#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 
thestranger - seattletimes - thestranger - urbanspoon

#1788 - Opal, Tacoma, WA - 5/20/2012

The Opal Lounge, Tacoma, WA - 2020

Update June 2020: It's been a while since I've spent some time on South Tacoma Way, and many of the spaces along this stretch have been given substantial upgrades and/or host some cool new businesses. This includes the Opal Lounge, which was purchased about three years ago by Eric and Suvantha Dickerson, owners of Southbay Dickerson's Barbecue in Olympia, who stripped it down to its bones and refurbished it, while maintaining the name, the neon sign, the unique facade, and preserving the history. Eric showed me around on the visit, including the basement entry behind the bar, where barrels of beer were once received on rails. It's a shame I had other lunch arrangements, but I will definitely come back to try some great looking BBQ and spend a bit more time in one of the oldest bars in the state.

The Opal Lounge, Tacoma, WA - 2012

I have found quite inconsistent dates attributed to the opening of the Opal Saloon, including 1906 and 1912 and there is an old photo of the saloon behind the bar that was subsequently labeled "1902," but this shows the Opal in the building just north of the old Edison Soft Drink Parlor (constructed c. 1900), an address that is now 5220. The "Opal" name is not listed in any Tacoma Polk guides from pre-prohibition years. Nevertheless, I am fairly confident the Opal Saloon was established in its current location by 1901. Various documents associate the ownership in the early years with the Yorkheimer brothers, and Polk Guides list a saloon owned by "Yorkheimer Bros" and later just Frank Yorkheimer from 1901 through 1915. The Dec 31 1915 issue of the Tacoma Times, which includes comments from virtually all bar owners in town on what they planned to do when statewide prohibition went into effect Jan 1, 2016 also puts the Opal Saloon at the current 5226 address, and quotes owner Frank Yorkheimer saying, "I am going to put in a pool table and will sell near beer and lunches." Thus, at least in terms of a bar that maintains the basic name and has existed in the same building, the Opal is the oldest bar in Tacoma and one of the 5 to 10 oldest in the state of Washington.

Nowadays, the bar is a classic little dive, the senior citizen of stretch of dives along the old abandoned highway that is South Tacoma Way. Years ago, the place was known more for its pizza, which it served out through the window of what is now a karaoke stage. The place was purchased by Richard & Carol Charette in 2002.  Richard passed away about a year ago, and Carol put a For Sale sign in the window, but folks at the bar say that she's not willing to part with it for a price that anyone else would be willing to pay.

 Sometime in the last few years the outer facade was painted red, white and blue. The super patriotic theme continues inside with American flag after American flag hanging from the ceiling, and various military and patriotic stickers and tchotchkes lining the walls. The patriotism takes mostly positive, upbeat forms -- including posters for benefits and tributes; but in a few places it takes a more embittered form -- a urinal lined with "Hanoi Jane" stickers, another sticker telling people if they can't speak English they don't belong here. For better or worse, this stretch is lined with old drinking holes and some old ideas.

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2007/10/15/179437/strong-drinks-and-yes-a-little.html#storylink=cpy

5226 South Tacoma Way Tacoma, WA 98409 - (253) 473-2600
Est. 1901 or earlier

weeklyvolcano - thenewstribune - waymarking - yelp

#1787 - The Red Hot, Tacoma, WA - 5/20/2012

The Red Hot has a great selection of beers and a broad selection of unusually dressed hot dogs, and is one of Tacoma's favorite bars.

2914 6th Avenue Tacoma, WA 98406 - (253) 779-0229
Est. Aug 16, 2007 
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: redhottacoma.com - blog
Reviews: thebestcraftbeer - grittycityfood - buddiesandhotdogs - tnt - beeradvocate - beerretard - ratebeer - yelp - urbanspoon

#1786 - 1022 South, Tacoma, WA - 5/20/2012

1022 South, AKA the Hidden Apothecary, is a small cafe and craft cocktail lounge in Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood. The mad pharmacists there will turn their tinctures, herbs, and potions into some of the best cocktails in the Pacific northwest. They have an excellent cocktail list, but this is one of those places where you will want to tell the bartender a bit about your tastes and let them concoct something surprising and lovely for you.

In addition to the friendly and talented bartenders, we met customer Chris here, who grew up in my (Greenwood) neighborhood and kindly gave me some coins from the Old 5th Ave. Tavern.  We had a fine visit. It is out of the way for most people I know, but the New York Times somehow made it all the way there and found it well worth the trip.

