#1448 - Cedars, Kennewick, WA - 5/21/2011

A nice, somewhat upscale restaurant on the banks of the Columbia river.

355 Clover Island Dr, Kennewick, WA 99336 - (509) 582-2143
Est. 1976
cedarsrest.com - facebook - yelp - urbanspoon - tripadvisor

#1447 - White Buddha Lounge, Kennewick, WA - 5/21/2011

A swanky new alternative for the Tri-Cities area.

1360 N. Louisiana St, Kennewick, WA 99336-7171 - (509) 619-0600
Est. Feb 14, 2010
myspace (bad music warning) - yelp - urbanspoon  

#1446 - The Bluebird Inn, Bickleton, WA - 5/21/2011

Update: The Bluebird Inn appears to be not quite the oldest bar in the state.  See Oak Harbor Tavern.

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The Bluebird Inn is in downtown Bickleton, Washington -- population 90 -- and it is the oldest bar in Washington state, constructed and starting business as a saloon in 1882, seven years before Washington became a state.  (The Brick, in Roslyn, is the oldest bar running under the same name.)   Previous names have included The Pool Hall, The Club, The Bickleton Tavern, and The Bluebird Tavern.  Bickleton is known as "the bluebird capitol of the world" for its population of Mountain Bluebirds and Western Bluebirds, and the roads and hills are now peppered with thousands of birdhouses put up by the locals.  (Note that the clock in the photo runs backwards.)

The Bickleton bar itself is decorated with local brands, after the previous owners held a branding party.    Just in front of it and still in use is an 1884 Brunswick pool table that has been in the tavern since 1902, and is coveted by Brunswick for their museum.  Behind the bar is a list of seven people who have been 86'd.  (If these are all locals, they comprise close to 10% of the population of town.)  There was also a list of "Honorary" 86'd -- it was never completely clear what these people did.  The Bluebird is currently owned by mother and daughter Nelda and Candice Flores and Lisa Still.  (No women were allowed into the tavern until the 1960s.)

The food is pretty standard diner fare and drinks are pretty standard as well.  But one doesn't drive all the way to Bickleton for unique drinks, but rather for the history: From bickleton.org:  "This is the only building left in town that has not been burned by the major fires that have ravaged the town since it’s beginning. The oiled wooden floor is original and in good shape considering the many feet that have walked on it. Some of the footprints are now being made by forth generation customers."

"Two hay rake wagon wheels hang from the ceiling with fruit jar light fixtures. A picture of Bickleton’s founder, Charles N. Bickle and his wife Fanny E. (Bacon) Bickle, share a wall with board paintings and deer antlers put up by local hunters. Two card tables used for pinochle and poker have a half circle cut into them for a previous owner so he could reach the cards. His belly was quite large."

121 E Market St, Bickleton, WA 99322 - (509) 896-2273
Est. 1882 - Building constructed: 1882
facebook - bickleton.org - theviewfromrighthere - yelp

#1445 - The Palm, Benton City, WA - 5/21/2011

603 9th St, Benton City, WA 99320 - (509) 588-3139
Est. 1990s
myspace - yelp   

#1444 - Horse Heaven Hills Brewery, Prosser, WA - 5/20/2011

1118 Meade Ave, Prosser, Wa 99350 - (509) 781-6400

horseheavenhillsbrewery - beerblotter - dorandbob -  yelp - dogberrypatch  - prosserchamber - 

#1443 - Whitstran Brewing Co., Prosser, WA - 5/20/2011

1427 Wine Country Rd, Prosser, WA 99350 - (509) 786-4922
whitstranbrewing.com - yelp - urbanspoon

#1442 - The Pastime, Roslyn, WA - 5/20/2011

The Pastime, Roslyn, WA

Update: The Pastime appears to be transitioning to the "Roslyn Roadhouse," as of early 2016

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I am looking to confirm this, but if the claims made on the Pastime's MySpace site (and in Michael Caldwell's "Watering Holes of the Northwest) are correct, this may be one of the two oldest bars in the state of Washington. From the site:
"The Pastime was originally named The Palace, back in 1885. It would have been the oldest operating bar in the state of Washington, but for two years during prohibition, it became Owens Meat Market. At that time, it was the first refrigerated meat house in the state. During the 1920's it also endured some major remolding [sic] and in 1974 became known as Jean's Pastime. In 1990 it changed owners again to Lonnie and Jody, our current owners. It is the oldest commercial building in Roslyn and is said to be haunted. There has been two suicide deaths, by gunshot. One in the 1920's and the other in the 1980's. Our closing bartenders have reported strange noises and their have been the sound of people playing pool after the doors have been locked."

Roslyn Pastime sign as of February 2016

But some elements of this story (not just the ghost stories) seem dubious.  E.g. I don't understand how this would have been the oldest operating bar except for two years as meat market during prohibition, since A) there were, of course, no licensed bars at all during prohibition; and B) prohibition in Washington state lasted a minimum of 17 1/2 years. In addition, there is no "Pastime" listed among bars in the 1937 nor 1949 Polk Guides (I cannot determine if there was any bar listed at the location due to changes in street numbering). Finally, I received this information from the president of the Roslyn Historical Museum: "The date is wrong Roslyn didn't exisit until 1886 when coal was discovered. We have an old ledger book from The Palace.  It is dated 1888 the owner was a person with the last name of Bryant." (Nick Henderson, personal correspondence, June 11, 2012)  I hope to find more about the bar's history, and perhaps even some primary sources.

The Pastime, Roslyn, WA - Sep 2012

204 West Pennsylvania Avenue, Roslyn, WA 98941 - (509) 649-3125
Previous bars at this location: Howard's Place (40s), Clem's Tavern (70s)
yelp - yahoo - urbanspoon