76 and works for Mr. Schmleg, in 1896. The building housing the cafe was erected in 1829 by William Thoms. A sun dial bearing the name and date may be found on the building at the intersection of Main and Fifth streets."

Another article notes that customer Robert O'Hara, a clerk for Board of Elections in town, came in 1906 and had come in every working day since up to at least the publishing of the article in 1952.

Yet another notes that Bill Marck took over in 1938, and we know that he still ran it when it was forced to move again and merged into the Grand Cafe, then at its current location. It is likely that it was at this point that the bar finally allowed women customers, as we know that it had not previously, but the Grand Cafe had.

So cheers to owner Kyle Smith and the entire string of owners known and unknown who kept this wonderful old place alive. The Queen City today has a rich selection of bars again, from craft cocktail emporiums to great old dives, but I'll try and make my way to the Bay Horse at least once whenever I visit.

625 Main St, Cincinnati, OH 45202 - (513) 975-0335
Est. 1962 (current location), 1879 previous location - Building constructed: 1829 
Previous bars in this location: Grand Cafe 
Web site: facebook 
Articles Ranked: cincinnatimagazine - cincinnati.com - diggingcincinnati - savingplaces.org - ronnysalerno - diggingcincinnati 2 - thegnarlygnome - cincinnatibites - citybeat - citybeat 2 - 5chw4r7z - local12 - yelp - 

#5790 - Ulrich's 1868 Tavern, Buffalo, NY - 5/31/2024

Ulrich's 1868 Tavern, Buffalo, NY

Ulrich's is currently open only Wednesday through Friday afternoons, and I was unable to make it in previous trips to Buffalo, NY, but it was worth the wait. As the name implies, the bar is located in a space that has at least included a saloon since the fall of 1868, when young German immigrant Fredrick Schrerie opened a grocery-saloon in the same brick bar space that stands today. This includes the prohibition years, when Hasenpheffer Club speakeasy operated on the second floor, with Canada conveniently close, and with the aid of a mechanical lift that remains in the building to this day. (The speakeasy was raided at least once, on May 8, 1926.)

Ulrich's 1868 Tavern, Buffalo, NY

The buffalonet.org site provides some context for the days of the bar's founding:

'At the time, the neighborhood surrounding the saloon was fast becoming both a fashionable German enclave and the center of Buffalo's brewing industry.

Five major breweries were within a few blocks of Ulrichs; Buffalo Co-Op at High at Michigan, Empire at Main and Burton, German-America at Main and High, Christian Weyand at Main and Goddell, and the Ziegele Brewing at Main and Virginia. The first Lager Beer in Buffalo was brewed about 100 yards from Ulrichs by Albert Ziegele, at Main and Virginia streets in the early 1850's.

Buffalo was an exciting post Civil War boom town, fed by German immigrants that settled Buffalo's East Side. The book "A Pictorial History of Buffalo and Erie County; Second Look", describes the neighborhood and places like Ulrichs. "As bootmakers, tinsmiths, clockmakers, bakers, brewers and stonecutters, working class Germans lived a relatively prosperous and settled life. Not a few were grocers who also kept a back room grog shop. These emerged as the centers of neighborliness. This was the kind of patient business that, while not wildly profitable, yielded a lifetime of respectable income."

Imagine a tree lined, young bustling neighborhood, filled with a constant smell of the damp sweetness of malt and the bitter edge of hops, the endless horse drawn beer wagons and the constant chatter of German being spoken. You stand a better chance of someone understanding English in Munich, Germany today, than at the corner of Ellicott and Virginia streets in Buffalo in 1868. Ulrichs' brick bar room stood then, as it does today, along with 1/3 of the dining room.

It was a place where one could buy anything from soap to sausage, where local beer, be it Ziegele's Lager or Weyand's Munich dark, was served in house or taken home in a pail.'

