#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 

#5703 - 4 Kahuna's Tiki Lounge, Fort Worth, TX - 4/5/2024

4 Kahunas Tiki Lounge is not in a location where you stumble upon it by accident -- unless perhaps you took a couple wrong turns coming home from a Cowboys game. So I was quite glad that my research had included it on the list of DFW area bars to check, and with few expectations, it exceeded my tiki hopes. From a non-descript warehouse and freeway sort of neighborhood, one steps into the 4 Kahunas to find just the right sort of lighting and vibes. And the tiki drinks were quite nice in both the drinking and the presentations -- in my case engagingly prepared and served by bartender Maggie, who was a whirlwind of drink making mixed with friendly chatting.

Re. the creation of the drink program, the Dallas Observer wrote:

"To help the four friends create a respectable tiki program (because, yes, it can be done wrong), they brought in Brad Bowden. Bowden started the weekly tiki program at Lounge Here and has made a name for himself in the Dallas tiki scene. (Yes, it's a thing.) He brings his laid-back elegance to the program and doesn't take any shortcuts when it comes to ingredients — think fresh-squeezed juices and housemade orgeat and syrups. The lounge even makes its coconut cream, and it's decadent."

This article and some others also state that the 4 Kahunas (J.P. Hunter, Scott Smith, Chris Powell and Randy Shepherd) originated the idea for the bar while visiting Frankie's Tiki Room in Las Vegas. However the bar's web site itself tells a very different story, and in light of the entire tiki movement's well earned reputation for never swerving from a rigorous adherence to the exact truth, I think we must rely on that version of the origin story:

"As the word spread that Lord C.C. Bigsby was missing, a brave band of four brothers set out to sail the seven seas to find him - and perhaps have an adventure or two along the way.  Not long into their journey, adventure found them (in the way of a tropical storm) that marooned the brothers on the very island where Lord Bigsby was last rumored to have been seen. The island's infamous witch doctor wasted no time in capturing the brothers, and she boasted they would soon share the same deadly fate as the island's king had bestowed upon Lord Bigsby!

The brothers put their heads together and thought fast. Surely the rum in their battered ship's cargo hold could help them! They began crafting drinks for the king with the rum and the island's many fresh fruits. So pleased was he with their tropical concoctions, he declared the four brothers Kahunas (wise men) and made the witch doctor grant them one wish! They wished to use the king's radio, called for a rescue and imbibed with the king, witch doctor, and other islanders while waiting for their lifeboat.

Now that they're home, the Four Kahunas hope you enjoy the drinks they've created in honor of their Polynesian adventure!"   (4kahunas.com)

   

506 E Division St #160, Arlington, TX 76011 - (682) 276-6097
Est. June 15, 2018 
Previous bars in this location:  None known 
Web site: 4kahunas.com - facebook - instagram 
Articles sorted: dallasobserver - fwweekly - tikirepublic - dallasnews - dmagazine - texasmonthly - eater - hoodline - downtownarlington.org - yelp - mytiki.life - mytiki.life (mug) - fwweekly - 

#5749 - Cloak and Dagger, Cleveland, OH - 5/1/2024

Cloak and Dagger, Cleveland, OH

Cloak and Dagger is a gothy, "librarian inspired" bar that feels like having drinks in the library of the Adams Family, and being rewarded with highly creative and nicely balanced cocktails. As part of the library them, the menu is presented as a small book, with a new edition each season. The skilled bartenders work together on the drink menu, and while I did not eat in this visit, the vegan dishes from the kitchen looked great.

With some consultation with bartenders Ben and Hailey, I chose a King of the Dead (bourbon, Amontiladdo sherry, Fernet, cherry bark vanilla bitters, aromatic bitters, cold brew) and then a La Joya (banana infused Jamaican rum, cachaca, Oloroso sherry, vanilla, tiki bitters, coconut water cube) off the spring menu -- both of which I found quite fine. And as Ben turned out to be a baseball fan, and supporter of the Akron Rubberducks, our discussion covered baseball as well as cocktails and recommendations for area bars (thanks for the tips!).