1022 South J Street Tacoma, WA 98405 - (253) 627-8588           
Est. March 2009
Web site: 1022south.com - facebook - blog 
Reviews: nytimes - seattleweekly - tacomaweekly - seattlemag - alcademics - seattlemet - thestranger - urbanspoon - yelp

#1785 - Park Way Tavern, Tacoma, WA - 5/20/2012

Tacoma's Parkway Tavern has a better neighborhood pub feel than any bar in Seattle. The tavern appears unexpectedly, in a 1935 wood-shingled bungalow in the midst of the homes of a quiet neighborhood two blocks from Wright Park. Hipsters and beer connoisseurs mix easily with families and folks of all ages. The walls hold several interesting old photographs from Tacoma history -- including one of the bar itself from just after 2:00am Friday October 8, 1983, after "a disgruntled customer rammed his pickup truck six or seven times into the front of the Parkway Tavern."

There's been a bar in this building since at least 1960, when it was Alexander's Delicatessen & Tavern. The building was renovated a little over five years ago, and now has a high, exposed, vaulted ceiling and comfortable dark wood. Around the corner from the front bar there are a couple more rooms, including one suddenly decorated in African artifacts, as if you've been invited to dinner at the dean of anthropology's house. The bartenders and servers are very friendly and cool. They have a large and interesting selection of beers on tap (and growlers available), and better than average sandwiches and pub food. They were recently recognized by Esquire Magazine as one of the best bars in the country.

I don't know how old the bar at Parkway is. The current building started as a delicatessen in 1935, and became a tavern at some point later. But it's been serving the locals for decades and with quality improvements more recently has become of the most welcoming and comfortable bars in the the Pacific northwest.

313 North I Street Tacoma, WA 98403 - (253) 383-8748
Est. ? - Building constructed: 1935

Web site: parkwaytavern.com - facebook
Reviews: esquire - grittycitywoman - weeklyvolcano - beeradvocate - voices.yahoo - chowhound - urbanspoon - yelp - taplister

#1784 - Golden West, Tacoma, WA - 5/20/2012

Buffino's Golden West Restaurant and Lounge is a fairly typical dive, which features the owner's band, the Back Porch Band, on Friday and Saturday nights. It has an interesting back bar, a sort of art deco design, but I was unable to obtain any information about it from the folks there during our visit. So we sat dividing our attention between noticing new details of the bar, and watching TV, learning from the Monkeys' Mickey Dolan about a fantasic, never-before-offered collection of great rock hits.

The Golden West has been here since at least 1935.

5228 S Tacoma Way, Tacoma, WA 98409 - (253) 471-9892
weeklyvolcano - insiderpages

#1783 - Stonegate Pizza and Rum Bar, Tacoma, WA - 5/20/2012

Update: Stonegate closed abruptly May 14, 2019 by owner Jeff Call "... after a long legal battle with my family ..."

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Stonegate Pizza and Rum Bar is a multi-level homage to rock and roll, like a Hard Rock Cafe put together by a loving collector rather than just someone with lots of money. It's a hodgepodge of folk art, rock memorabilia, multiple stages, and accents painted in a wide range of styles and capabilities, filling two old buildings on South Tacoma Way.

We did not eat on our visit, but the pizza here has a special Tacoma legacy, with a crust created by Larry Turco, the owner's uncle and the creator of the famous compressed crust pizzas served for over five decades at the Cloverleaf Tavern.

Read more here: http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tntdiner/2009/12/04/drop-in-dining-stonegate-pizza/#storylink=cpy

5421 South Tacoma Way Tacoma,, WA 98409 - (253) 473-2255
Est. Oct 2009 - Building constructed: 1924 - Closed May 14, 2019
Web site: stonegaterocks.com - facebook
Reviews: tnt - weeklyvolcano - yelp - urbanspoon

#1782 - Airport Bar and Grill, Tacoma, WA - 5/20/2012

Airport Tavern, Tacoma, WA - 2012

South Tacoma Way is a great stretch of dive bars and ramshackle memories of when it was part of Highway 99 and a major thoroughfare, elaborate signs and business models beckoning drivers off the road. That faded away in the 60s, when Interstate 5 and Tacoma Mall snatched the traffic away, but for a fan of old dive bars, it is one of the best stretches in the state.

I haven't found much history for the Airport Bar and Grill, but you know it's been around for a while, not just from the weathered signs and decor, but because it was named for the old South Tacoma Airport which closed down in the 70s. The Airport Cigar Store is listed at this address in the bars section of city guides from at least 1940 in the 60s. It's now a mishmash of comfortable styles now, a gay bar with drag shows, but playing country music for a single elderly patron when we came in.

Airport Tavern, Tacoma, WA - 2020

5406 South Tacoma Way Tacoma, WA 98409 - (253) 475-9730
Est. ? By 1940 - Building constructed: 1927
facebook - waymarking - yelp