In 1883, the grocery half of the business was dropped, and the apartments upstairs became hotel rooms. The name "Ulrich's" dates back to 1906, when beer wagon driver Michael Ulrich took over the place. In 1910 he purchased the saloon outright from the Ziegele Brewery and named it "Ulrich's Sample Room." During his ownership the saloon would become a common meeting place for "political bigwigs as well as the literati and celebrated persons of the time." Ulrich would go on to run the bar for 41 years, and while I am not certain of this, but it seems like it may (?) have consistently retained the "Ulrich's" name ever since. 

Since that time Ulrich's has had a series of owners, with more than one losing the business to bankruptcy and at least one having to overcome city plans for its demolition. Thankfully in early 2014 it was obtained by preservation-minded local criminal defense attorney Tom Eoannou, who leased the operation to local bar owner Salvatore Buscaglia. Sal and his team invested four months into renovating the bar, preserving vintage elements and adding historical photos. But the star of the show is the beautiful black cherry and stained glass bar that was acquired from the Iroquois Hotel in 1910.

The bar's web site and local historical sites have provided some really nice lists of owners and milestones, some of which I have replicated below for reference, with more available at the links below. The beer, liquor and food were upgraded as well, which makes this a nice stop for dinner, as well as a must visit for any bar and/or history buffs. 

Ulrich's Tavern Historical Milestones 

1868 - Fredrick Schrerier, a young German immigrant, opened a grocery-saloon

1883 - The grocery part of the operation would be dropped

Became a "tied house" owned by 2 different breweries until 1910 - Christian Weyand Brewery and the Ziegele Brewing Company

1880s-1919 - George Fromholtz ran a barber shop win what is now the beer storeroom

1896 - New York State Raines Law prohibited saloons from serving drinks on Sunday, but allowed hotels with 10+ rooms to do so. The upstairs portion of the building was converted into a hotel.

1906 - A 30-year-old man named Michael Ulrich took over the saloon

1910 - Michael Ulrich bought the saloon from the Ziegele Brewery, renaming it Michael Ulrich's Sample Room

1920-1933 - Prohibition. The downstairs became a delicatessen and restaurant. The barbershop and upstairs hotel were closed and the second floor became a private speakeasy

1946 - Michael Ulrich sells the bar to its first non-German owner, French born William Levea, who ran the bar for 3 years.

1949 - Nichlos Riesz purchased and ran the bar for 5 years.

1954 - Jim Daley and his wife Erika took over the business

1970 - The City took the building through eminent domain as part of an urban renewal program. The Daleys stayed open and paid the City rent while they fought it.

1982 - The Daleys won a 12 year court fight to keep the bar standing as an urban renewal program swept through, leveling much of the neighborhood

2000 - The Daley's son Jim Jr. took over the bar

August 2012 - The bar is briefly closed due to back taxes and Jim Daley Jr. files for bankruptcy

October 2013 - The bar is closed again after failing to keep up with payments under its bankruptcy plan

February 2014 - Tom Eoannou purchased the building and Salvatore G. Buscagli becomes sole proprietor of soon to be re-opened "Ulrich's 1868 Tavern"

June 2014 - Ulrich's re-opens

Source:  preservationready.org  

List of Ulrich's owners with historical source notes

ULRICH'S SALOON KEEPERS HONOR ROLE

1868-1870 FREDRICK SCHMUERER 1895-1896 JOHN THEUER

1871-1880 JACOB MILLER         1896-1905 GEORGE DOBMEIER

1881-1882 CHARLES MAYSER 1905-1946 MICHAEL ULRICH

1883-1889 GEORGE MARTZLUFFT 1946-1949 WILLIAM LEVEA

1890-1892 JOSEPH SCHUHMAN 1949-1954 NICHOLAS RIESZ

1892-1895 GEORGE FISHER 1954-PRESENT ERIKA & JIM DALEY

SPECIAL NOTE: ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN LISTED ABOVE RAN THE BUSINESS,

SOME ALSO OWNED THE BUILDING, OTHERS LEASED THE BUILDING.

A: ULRICHSS WAS FIRST LISTED AS A BUSINESS IN THE 1869 CITY 

DIRECTORY, UNDER THE HEADING OF GROCERY-SALOON. ON PAGE 528, COLUMN 2, 

LINE 9.

