#2543 - Los Cantaritos, Pateros, WA - 5/26/2014

Fairly standard, Azteca-style, American Mexican food -- closed in 2017, but a sister location is still open in Twisp, WA.

180 Pateros Mall, Pateros, WA 98846 - (509) 587-3350
Est. 2014? - Closed April 2017
Web site: facebook
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor

#2542 - The Plaza, Oroville, WA - 5/25/2014

This is the standard sort of bar found in suburban strip malls, with stucco ceiling, corporate beer paraphernalia, cheap wood paneling, pull tab bins, diner-style food, banquet chairs, a dance floor, and, of course, karaoke.

1412 Main St, Oroville, WA 98844 - (509) 476-2664                          
Est. Sep 2012
Previous bars in this location: Fao's, Yo Yo's
Reviews: gazette-tribune - tripadvisor

#2541 - Pastime Bar and Grill, Oroville, WA - 5/25/2014

The Pastime Bar & Grill, Oroville, WA

The "Pastime" is the most common name used for bars in Washington state's history but only a few remain, and I make a special point to try and get to them. (At last count I'd identified 59 cities in Washington that have had at least one bar named the Pastime, but I count only 7 or 8 that remain open today.) Oroville's version includes the bonus of an antique Brunswick back bar, which one person associated with the bar said they heard came to Oroville via a bar in Loomis.

I don't know how long there's been an actual bar in this building, but it's been a while. My sparse evidence from city guides has them listed in the bar section at least as far back as 1954. From the current owners:

Antique Brunswick bar at the Pastime in Oroville, WA

"Our building was originally constructed as two side by side establishments, housing in its south half, Prince’s Thrifty department store, an important part of the economy in Oroville, WA. The structure dates back to the 1930s when Prince’s Thrifty department store opened in one half and a pool hall operated next door, becoming one space after the departure of Prince’s to new quarters. Gaming took place in the billiards parlor next door, becoming one space after the departure of Prince’s to new quarters."

They also add that, "Back in the 70s, the Pastime sold more Olympia Beer than any other tavern in Washington State."

Today the dark wood bar and black metal stools seem more like a framed exhibit than an integral part of the bright, capacious and light-colored restaurant. This is a modern restaurant and pub, with fairly upscale food choices and more suited to brunch after church than nursing a cold one with the boys. The old neon sign has been carted away. The spare, clean decor feels like a new craft brewpub, and indeed, since this visit new managers are currently moving in the brew tanks. No doubt the food and beer choices are much better than they were in the old incarnations. Once again I feel the tension between my once-every-couple-years visitor's preference for places that feel old and a bit shabby, and my bittersweet gratitude that someone appears to be pragmatic about what it takes to keep the old places thriving. As long as they keep the old name and that backbar, I'll be back.

Old Oroville Pastime sign
(Photo from Pastime Facebook page)

1307 Main St, Oroville, WA 98844                                    
Est. April 26, 2013 - Building constructed: 1925
Web site: pastimebarandgrill.com - facebook
Reviews: gazette-tribune - oliverdailynews - yelp - tripadvisor - route97

#2540 - Chesaw Tavern, Chesaw, WA - 5/25/2014

Chesaw Tavern, Chesaw, WA

From the Curlew Saloon, a small bar in a small community near the Canadian border, we headed west to the Chesaw Tavern, a smaller bar in a smaller community even nearer to the northern border. And while Curlew was temporarily considered a ghost town, Chesaw is still considered one today -- though it is temporarily re-animated every July 4 for the Chesaw Rodeo, and described as "still a thriving community today" by the Okanogan County Historical Society.

The highlights of the story of Chesaw are laid out on a wooden sign in front of the tavern and general store, and on the tavern menus. The latter describes it this way: "As the story goes: In the late 1800's, an allotment of land was given to an Indian woman named Susane Louie. She married a Chinaman, Joseph Charles Chee Saw and they settled in the area on Meyers Creek, prospecting, trading goods, and raising a family. Eventually the town adopted the name Chesaw. In 1896, mineral rights were opened up and word spread that Chesaw was rich with gold! Miners flooded the area. Then in 1900, the north half of the Colville Indian Reservation was opened for homesteading, bring yet more families to farm the area. The turn of the century found Chesaw to be a community of several hundred people with two three-story hotels, a weekly newspaper, a doctor, an undertakeer, an attorney, blacksmiths, general stores, and several saloons including one called the Bucket of Blood."

