#2317 - La Conner Pub, La Conner, WA - 10/11/2013

The La Conner Pub, known locally as simply "The Tavern," feels like the heart of this town. It's a gambrel ceiling joint that's been around for almost 80 years, mixing a smattering of tourists into an atmosphere firmly set by the locals, and serving dive bar style drinks with old school cafe seaside comfort foods. And like a lot of small town bars, it tends to have a little of everything -- family diner, dive bar, community meeting hall, live music venue, pool tables, darts, pull tabs, and a fine patio looking out on

It was here that we met Reed, who had just had three teeth pulled, and was methodically "medicating." Reed talked about starting a drunk driving school, the main key appearing to be experience. Pointing to his shot of whiskey he explained "If you only do this once in a while, you're in trouble."

702 1st Street, La Conner, WA 98257 - (360) 466-9932                   
Est. 1937 - Building constructed: 1900 or earlier
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: laconnertavern.com - facebook
Reviews: tripadvisor - yelp - urbanspoon

#2316 - 1890s Lounge, La Conner, WA - 10/11/2013

The 1890s Lounge inside La Conner Seafood and Prime Rib House, is a re-opening of a sort of 60s/70s rock joint in a historic building that once served loggers and fishermen. "Most stories include a woman named Rosanna (who managed the live-music bookings for the 1890’s lounge, and whose nickname was Rosanna Pianna), as well as late-night escapades centered around a rather cannabis-induced haze." (laconnerseafood.com)

La Conner itself is now an amiable, fairly touristy town strung along the Swinomish Channel, just a few thousand feet from where the Washington state coast approaches the Pacific in the form of Skagit Bay. A trading post was established here in 1869 by J.S. Conner, who named the place not with a French "La" but for the initials and last name of his wife Louisa Ann Conner. In 2005 La Conner proclaimed the wild turkey the Official Town Bird, a motion that lasted 5 years before the residents had enough of turkey feces, destroyed gardens, and nuisance complaints for the town counsel to officially name them a nuisance and arrange for their removal. (e.g. see NPR)

The current restaurant and lounge must be a far cry from gambling hall that greeted the old sailors and lumbermen, let alone the club that once hosted John Lee Hooker and Taj Mahal. But its genteel decor does include several nods to the past beyond the name, including some great old photos, and it now hosts some standout local artists like Knut Bell and Brent Amaker. The food is slightly upscale seafood and the drinks include some nice cocktail options. In the summer you should try to nab a table on the deck looking over the Swinomish.

614 S First St, La Conner, Washington - (360) 466-4014
Est. June 2, 2012 (Restaurant est. 1986) - Building constructed: 1900 or earlier
Previous bars in this location: Mal’s Tavern, 1890’s Lounge (late 70s, early 80s)
Web site: laconnerseafood.com - facebook

#2315 #S1179 - Ohana, Seattle - 10/9/2013

Somehow I previously missed listing Ohana, which looks something like a tiki bar, but is a bit more of a Hawaiian and Japanese themed restaurant and karaoke bar. It gets a pretty fun late night crowd, and feels like a joint pleasantly thrown together on a beach walk with whatever decorations and gewgaws were at hand.

2207 1st Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 956-9329
Est. 1999 - Building constructed: 1910
Previous bars in this location: Bell Town Tavern, Tugs, Vina Wine Bar
Web site: ohanabelltown.com - facebook
Articles Ranked: critiki - thestranger - seattletimes - urbanspoon - yelp - tripadvisor - thestranger

#2314 - Habitant, Bellevue, WA - 10/9/2013

Yes, Habitant is a cocktail bar smack in the middle of Nordstrom in Bellevue Square, and described by the company as an experiment, though one could hardly fathom how it could fail (at least in this location). The vibe is more that of a frozen yogurt shop than a bar, with only slight railings separating it from the racks of women's slacks and blouses. My drinks fell a bit short of the quality I anticipate from a place described as providing craft cocktails, however they do have a nice selection of fresh juices and quality spirits, and while I would not go out of my way to get a drink there, it could certainly serve as a welcome respite when I am coerced into the mall.

100 Bellevue Square, 2nd Floor, Bellevue, WA 98004 - (425) 455-5800
Est. July 26, 2013 - Building constructed: 1946
Web site: nordstrom.com
Reviews: seattletimes - seattlemet - eatdrinksing - bizjournals - yelp - untapped

#2313 - Red Robin, Bellevue, WA - 10/9/2013

408 Bellevue Square, Bellevue, WA - (425) 453-9522
Web site: redrobin.com 
Reviews: yelp

#2312 #S1178 - Central Pizza, Seattle - 10/4/2013

Central Pizza was opened by a small group of people with Belltown Pizza connections in the former location of All-Purpose Pizza, on the gentrifying edge of Leschi and the Central District. In addition to some pretty good thin-crust pizza, they've added a bar, and while their comments about "straightforward" and "decent price point" cocktails might lead you to fear dive-bar quality, they in fact have some very nice and well-balanced classics and well as new creations (I enjoyed the "Aperol You've Done").