CITY DIRECTOIES OF THE TIME WERE PUBLISHED IN EARLY PART OF 

THE YEAR ISSUED, WITH THE INFORMATION BEING GATHERED IN THE LATER PART OF

PREVIOUS YEAR.

B: STREET NUMBERS ON ELLICOTT CHANGED IN 1900.

BEFORE 1900 ULRICH'S ADDRESS WAS 614 ELLICOTT ST.

IN 1900 AND AFTER ULRICH'S ADDRESS IS 674 ELLICOTT 5T3

C: ULRICH'S WAS LISTED AS A GROCERY-SALOON FROM 1868 TILL 1883.

"MANY GERMANS WERE GROCERS WHO AL50 KEPT A BACK ROOM GROG SHOP.

THESE EMERGED A THE CENTER OF NEIGHBORLINES. THIS WAS THE KIND OF 

PATIENT BUSINESS THAT WHILE NOT WILDLY PROFITABLE, YIELDED A LIFETIME 

OF RESPECTABLE INCOME" SECOND LOOK A PICTORAL HISTORY OF BUFFALO AND ERIE

COUNTY.

Source:  buffalonet.org 

674 Ellicott St, Buffalo, NY 14203
Est. 1906 (as Ulrich's), 1868 as bar/saloon - Building constructed: 1868
Previous bars in this location: Dobmeier Hotel
Web site: ulrichs1868tavern.com - facebook 
Articles Ranked: ulrich.buffalonet.org - preservationready.org - buffalorising- buffalorising - jesse cook (prohibition raid) - onlyinyourstate - forgottenbuffalo -  buffalospree - stepoutbuffalo - chowhound (Anthony Boudain favorites) - buffalodrinks - wyrk - unvegan - ediblereflections -  afar - 3rdarm 

#5731 - Alpha Cafe, Wapakoneta, OH - 4/19/2024

Alpha Cafe, Wapakoneta, OH

Wapakoneta, Ohio may be best known for being the hometown of Neil Armstrong, but what drew me here was the historic Alpha Cafe and its beautiful Brunswick back bar, one of the most detailed and striking I've ever seen. The white oak bar is said to have been hand carved (?) explicitly for the Alpha Cafe in the Cincinnati factory of Brunswick-Balke-Collender in 1892, and to have been part of the bar ever since it opened in 1893.

But it's not just the back bar; there is a matching front bar, a partition, a liquor cabinet stored elsewhere, and a mirrored wall section all produced together. The Alpha was originally across the street, and moved to its current location in 1962.  

When the bar was moved from across the street, many of the men from town helped in moving the large pieces of the back bar. On occasion a patron will stop in and begin telling personal narratives of how he was one of those volunteers. Bill and the mover will sit and brag how they moved the back bar on a Sunday, and with all the help of movers, plumbers, and electricians, "Never missed a day of business"   (alpha-cafe.biz)

The limoohio.com site describes ownership over the years:

The original owners of Alpha Cafe were Jake Wentz and Peck Heisler, who owned the bar for a few years before selling it to Joe Miller in 1912. [William] Gutmann started working there in 1938, and soon became a part owner. He became the sole owner in 1969, and ran the cafe for several decades before selling it to [Tony] Steinke [in 2004]. The current owner said it is also rumored that the infamous Dillinger Gang tried to buy the bar when it was in its old location.

In the same article, Steinke notes:

“It’s been in continuous operation for the last 124 years. It didn’t even shut down during Prohibition. During that time it became a ‘food establishment,’ and before that it was a men’s only place."

Just past the bar is a classic diner counter serving American comfort food. The neon sign out front is also vintage, dating back to circa 1935.

