#1455 #S880 - 418 Public House, Seattle - 5/25/2011

Update: The 418 Public House closed Oct 19, 2019

This is an unassuming new place in the former location of Reading Gaol, just up the road from the Tin Hat, and from the owner of The Summit Public House on Capitol  Hill.  It now serves a good selection of 12 beers on tap, some refreshing cocktail choices, and Mexican food (I enjoy their generous servings of pico de gallo).  At least for now the decor is very sparse -- it is very clean, brown, and plain (we "gave it a haircut" co-owner Sam told me), with a small number of English, Irish, and American decorations.  They seem like very nice people running the place and I'll be interested to see what sort of customer base evolves.

Historical notes:  This location has hosted several bars since at least the 40s.  The building was constructed in 1925 and by 1945 it was Johnny's 65th St. Tavern.  By the late 40s it was Ben's Tavern, then Dan's Tavern and Dan's Fifty Sixth St Tavern from the mid 50s to the mid 60s, The Playhouse Tavern in the late 60s, Uncle Paul's Tavern in the 70s, briefly Fantasy Tavern, then Hagar's Tavern by 1980 and through the mid 90s.  From 1997 to 2011 it was the Reading Gaol.


418 NW 65th St, Seattle, Washington 98117 - (206) 783-0418
Est. May 2011 -  Closed Oct 19, 2019 - Building constructed: 1925
Previous bars at this location: Johnny's 65th St Tavern, Ben's Tavern, Dan's Tavern, Playhouse Tavern, Fantasy Tavern, Uncle Paul's Tavern, Hagar's Tavern, Reading Gaol
418publichouse.com - facebook - thestranger - seattleweekly - seattleweekly - yelp

#1454 #S879 - The Yard, Seattle - 5/23/2011

A new place in an odd little space along Greenwood, near 85th, from the owners of The Dray. "Yard" is "Dray" backwards, and the location has a patio space out front that is surprising in this commercial stretch. The Yard serves a pretty decent beer selection, okay cocktails, and better than average Mexican food.   They also have 100 lockers for members of the Founders Club:

'For $250, members get a personal 20-ounce beer mug that they can lock inside, a T-shirt, and invitations to special events and the occasional “special surprise” inside their locker (the café’s owners will have a master key to all lockers). Co-owner Travis Eaton says the mug is a dimpled old-style pub mug with The Yard Cafe emblem.'  (phinneywood)

"... these lockers come with a 20-ounce mug which can be filled with beer at the same price that normal patrons pay for a 16-ounce pour. Doing the math, one would have to drink about 892 beers to make that a good deal.  The lockers are sold out."  (seattle weekly)


8313 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, Washington - 206.588.1746
Est. 5/19/2011
theyardcafe.com - alixcompton - phinneywood - seattle weekly - yelp

#1453 - The Frontier Tavern, Ellensburg, WA - 5/22/2011

"Watering Holes of the Northwest" claims that a saloon was established in this location in 1873, which would make it possibly the oldest bar location, currently hosting a bar, that I have found in Washington state (depending upon when the Oak Harbor Tavern was moved to its current location). However, that building burned in 1889 fire, and the current building was constructed a few years later.

I found bars at this address listed under W. E. Neuman in 1911, and Kingery & Lee in 1913. By 1937 it was known as the "High Line Pool Hall," and by 1949 as simply "The Hi-Line."

111 West 4th Ave, Ellensburg, WA 98926-3127 - (509) 925-9229

yelp - urbanspoon - insiderpages

#1452 - The Tav, Ellensburg, WA - 5/22/2011

This location hosted "The Tavern" since at least 1937, shortening the name to "The Tav" in 1967.  I have not found the age of the building but was informed it was much older, hosting a restaurant before the tavern.  It is located near the Central Washington U campus, and is a popular place with students and locals, known for its burgers, including the Super Mother Burger which has its own fan club (you can get a fan club membership card when you order one).   It is also known for the many names of patrons that have been engraved into the brick walls over the years. 

117 West 4th Ave, Ellensburg, WA 98926-3127 - (509) 925-3939
Est. 1965
facebook - dailyrecord - collegehotsheet - Jack Leinbach obit - yelp - urbanspoon

#1451 - Madrid's Place, Pasco, WA - 5/22/2011

Madrid's is a curious fusion of cultures.  Everything about the people and recent activities -- the customers, the owner, the music blaring from the jukebox -- is Mexican.  But the signage and longer term decor are all Irish.  Indeed, the main sign out front has a hand-painted leprachaun, and a sign reading "AKA Shamrock II" added to the top.  (This portion is newer than the Madrid's piece, judging from a an older photo I found.)

Behind the bar on piece of cardboard is a list of people who have been 86'd, with some names curiously covered in masking tape.  The owner explained that those are the names of people who have passed away, something he started after a patron started crying at the bar when she looked up and saw the name of her departed father's name on the list.

1901 4th, Pasco, WA

#1450 - Hazy's, Connell, WA - 5/22/2011

A pleasant small town dive bar with a nifty old sign out front and a collection of signs and knickknacks that shows the many years it has taken to assemble.

245 N Columbia, Connell, WA 99326 - (509) 234-4700

#1449 - Crows Nest, Kennewick, WA - 5/21/2011

A fairly nice hotel restaurant with a view of the Columbia river from the top of the Clover Island Inn, and a good seafood buffet on Fridays

435 Clover Island Dr, Kennewick, WA 99336 - (509) 586-0541
hotelkennewick - video - yelp