There seems to be a trend in sports bars and pizza joints in particular using reclaimed wood from old neighborhood gymnasiums and bowling alleys (e.g. Rookies in Columbia City, Bills on Greenwood, and Snoose Junction / The Alibi Room). Here it is the old Lakeside High basketball court that now compose the bar and tables.

Central Pizza, Seattle

2901 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98144 - (206) 602-6333
Est. Aug 26 2016 - Building constructed: 2004
Previous bars in this location: None Known
Web site: centralpizzaseattle.com - facebook
Reviews: seattlemet - komonews - centraldistrictnews - yelp - urbanspoon

#2311 #S1177 - Thurston's Bistro, Seattle - 9/30/2013

Thurston's Bistro and Lounge, Seattle

Thurston's is not an easy place to pin down. The decor is formal, dark and swanky, but the food and drinks are more casual cafe -- chicken and waffles, loco moco, poutine; or what the restaurant themselves describe as Asian fusion, tapas and wine bar. Sometimes it seems to want to be stately, dark and romantic; other times it hosts karaoke nights or Seahawks games. My food was pretty good, my drinks were average, and the service was friendly.

From the outside looking in, at least at this point where they were but a month old, it seems like they need to settle on an identity to pull people in from an area without a lot foot traffic. But who knows, maybe that's really just me trying to make it easier to pigeon hole the place in my own mind, or perhaps a bit too influenced by Mona, which preceded it in this space and was more neatly categorized. I will be interested to see what sorts of crowds it has in the future on both Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons.

6421 Latona Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115 - (206) 402-3553
Est. Aug/Sep 2013 - Building constructed: 1907
Previous bars in this location: Mona's
Web site: thurstonsbistro.com - facebook
Reviews: yelp - seattleweekly - tripadvisor

#2310 - DK Cafe, White Center, WA - 9/28/2013

DK Cafe, AKA DK's Bar and Grill, is a cacophony of Elvis decorations, Beefeater, Santa figurines, Chinese lions, rope light, and every sort of cheap dance/stage lighting. The bar offerings are basic dive bar along with the sort of overly sweet drinks that cater to people who just turned old enough to drink. They accept no credit cards, but do take EBT cards.

9655 16th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106
Est. ? - Building constructed: 1981
Reviews: yelp

#2309 - Company, White Center, WA - 9/28/2013

Company Bar, White Center, WA

A gentrification shift for Rat City, Company Bar has neat, nice wood, somewhat fancy food, good spirits, original art for sale on the walls, a hipsterish bartender, wine on tap and some fairly good cocktails.

9608 16th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106 - (206) 257-1162
Est. Jan 29, 2013 - Building constructed: 1949
Web site: companybarseattle.com - facebook
Reviews: seattleweekly - seattletimes - whitecenterblog - yelp

#2308 - Crawfish House, White Center, WA - 9/28/2013

From purely a bar perspective there's not a lot to recommend this place; but if you want to have a beer from a pretty decent selection, along with a huge mess of crawfish -- the kind where people wear plastic gloves and lobster bibs -- I don't know of a better place in the city. The place is brightly lit, with cheesy Mardi Gras and seafaring decor, and the chef, who is from Vietnam by way of Louisiana, knows his stuff and is happy to come chat with you to help you figure out your optimal meal. I myself tend to stick with the somewhat introverted Catfish or Soft-shell Crab Po' Boy, but I encourage others to go crazy.

9826 16th Avenue Southwest, Seattle, WA 98106 - (206) 588-1613
Est. Feb 2011 - Building constructed: 1949
Web site: facebook - (crawfishhouse206.com site appears to be hacked at this time)
Reviews: seattletimes - afar - minttytaste - yelp - urbanspoon

#2307 - Marv's Broiler, White Center, WA - 9/28/2013

Update: Marv's Broiler closed in 2015.

---

I tend to look more at the photos than the comments on Yelp, but at certain times the yelper comments can do a pretty good job of summing up a place:

"Don't be intimidated by its shabby interior and exterior."

"I know a jello shots sort of equal a Bartells and James light berry punch, but I don't care I like my booze congealed."

"Meet at nice bar or shit bar?"
"Dive, please."
"Ok. Meet me at Marv's Broiler in White Center."

"And sure, the weird, toothless guy who spends the night undressing you with his eyes and drives that big rape van parked out back; he's there too. Marv's has an endless amount of oddly appealing, and slightly creepy, customers."

