#1795 - Three Fingered Jack's Saloon, Winthrop, WA - 5/26/2012

Three-Fingered Jack's Saloon, Winthrop, WA - est. 1972

On its web site and on a large sign hanging inside, Three Fingered Jack's bills itself as "The oldest legal saloon in Washington state." This has led various visitors and articles to assume that it is one of the oldest bars in the state. But in fact this designation refers back only to Aug 16, 1979, when the Washington State Liquor Control Board made it legal to use the word "saloon" in a bar's signs and ads for the first time since statewide prohibition. (The bar received a citation for using the word in their sign when they opened in 1972.) A life dating back to the early 1970s is a considerable accomplishment for a bar, but of course it does not put it among the oldest bars in the state.

(BTW, the current Winthrop Town Hall stands in a building constructed in 1891 to host Guy Waring's long running Duck Brand Saloon.)

 Like the rest of the the town of Winthrop, Jack's is designed in an old west theme. In 1972 the town decided to remake itself in a thematic way, to attract tourists off the new Highway 20. It's now a touristy but charming place, in the northeast corner of the scenic Cascade Loop, where Mule Deer wander onto the roads. Jack's is a fairly large place with a sort of lodge feel and a lively crowd in the bar. They have a decent selection of beers, basic cocktails and fairly good bar food (burgers, steaks, pizzas, etc.).

176 Riverside Ave, Winthrop, WA 98862 - 509-996-2411
Est. 1972
Previous bars in this location: Winthrop Pool Hall
Web site: 3fingeredjacks.com
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor - urbanspoon - travbuddy

#1794 - The Igloo, Wenatchee, WA - 5/26/2012

This is a place we stopped in strictly because of the name and sign (first spotted with Google street view). There were some friendly regulars there, including Maureen who first started coming in 1963. It's also nice when the bartenders actually know how old the place is, and bartender Frannie knew it to the exact day (St. Patrick's day, March 17, 1944).

Outside of the sign -- and an igloo-shaped cap inside -- it's a fairly typical neighborhood dive, with a predominantly older crowd who all know each other (to the point where Trista caused a bit of a stir when she first walked in). But the friendly welcome makes it a nice stop for strangers too.

1308 North Miller Street, Wenatchee, WA 98801 - (509) 663-4791
Est. March 17, 1944
yelp - raross - citysearch

#1793 - Club Crow, Cashmere, WA - 5/26/2012

Some folks have referred to Club Crow as the "oldest still operating bar in the State of Washington." Lots of bars make this sort of claim in one fashion or another, and it's hard to square the Crow's claim with a number of other bars that have been (legally) operating since shortly after prohibition ended (Dec 5, 1933), let alone the handful of bars that were in operation before prohibition. But it is quite old -- established as a pool hall, tobacco shop, and barbershop in 1918, and as a tavern in 1934. The original owner of the tavern, Stillman Miller, operated the club until 1978. The current owners have had the Crow since 2004.

Club Crow today is a nice combination of old and new.  The back wall mural of a camper with a hungry bear coming up from behind must date back to at least 50 years ago. And there are also some surprisingly well executed crows painted on the mens room stall doors. The sort of oddball collections that can only happen over long amounts of time -- stalactites and taxidermy trout, smokey old landscape paintings and a stuff bear with an American flag -- pop out of the ceiling and walls. It has been described as once a magnet for local farmers and orchard workers" but has refashioned itself into "the home of the blues for north central Washington."

 

108 1/2 Cottage Ave Cashmere, WA 98815 (509) 782-3001
Est. 1918 - Bar established 1934
Web site: clubcrow.net - facebook 
Reviews: yelp - urbanspoon

#1792 - A Terrible Beauty, Renton, WA - 5/24/2012

A Terrible Beauty is the first of two Irish pubs of that name, this one in a large (7,000 sq ft), two-story space in Renton that has hosted several other bars. When the previous resident, Finnegan's announced that they were closing down, Irish-born head bartender Jenna O'Brien and her husband Pat bought the place. They've turned it into a more earnest Irish pub than most, with better food and 28 taps of imported and local beers. The de rigueur Guiness ads are there, as always, but the place has a lot more personality than many cookie cutter Irish themed bars. The bar was made with with pieces of the bar at Belfast's Crown Pub, and the painted exterior includes the Yeats poem from which the bar gets its name.

It seems to be a quite popular place, and it is easy to understand why, with it's easy mix of character and comfort. The cocktails are just the basics, but that fits the theme. And you can only root for it more when you read the story of Jenna's acquisition of the space, while facing multiple sclerosis and concerned for the workers losing their jobs in the current economy.