I don't know how old the building is or how long a tavern has been there. Inside there's a photo date 1969 that looks much as it does today, but I have no idea if it actually survived from the boom era, avoiding the fires that so often consumed wood-constructed frontier towns around the turn of the century. Inside today there are some good beers on tap and several more by the bottle, and the tavern appears to be open morning to night. The brightly lacquered wood interior contrasts with the distressed, rustic boards on the exterior, and you can drink from a tractor seat stool or next to the wood burning stove. It feels like history and makes for a fine excursion to add to any roadtrip nearby.

For more bars like this see my google map of Great Old Bars in Washington State.

2045 Chesaw Rd, Oroville, WA 98844 - (509) 485-2174                            
Web site: facebook
Reviews: yelp - youtube (music jam)

#2539 - Curlew Saloon, Curlew, WA - 5/25/2014

Curlew Saloon, Curlew, WA

As the curious flow of the Kettle River snakes back and forth across the U.S. and Canadian borders, from the Monashee Mountains to the Columbia River, it dips into Washington state around White Mountain and past a smattering of old buildings that is the unincorporated community of Curlew, WA. There's not a lot up here, just 10 miles south of the Canadian border in what was for a period considered a ghost town. There are no luxuries like a bank or gas station, but there is nice museum in a historical hotel, and lovely old saloon.

Curlew Saloon, Curlew, WA

It's said that during prohibition bootleggers would sneak in booze from Midway, British Columbia by floating barrels down the river into Curlew. Locals mark the tradition each first Sunday of June in Barrel Derby Days, wagering on how long it will take to reach the Curlew Town Bridge.

You can get your liquor legal inside the Curlew Saloon, and you can drink it under a taxidermy cougar leaping from the ceiling. You can also get a bite to eat, a cold, good beer, and maybe a jello shot if you're in that frame of mind. Someone told me they thought the place had been around since the 40s, but I don't have much to confirm the history of the place. But if you like old country saloons or ghost town like settings, this one must be on your list.

4 River St, Curlew, WA 99118                                         
Web site: facebook 
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor

#2538 - Sportys, Chewelah, WA - 5/25/2014

Sporty's, Chewelah, WA

Sporty's, or the Sportsman Bar & Grill / Tavern, seems to have been here on Main street in Chewelah, Washington since at least the 50s. It shares the street with the Quartzite Brewing Company and the Chrewvino Wine Bar, in what must be a far cry from rollicking lead and silver mining days of the 1890s, when there were “always four or five saloons doing a rushing business on Main Street.” (historylink) And one can only wonder what sort of unsanctioned business plans were in operation when the mining business spiked just as state-wide prohibition was going into effect:

'The defining event in Chewelah’s economic history was the magnesite boom beginning in 1916. Magnesite, a mineral related to marble, dolomite, and limestone, was once essential for lining open-hearth furnaces that produced high-grade steel. World War I disrupted European sources, and luckily some rich veins were discovered in the Huckleberry Mountains a few miles west of Chewelah. Several companies began quarrying and processing it. The largest and most successful, the Northwest Magnesite Company, built a large plant just south of Chewelah for “deadburning” or “calcinating” the ore to reduce it for shipment to the steel manufacturers of the East and Midwest.... during World War II, Chewelah was the nation’s largest producer of magnesite.' (ibid) 

Of course before Europeans started planting their homes, mines and ranches in what was known as "Fool's Prairie" in the 1850s, the area was home to other nations, civilizations eventually refered to as the "Colvilles," "Spokanes," and "Kalispels." It is said to be a Kalispel word that gave the town its current name, "sč̓ewíleʔ" becoming pronounced "chuh-WEE-lah," a word for "watersnake" or "gartersnake" that appears to have been chosen because of the motion of the bubbling water of a nearby spring. Within 50 years or so, most of the previous residents of the area had been relocated to the Spokane or Colville reservations, and today the area is over 93% caucasians.

The city was platted in 1884, the railroad arrived in 1889, and Chewelah was incorporated in 1903. Although the population fell a bit during the middle 20th century, as the magnesite plant closed in 1968, the population never collapsed as it did in many of the small mining and timber communities in the area. Today the population is around 2600, with many families still living on ranching and farming, while others support outdoor activities including golfing, skiing, hiking, and hunting.

Today Sporty's straddles the old and new, the divey and quaint, "Sporty's" and "The Sportsman's Bar & Grill." There is an unusually artsy sign out front and some classic mid-century nature scene murals inside, left only partially obscured by newish knotty pine walls. Old skiis and taxidermy heads share the walls with corporate beer paraphernalia. The menu offers a broad variety of contemporary pub food - steaks and burgers, tacos and salads, etc. It seems fairly popular with the locals and is a good stop for people passing through.