"Just try not to get shot."

The place that is now Marv's Broiler was built in 1941 by H. Richard Busey as Busey's XXX Drive-In. It was an old Triple X Root Beer drive-in, not the sort of XXX place like the shops across 16th Avenue. Busey ran it as a drive-in until 1955 and then converted it into a dine-in restaurant with a small bar area, and locals remember it for its marinated steaks. In 1975 Busey sold the place to Marv Mosely, who took control on New Years day, 1976. Marv apparently considered replacing the sign, but eventually decided to simply update it with his name. Marv no longer owns it, but it retains the name. Under Mosely, the lounge side of the business continually expanded until, as is the case today, there is no restaurant left at all. It now has the drinks, the vibe, and the patrons of an old mid-century dive, seeming perpetually locked at a time a couple hours after the kitchen has closed with a last few stragglers remain nursing drinks.

9808 16th Avenue Southwest, White Center, WA 98106 - (206) 767-9102
Est. Jan 1, 1976 - Building constructed: 1941
Previous bars in this location: Busey's Restaurant
Reviews: yelp - whitecenternow - thestranger

#2306 - City Hall Saloon, Cumberland, WA - 9/27/2013

You won't find the City Hall Saloon while driving to someplace else. It's about 25 east of Tacoma as the crow flies, but if you're not a crow, you'll have to take some backroads. There in the unincorporated old coal mining community of Cumberland, amidst the Cascade foothills, the old, barn-red, two-story building that the locals call "the community center" rises above a large beer garden with various mannequins, vintage signs, and biker paraphernalia.

City Hall Saloon, Cumberland, WA

On Taco Thursday you'll find 500+ bikers there. Inside at the bar you'll find mostly retired white people, yelling insults at one another. There's Ed, and Dirk, who has not one but two three-legged dogs, and Richard, who invested in Microsoft early and now takes care of the electric bill for the place. There's Old Bill -- and you have to be OLD to be Old Someone in this bar -- who was presented medals and flags by a younger vet, but wanted another flag because it only had 48 stars when he served. There's the bartender who makes purses to commemorate stories, like the time her boyfriend was upset that she wouldn't let him drive her jeep without a license and shot the bouquet of plastic flowers someone left on the porch.

City Hall Saloon, Cumberland, WA

One guy recalls when the place was "Carolyn's," and how Carolyn would print up mimeographed song lyrics and the whole bar would sing. I ask if the current owners are here and I'm told "Only when they're thirsty." At one point someone yells out "Safety Meeting!" and a bunch of the patrons trundle outside, taking a break from the beers pulled out of icy drums to partake in another form of unbending. There aren't that many people outside on this damp Friday evening, but in the warmer months there is live music 5 nights a week.



It is, in summary, a very fine bar, but it is clear that, as raucous as the small crowd inside may be, we still have not seen the joint in its prime time. We will definitely have to return on a Taco Thursday, and to listen to some bands on a warm Friday

City Hall Saloon, Cumberland, WA

35317 314th. Way S.E., Cumberland, WA 98022 - 360-886-0569
Est. April 2001 - Building constructed: 1893
Previous bars in this location: Big Mike's, Carolyn's Tavern, the Eager Beaver
Web site: facebook
Reviews: activerain - roadtrippers - owt - blackdiamondhistory - quickthrottle - yelp - afar - insiderpages

#2305 - Boots Tavern, Black Diamond, WA - 9/27/2013

In the 1880s, the Black Diamond Coal Mining Company left it's operation in Nortonville, CA for the richer coal of the Washington state town that still bears its name. The company brought with it a few thousand of the European immigrant workers, and operated in the area until just after World War I. In the early 30s a couple new mining companies revived mining in the area, and it was about this time that Richard "Boots" Pierotti, who once worked in the mines and later the company store, opened his tavern.

Boots Tavern, Black Diamond, WA

Hanging in the bar today -- and featured on the Black Diamond History blog -- there is a King County Assessor photograph of the Boots Tavern labeled 1939, featuring a Boots Tavern sign. JoAnne M. of the Black Diamond Historical Society informed me that portions of the buildings in this area were constructed in 1918, 1936 (at least the front portion of the current tavern), and 1939. In Black Diamond: Mining the Memories, Boots himself recalls hearing in 1935 that they were going to stop giving out beer parlor licenses and that he finally obtained one in 1936. The Tavern was the first new business after the depression, and Boots had to install his own waterline from the water main near the Coal Car, and had to buy a small generator to get any electricity.