201 Williams Avenue South Renton, WA 98057 - (425) 227-3396
Est. July 7, 2009
Previous bars in this location: Finnegan's
Web site: aterriblebeauty.com - facebook
Reviews: rentonreporter - rentonhipster - yelp - urbanspoon - tripadvisor

#1791 - Rubattino's, Renton, WA - 5/24/2012

Rubattino's was recommended to me by a fellow dive bar fan I met at another bar, who told me, "I like bars that have Christmas lights up in June." He recommended I go at noon, when odds are maximized for seeing "old people fighting." I didn't find that, but I did chat with regulars Valerie and Todd, who has been coming since 1979. Valerie noted wistfully that she didn't drink before she moved to Renton, "And then ... "

Rubattino's was the Owl Annex Beer Parlor, said to be established 1917. However, King County tax records indicate that the Rubattino's building was constructed in 1927, so it would not appear possible that there was a bar in this particular building until after prohibition. Later it was the Owl Cafe, and then the bar and card room portion called the "Owl Room," and there are vestiges of this in the around the bar and back entrance. It was very fine back in the day, Valerie explained, based on stories from her parents. The long bar portion runs astride the restaurant portion, which closes at 2pm. The restaurant serves classic American diner fare, and the "Fine Food" on the sign tends to come off as ironic.

But there's no question that it is a classic dive, with cheap drinks strongly poured, and an interesting cast of regulars.

808 South 3rd Street Renton, WA 98057 - (425) 255-3143         
Est. ? (1917 as The Owl?) - Building constructed 1927
Previous bars in this location: The Owl
Reviews: rentonhipster - patch - yelp

#1790 #S1030 - EVO, Seattle - 5/22/2012

Well, EVO closed Aug 13, 2012, before I could even get around to writing this blog entry.  Evidently being attached to Social and 300+ Facebook likes in three months is not enough to keep you afloat.  The space has now been turned over to the owners of The Social (area bar magnates Laura Olson and Chris Pardo).

EVO did serve Mediterranean tapas, with small plates based on dishes of Greece, France, Portugal, Italy, Morocco and Spain, and I liked all the items I tried. They also served fairly decent cocktails, which is a rarity, for whatever reason, among gay bars. It is a fairly attractive space, with modern decor playing off the old warehouse feel. Old photos of Seattle neighborhoods are projected in a continuous loop onto a high, exposed brick wall.

1715 East Olive Way, Seattle, Washington 98102 - 206-328-5293
Est. May 2012 - Closed Aug 13, 2012 - Building constructed: 1928
Previous bars in this location:
Web site: evo-seattle.com - facebook 
Reviews: seattleweekly - eater - capitolhillseattle - capitolhillseattle - yelp

#1789 #S1029 - Ravioli Station / Trainwreck, Seattle - 5/21/2012

Update:  Ravioli Station Trainwreck closed in early November 2012.

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Bill Medin established this funky little bar and restaurant with his sisters Leann and Lennie, after he had worked as chef at the Sheraton Palace in San Francisco, and then at the Edgewater and Place Pigalle. They put in bar stools made from the pistons of fireboats that once floated in New York Harbor, and created a bar ledge that is a metal tube heated with hot water flowing through. They located it in a small, wedge-shaped building which has special significance to craft beer lovers, as it was the original location of the Red Hook brewery (est. 1981). Near the door is a statue with its head broken off, which various sources informed me happened during a particularly wild Thursday karaoke night, or was possibly done by Herman, the local, homeless crackhead.

On this visit I chatted with bartender Genevieve and long-time customer Linda. I was told that a few years ago Bill inherited some money, decided to move to Thailand, and sold the place to his bartender Hefe. Hefe has also worked at the Dexter and Hayes Public House and Jules Maes.  She has made a few changes, adding theme nights, adding a mural to the outer wall, and adding "Trainwreck" to the name -- or maybe just changing it to "The Trainwreck," it doesn't seem quite consistent. She's maintained the basic ravioli menu, but changed the focus much more toward the bar, though the liquor options are pretty basic. It's a sleepy little neighborhood place during the day, but it can get decidedly more boisterous on certain nights.

4620 Leary Way Northwest Seattle, WA 98107 - (206) 789-6680
Est. Sep. 2000 - Building constructed: 1947
Previous bars in this location: None known (Red Hook Brewery)
Web site: facebook 
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