And finally, to locals a highlight of the year in Wapanoketa arrives each November-December, when the Alpha serves its special Tom and Jerrys. Steinke explained:

“The recipe is a secret, so before I bought the bar I had no idea what was in it. When I bought the bar, my grandpa held the recipe for a couple weeks to make sure the check cleared.”  (ibid)

Wapakoneta is a town of just under 10,000 people, 60 miles north of Dayton and 30 miles east of the Indiana border. The tributes to hometown hero Neil Armstrong are peppered throughout the downtown core, which features several great old buildings, with some interesting shops and restaurants. For anyone who is interested in history, space travel, antique bars, or just charming small towns, it's a very nice stop in central Ohio.

address - phone

Est. 1893, 1962 current location
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: alpha-cafe.biz - facebook 
Articles: limaohio - tripadvisor - yelp 

#5500 - Slippery Noodle Inn, Indianapolis, IN - 11/24/23

The Slippery Noodle Inn, Indianapolis, IN
Painted sign said to date back to 1850 origins

I've added the Slippery Noodle Inn to my most favorite bars list for its history and for its current incarnation as a great blues hub. While headliners play in the back room, I enjoyed regulars Reverend Robert and Washboard Shorty, and learning the history of the place from enthusiastic bartender Zach, whose father once worked the place. 

It is such a staple of Indy nightlife and the blues scene that it has a mammoth list of past celebrities who have performed and or visited, e.g. Greg Allman, Billy Joel, John Mellencamp, Albert Collins, Edgar Winter, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Harrison Ford, Dave Matthews, The Blues Brothers Band, John Entwistle, Joe Montana, Brett Favre, Neil Diamond, Robert DeNiro, Liza Minnelli, Harry Connick, Jr., and Spike Lee.

The Slippery Noodle Inn, Indianapolis, IN

The bar makes certain claims to being the oldest continually operating bar in the original building in the state of Indiana; and while this relies on us granting its history under several different names and beating out the Knickerbocker in Layfayette (est. 1935) in some way I don't quite understand, there's no questioning the great history of building and gin joints here. And with such antiquity it has been found, inevitably, to be haunted.

It was great to get all the pointers from Zach, but still the bar's website

Reverend Robert and Washboard Shorty
Slippery Noodle Inn, Indianapolis, IN

"The  Slippery Noodle Inn was originally founded in 1850 as the Tremont House. It is Indiana's oldest, continually operated bar in the original building. The Noodle is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Originally it was a roadhouse (predecessor to the Holiday Inn) and a bar. It has traditionally been owned by people of German descent and it was one of the first German clubs in Indianapolis. The Noodle has been through several name changes over the years. In the 1860's the name was changed to the Concordia House. This name came from the first German Lutheran immigrant ship to land in the new world (the Concord)....

In later years the name was changed to the Germania House. It remained the Germania House until the start of World War I at which time German associations were to be avoided so the owner, Louis Beck, changed the name to Beck's Saloon. Prior to Prohibition, Walter Moore purchased the saloon and named it Moore's Beer Tavern. During Prohibition it was renamed Moore's Restaurant (although beer was still made in the basement). After Prohibition ended in 1935, it was renamed Moore's Beer Tavern. In the late 1940’s Boris Petercheff purchased the saloon.... Boris ran the tavern until early 1963 when Emelia Finehout, the property owner, took over. She found out all too quickly that she did not enjoy running a tavern, and promptly put the business up for sale.

Harold and Lorean Yeagy (Hal’s parents) bought the bar in late 1963, taking final possession on December, Friday the 13th. The "Slippery Noodle Inn" was named by Hal's dad after a lengthy family debate (Hal was six years old). Names were thrown out for the family to vote on and at about 5 a.m. "Slippery Noodle Inn" sounded pretty darn good. The Noodle has remained in the Yeagy family since that time. Hal took over the bar in 1985 after his father's death and since that time it has grown from a one room lunch counter into the Midwest's premiere blues club. [Note: in March 2023 the bar was sold to Jason Amonett and Sean Lothridge.]   

The "Inn" has been used in all types of activities. In the Civil War years it was a way station for the Underground Railroad. Later years saw a bordello open in the once luxurious Inn. It remained open until 1953 when a patron was killed. Two customers of the bordello got into an argument over one of the women, one killing the other and leaving the bloody knife on the bar. During Prohibition the Brady & Dillinger gangs used the building in back, originally built as a horse stable for the Inn, for target practice. Several of the slugs remain embedded in the lower east wall. In addition to liquor and beer being distilled in the building, cattle and swine were slaughtered and butchered in the basement. The meat hooks and water lines can still be found in the basement.