For the quality and inventiveness of the cocktails, as well as the darkly embracing decor, Cloak and Dagger is definitely high among my favorite bars in Cleveland.

2399 W 11th St, Cleveland, OH 44113 - (216) 795-5657
Est. Oct 13, 2020  
Previous bars in this location: Salsarito 
Web site: cloakanddaggercle.com - facebook - instagram 
Reviews: clevescene - ohiomagazine - cleveland.com - clevescene - clevelandmagazine - secretcleveland - yelp -  thisiscleveland 

#5750 - Speak of the Devil, Lorain, OH - 5/1/2024

Speak of the Devil, Lorain, OH

First, in full disclosure, I could hardly be more in love with this bar, these people, and this town. It didn't hurt that as I turned off Highway 6 along Lake Erie, just after crossing the Black River, and onto Lorain, Ohio's historic main drag Broadway, the weather was beautiful and the skies filled with clouds that appeared to be painted by Maxfield Parrish.

Were this part of town anywhere on the west coast, it would be packed with antique stores, gift shops, and coffee shops, and people would be contesting for available paid parking. But this old steel and shipping town hasn't reached anything much like that, although the potential is obvious from the beautiful old buildings, and the renaissance has clearly begun. Many people say the revitalization was sparked by my destination today -- the "Speak of the Devil" craft cocktail bar.

It was audacious indeed for Kurt and Page Hernon to found such a bar here, in what was commonly considered pretty much a ghost town. But Kurt had become deeply interested in the history and construction of fine cocktails -- apparently taking the typical career path of air traffic controller, to punk rock reporter, to owning an upscale bar in a town where no one would expect one. He'd created and hosted various cocktail related events over the last several years, before the couple sold their house, purchased a 1902 building just off the main drag, remodeled the upper portion into their living quarters, and the bottom into a just lovely bar.

You feel welcome the instant you enter the place -- I was first greeted by Kurt's son Hiatt, who explained that I was welcome to sit anywhere, including the back patio. As I spoke to Hiatt, bartenders Jack and Noah, and eventually Kurt and Page themselves, I quickly came to appreciate all their devotion to the craft of cocktailing, the history, and practicing their craft in a friendly, neighborhood setting.

Among the various spirits they discussed, they noted their emphases on Old Overholt, established in 1810 and commonly considered the longest running whiskey brand in America. American whiskey really started with Pennsylvania rye, and while Old Overholt languished with some relatively unexciting mash bills -- under the ownership of Jim Beam for the last few decades -- over the last several years new releases have revitalized the brand. And Speak of the Devil sells tons of it.

Kurt Hernon and Paulius Nasvytis

Yet another pleasant surprise for me was their stolid antique back bar -- different from any I have seen before, and obtained by Kurt after residing in an Akron, Ohio Knights of Columbus Hall. The bar and the town both have the sort of community that when Kurt posted a request for help unloading and setting it up in Feb 2017, more than a dozen people showed up and got the thing in place. It's hard for me to describe -- it looks like it could be mid-century, or art deco, or just the whims of a local wordworker. So you'll have to rely on the photos.

As luck would have it this evening, Paulius Nasvytis, the founder of seminal Cleveland cocktail lounge "The Velvet Tango Room," dropped by this evening as well. This was much appreciated by Kurt and crew, who were largely inspired by the bar.

Noah, Page, Hiatt, and Jack
Great people!

Lorain, Ohio is 150 miles from us, so unfortunately we can't make this bar a regular hangout. But it is most definitely going onto my favorites list, and I can't wait to come back, especially with Trista and other friends and relatives.