Boots Tavern, Black Diamond, WA - 1939
King County photo via Black Diamond History blog

Today the tavern is a nifty local dive and community gathering place -- the kind of bar that has potluck dinners during Seahawks games, Buckup games on Saturdays, barbecues, tributes to deceased patrons, and various other special events where customers are as involved as the bar staff. We chatted with regulars Debbie and Bob, who made sure we checked out the inside doors of the bathrooms, and informed us of another great bar to check out next, City Hall in Cumberland. It was a very enjoyable visit and we look forward to coming back from time to time.

Inside of door to women's room at the
Boots Tavern, in Black Diamond, WA

31117 3rd Ave Black Diamond, WA 98010 - (360) 886-2659
Est. 1936 or earlier - Building constructed: 1936 (possibly earlier for some portion)
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: facebook
Reviews: blackdiamondhistory - bikerfriendlybar - yelp

#2304 - Pla-Mor Bar and Grill, Maple Valley, WA - 9/27/2013

Pla Mor Tavern / Bar and Grill, Maple Valley, WA

The Pla Mor is a long-time local dive in Maple Valley, a city of about 25,000 some ten miles east of SeaTac airport. It sits along a section of the Maple Valley Highway that splits residential areas from shopping centers, and manages to somehow maintain the feeling of a rural setting. The bar has been around a long time, but I do not know how long: The building was constructed right after prohibition (1933) and it's been the Pla Mor since at least the early 60s. "Fred DePasquale bought the Pla Mor for $24,000 in 1966 and sold two kinds of beer and wine, mostly to blue-collar workers, such as coal miners from Black Diamond, loggers and construction workers" (Seattle Times), and it's been in the DePasquale family ever since.

It is known for its fish tanks and two 18-pound piranhas, also featured in a funky mural along the front. It features fairly typical bar fare, though it touts it's affordable steaks. A long time local I met at another bar suggested it was best to go in the early afternoon, to see "drunk, middle-aged people fighting."

People who like dive bars will like it here. It has a fair amount of character and characters, and reminders of quite a lot of Washington state bar history in the form of bar tokens under the plexiglass bar counter.

Painted above the urinal in men's room of Pla Mor Bar and Grill

21607 SE 272nd St Maple Valley, WA 98038 - (425) 432-6858
Est. ? - Building constructed: 1933
Reviews: seattletimes - yelp

#2303 - Nikki's Restaurant and Lounge, Covington, WA - 9/27/2013

Covington Washington is a small city of about 18,000 people, about 20 miles southeast of Seattle, with a retail core hugging state highway 516. It was incorporated only in 1997, largely as a defense against either "being annexed by Kent or being developed into oblivion by King County." (historylink)  When the first Europeans arrived in the area in the 1850s, it was home to the 'Stkamish, Smulkamis, and Skopamish ... later, all three tribes would be lumped together under the name of other groups along the White and Green rivers, as "Muckleshoot."' (ibid) The Muckelshoot and Klickitat fought removal from their homes, killing nine settlers a few miles from present day Covington, but you know how that story went in the long run.

The area was first known to the white people as Jenkins Prairie, and later took the name of the Northern Pacific Railroad's surveyor, Richard Covington, who laid out a route known as the Palmer Cutoff, or in the code of the railroad's telegrams, "Rodent Frugality." Once almost entirely a bedroom community, the current conquerors are the strip malls and corporate chains. Since about 2000 the highway has been increasingly surrounded by the tribes of the Walmarts, Costcos, Home Depots, Targets and Applebees.

Nikki's is an exception to that. There aren't many places to have a drink in Covington. There are no taverns left, and although Nikki's is relatively new and more known for its breakfasts, it does have a sizable lounge that hosts live bands. Previously there was a Godfather's Pizza here for many years before the location eventually hosted the "272 Bar and Grill." But the 272 was too pricey for Covington, I was informed -- an observation I found echoed in just about every Yelp entry from the time -- and it became Nikki's in Dec. 2011. And while the space itself still doesn't have much character, the few people there on this lazy Friday afternoon did.

Bartender Jamie was explaining how her husband couldn't figure out how he had a hangover after having only 6 beers, though he also had 2 Irish Coffees and couldn't remember the number of jello shots. Customer Joe isn't content to just have jello shots at Nikki's, so he makes himself a bowl at home ("a shot is a table spoon"). Joe had recently come from a doctor visit ("No, my doctor's in old Renton -- you have to go armed"). Apparently Joe's doctor keeps telling him he needs to quit drinking but Joe told him "I run into more old drunks than old doctors." I was disappointed to find no old taverns in Covington, but more pleased to find at least a few old tavern kind of people.

27120 174th Pl SE Covington, WA 98042 - (253) 236-5623
Est. Dec 12, 2011 - Building constructed: 1985
Previous bars in this location: 272 Bar and Grill
Web site: facebook
Reviews: yelp - urbanspoon - tripadvisor