The ceiling in the front barroom is made from pressed tin. It was installed circa 1890. The "tiger oak" bar and back bar are well over a 100 years old and believed to be original. The trough at the edge of the bar was used as the cash register in the olden days. The "honor" system worked or else the colt 45 did! The Noodle is the oldest commercial building left standing in Indianapolis and the Tremont House sign painted on the north side of the building dates back to the 1850's."

 

372 S Meridian St, Indianapolis, IN 46225 - (317) 631-6974
Est. Dec 7, 1963 (1850 as Tremont House) - Building constructed: year
Previous bars in this location: Tremont House, Concordia House, Germania House, Beck's Saloon, Moore's Beer Tavern
Web site: slipperynoodle.com - facebook 
Articles ranked: thrillist - cbs4indy - indystar - yelp - tripadvisor - phantomhistory - breadedtenderloin - wikipedia - indyencyclopedia - hmdb (historical marker)

#5498 - St. Elmo Steak House, Indianapolis, IN - 11/24/23

St. Elmo Steak House, Indianapolis, IN

St. Elmo Steak House was founded in 1902 in Braden's Block of Indianapolis, constructed in 1875. It is said to be the oldest steak house in the country. Founded under the St. Elmo name and run as a relatively modest tavern for most of its life, the business expanded into the neighboring building, upgraded the menu, and added a top class wine cellar in 1996. The vibe is very much classic steak house, which, of course, benefits from the historic setting.

The restaurant and lounge both contain antique back bars -- probably Brunswick, but not standard models. Both bars contain round columns around a single central section. The restaurant bar tops the columns with cherub-faced capitals (ala Brunswick models such as the "Los Angeles"). It has large, egg-shaped appliques on the corners. This Tiger-maple bar is said to have been imported from the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. Similar but not identical models reside in Glascott's in Chicago and the Smokehouse Saloon in Greybull, WY. The model in the restaurant's "1933 Lounge" is considerably more simple, featuring some oddly shaped (cracked?) pieces in the top facade, and an unusually simple trim framing the central mirrors.

The upscale steak house of today attracts business people and has been a favorite of people like Peyton Manning and NFL owners. (At certain times of year it is described as "an extension of the NFL combine.) It has been named an American Classic by the James Beard Foundation. The cocktail menu is not particularly exciting, but contains several classics. We also sampled St. Elmo's famous shrimp cocktail -- four large shrimp covered with their signature, burn-out-your-nosehair-spicy cocktail sauce. According to Wikipedia the restaurant orders four tons of horseradish a year.

127 S Illinois St, Indianapolis, IN 46225 - (317) 635-0636
Est. 1902 - Building constructed: 1875
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: stelmos.com - facebook - 1933lounge 
Articles ranked: wikipedia - nytimes - varrtravel - abcnews - damonrichard - candacelately - columbiadailyherald - tastingtable - roadfood - gayote - indianapolismonthly - yelp - tripadvisor - frommers - hungrytravelers - forbes - visitindy - thrillist 

#5277 - K and M Pub, Pittsburgh, PA - 7/14/23

K&M Pub, Pittsburgh, PA

The K&M Pub is a classic old neighborhood joint where the bartenders know every customer. Once inside I was very pleasantly surprised to find an original pressed tin ceiling and antique back bar. County tax records only fill in the story from 1963, when Gerald and Anita Garner bought the place, but it's plainly much older than that. The Garners appear to have sold it to the current owners in 1999, but the old "Garner's Tavern" ghost sign is still more prominent than the tiny "K&M" at the front door. 

Mike the bartender says it goes back "about a hundred years," and it appears to have been built in 1924, so he was pretty much on the money (though of course it could not have been a licensed bar until 1933 at the earliest). Still a lot of research to do on this area.

   

200 Mt Oliver St, Pittsburgh, PA 15210 - (412) 488-6241
Est. 1999? - Building constructed: 1924

Previous bars in this location: Garner's Tavern
Web site: facebook 
Reviews: yelp