Rotgut.org Blog

Sunday, February 23, 2014

#2145 - SkyRiver Pub and Eatery, Sultan, WA - 4/21/2013

Sky River Pub & Eatery, Sultan, WA

Up in Sultan, just three miles down the highway from Bubba's Road House, is the SkyRiver Pub and Eatery. If a "pub and eatery" conjures images of expensive, finished wood, rows of microbrew taps, and platters of hot wings, the SkyRiver is going to be a bit of a surprise -- this pub is a ramshackle dive just up from the Wallace and Skykomish river. The building is very old -- in tax records it is listed as having been constructed in 1900, which usually means an unknown number of years before 1900. Patron Wayne told me it was once a lodging house for railroad workers, and has been a bar since at least the 70s -- possibly hosting hippies attending the big Sky River rock festivals. In any case, it's just the sort of place I'm hoping for when I drive through an area like this.

I was told that one of the guys in this painting
still comes into the place; he's about 60 now.
Sky River Pub & Eatery, Sultan< WA

36810 State Route 2, Sultan, WA 98294 - (360) 793-4471
Est. ? - Building constructed: 1900 or earlier
Reviews: yelp

Saturday, February 22, 2014

#2144 - The Windmill, Wenatchee, WA - 4/21/2013

The Windmill has a reputation for serving (and counting) good steaks, with the current count over 1 million served. It is not clear when the place, constructed during prohibition, first became a legal bar, but it appears to have been shortly after prohibition. From the website:

"In its early years, The Windmill was a typical “road house” of its time as it was on the northwest fringe of Wenatchee. It was said to have been frequented by counterfeiters and legend has it that the upstairs room was a meeting place for bootleggers. The Windmill had gained a “late night” reputation. Following the repeal of prohibition, The Windmill was granted an unusual state liquor license allowing the sale of unopened containers “to go”. This was evidently due to the operators practice of putting a bottle of beer in sack lunches made for State Highway Department Road Crews. The Highway Department remains our neighbor today just to the north of our building."

It was in the 1950s that the place was converted to a more upscale and family-friendly restaurant with an emphasis on steaks, and in 1962 they began counting them as they were served. The bar is nothing fancy but has some pleasant wine selections and cocktail staples. Seafood dishes and pastas offer alternatives to the steaks, in the cozy, knotty pine interior, which feels like a cafe along a mountain highway.

1501 N Wenatchee Ave, Wenatchee, WA 98801 - (509) 665-9529
Est. 1934? - Restaurant earlier, Building constructed: 1931
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: thewindmillrestaurant.com - facebook
Articles/Reviews: wenatcheeworld - wbjtoday - yelp - urbanspoon - chuckslowe

#2143 - Joe's Log Cabin, Wenatchee, WA - 4/21/2013

Joe's Log Cabin, Wenatchee, WA

Joe's is basically one of those large, suburban style bars with pull tabs, pool tables, tv sports, jello shots, flavored vodkas, and pretty standard pub food (steaks, burgers, salads). It does have a bit more personality than the typical strip mall suburb version of these bars, with some nice woody interior and decor that goes beyond the standard beer company paraphernalia.

633 N Wenatchee Ave, Wenatchee, WA 98801 - (509) 662-5329
Web site: facebook
Reviews: yelp

#2142 - Wally's Tavern, Wenatchee, WA - 4/21/2013

Wally's Tavern, Wenatchee, WA

AKA "Wally's House of Booze," Wally's Tavern is a classic small town dive during the day, but it appears that it can get quite hopping with some interesting bands on weekend nights.

Wenatchee, WA is a town of great signs, and the Wally's sign is one that demands you check the place out.

I would love to know how old Wally's is and how long there's been a bar in this space. The very limited city guide information I have at does not list a Wally's in the 1936 or 1940 directories (or 1907), but these do list several bars of other names on Wenatchee Ave without specific addresses.