201 W 5th St, Lorain, OH 44052 - (440) 434-4286
Est. Dec 16, 2017 - Building constructed: 1902
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: speakofthedevillorain.com - facebook - instagram
Articles ranked: imbibemagazine - ohlq - voyageohio - chroniclet - pulselorain - cleveland.com - voyageohio - clevelandmagazine - new day cleveland - clevelandmagazine - wkyc - wkyc - yelp - tripadvisor 

#4213 - The Bat Bar, Ridgedale, MO - 5/16/2021

This bar is one of my favorites not for the drinks, nor the bar itself, but for it's enchanting setting. The Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trail were carved out of the rocky hills of the Missouri Ozarks by Johnnie Morris, the billionaire founder of Bass Pro Shops, which also acquired Cabela's in 2017. This site hosts a golf course which wraps around a large sink hole, a resort and restaurants. To get to the Bat Cave, you sign up for the self-guided tour, either walking or via golf carts. There are plenty of places to stop and look at rock formations and water falls at your own leisure. You pull up to the bar window in your cart, order your drinks, and continue on through the caves, around natural waterfalls, a bat colony, and skeletons of ancient creatures like a saber-toothed tiger and short-faced bear. It's a fun, beautiful, and utterly unique bar visit and tour.

The Bat Bar, Lost Canyon Cave, Ridgedale, MO

150 Top of the Rock Rd, Ridgedale, MO 65739 - (417) 339-5306

Previous bars in this location: None known 
Web site: - instagram 
Articles ranked: atlasobscura - visitmo - 417mag - yelp - tripadvisor - roadtrippers - explorebranson 

#5730 - Crazy Fox Saloon, Bucyrus, OH - 4/19/2024

Crazy Fox Saloon, Bucyrus, OH

Through some great serendipity I happened upon the Crazy Fox Saloon in Bucyrus, Ohio while stopping in town for a coffee. This is located in a hotel constructed in 1916 and now used as apartments. More importantly to me, there was not only a nice bar on the main floor, but a genuine speakeasy on the floor below, frequented by no less than Al Capone, on his railway trips from New York to Chicago.

Building manager Tina and bar manager Annette generously showed me the speakeasy and other antique features, including glass bricks in a portion of the ceiling which could be used to keep an eye on who's coming in the front door, and the oldest operating elevator in Ohio (107 years old as I write this). They also showed me the previous entrances to old tunnels, which once could be used as an alternative/emergency exit, but which were bricked in off several years ago now.

Original brick from 1920s speakeasy
below the Crazy Fox Saloon, Bucyrus, OH

The speakeasy area, which started use in 1920 and is currently reserved for tours and special events, features the original brick, with a corner space that is said to be the one preferred by Capone (who may have also been persuaded to spend some time in the area by the adjacent brothels along the railway here).

I do not know the age of the bar on the main floor, but it features a back bar that appears to be from the art deco or mid century era, three pool tables, and four taps split between old school corporate brews and craft pours.

Inside 107-year-old elevator,
said to be the oldest in Ohio

The Crazy Fox is located in the small historic core of Bucyrus ("byoo-sigh-russ"), where bright murals vie for attention with every cornice and corbel of the many fine old buildings. It's the sort of town where shops feature photographs of the Bratwurst Festival queens, and the coffee shop shares space with an Amish furniture store. The bar and rest of the building are currently owned by Brian Rockwell, who is also executive director of the Crawford County Solid Waste District. Rockwell bought the property from Larry Williams in 2017. It was Williams who named the bar the Crazy Fox, after taking control of the building April 1, 1981, and what was previously called "The Plaza" bar. In addition to liquor and a large selection of canned beers, the bar serves breakfast and contemporary tavern fair (e.g. wings, burgers, sandwiches).

It's a nice top for anyone, but an especially happy discovery for someone interested in historical bars.

Glass ceiling/floor allowed speakeasy
staff to keep an eye on who was
approaching the front door.

114 W Mansfield St, Bucyrus, OH 44820 - (419) 562-1256
Est. April 1, 1981 - Building constructed: 1916
Previous bars in this location: The Plaza 
Web site: crazyfoxsaloon.com - facebook - instagram 
Reviews: richlandsource - crawfordcountynow - crawfordcountynow  

#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