207 E Main St, Chewelah, WA 99109 - (509) 935-6309
Web site: sportyschewelah - facebook
Reviews: link - tripadvisor

#2537 - Webster's Saloon, Spokane, WA - 5/24/2014

Update: Webster's closed in 2015.

---

Webster's Ranch House Saloon was founded and largely built by chef William Webster and his new wife Cody (the two were married two weeks after the saloon opened). Webster had already established several other restaurants/bars in the area: Isabella's, Geno's, and the Zola nightclub. Webster's features a bbq smokehouse, cocktails in mason jars, and hosts live music in its country western decor.

1914 N Monroe St, Spokane, WA 99205 - (509) 474-9040            
Est. 2013 - Closed 2015
Previous bars in this location: Barney's Tavern, Working Class Heroes Bar and Grill
Subsequent bar: Prohibition Gastropub
Web site: websterssaloon.com (decommissioned)
Articles ranked: inlander - yelp - spokesman - hibeam

#2536 - Steelhead Bar and Grille, Spokane, WA - 5/24/2014

An solid, affordable seafood and steak house.

Steelhead Bar & Grille, Spokane, WA

218 N Howard St, Spokane, WA 99201 - (509) 747-1303
Web site: steelheadbarandgrille.com - facebook  
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor - inlander

#2535 - Jones Radiator, Spokane, WA - 5/24/2014

Jones Radiator, Spokane, WA

Update: Jones Radiator closed April 22, 2016.

Jones Radiator was operating in 1921 but has only been a bar since 2010. It started out focused on craft beers and eventually expanded to a very nice craft cocktail program, with interesting live music all along. The vibe is arty but relaxing during the days and busy on weekend nights.

120 E Sprague Ave, Spokane, WA 99202 - (509) 747-6005
Est. 2010 - Closed April 22, 2016
Web site: jonesradiator.com - facebook
Reviews: inlander - yelp - tripadvisor - inlander

#2534 - Irv's, Spokane, WA - 5/24/2014

"And a note to out-of-towners who end up at Irv's: Gay Spokane is trapped in 1999. They will not notice your clothes-that-fit and non-tragic vibe. Enjoy!" (Davide B., Yelp)

Irv's was a gay dance club with a diverse crowd and regular drag shows. Since this visit it was purchased by a new owner and was renamed "Stray," retaining the basic decor and events, but Stray also closed 15 months later.

There have been bars at this location since at least shortly after prohibition. It was listed as the Reno Beer Parlor in 1934, then the Senate Beer Parlor in 1935, which it remained into at at least the 40s.
415 W Sprague Ave, Spokane, WA 99201 - (509) 624-4450
Reviews: inlander - yelp - tripadvisor

#2533 - Maxwell House Restaurant, Spokane, WA - 5/24/2014

Maxwell House Restaurant and Bar
Spokane, WA

The Maxwell House Beer Parlor / Tavern / Restaurant has been here since 1934. It feels old-school in many ways -- "old" being perhaps the 70s more than any other era -- with the Bud Lite lamps, the carpet running up the side of the front bar, the faux brick and the brass hinting fern bar. Rather unexpectedly the side door doesn't open to some back alley smoking area but rather a spacious, sandy volleyball court. Inside the restaurant menu is something like a mid-century, family steakhouse, with prime rib and lobster tail, and the bar serves typical dive bar cocktails and beers.

1425 N Ash St, Spokane, WA 99201 - (509) 326-6890
Est. 1934
Web site: facebook
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor - roadtrippers 

#2532 - Checkerboard Bar, Spokane, WA - 5/24/2014

Checkboard Bar, Spokane, WA

The Checkboard Bar is a nifty little dive that appears to have been a favorite neighborhood joint for decades, become increasingly more sketchy for many years (along with this area of town), and then been considerably refurbished under new owners in 2010. Before the new ownership, the bar closed at 7pm and did not contain a public bathroom. It was then a beer only tavern, and indeed, claims to have the longest continuous liquor license in the state of Washington. Joe Heaton purchased the place in 1937 and ran it for over 50 years, becoming what locals described as the "best loved bartender in town."

The bar today has been upgraded and at least a little bit hipsterized. It now includes craft beers, hard liquor, better food, and, yes, a public bathroom. And yet we were informed by our bartender Rachel that they serve only doubles, for $3.50, and using good wells.

I would love to have more info on the early history of the place. There are a few reasons to question the oldest continuous license story. To begin with, these claims are not uncommon across older bars across the state, and they are very difficult to document -- e.g. age of licenses is not tracked by the state liquor board, and verifying virtually anything has been "continuous" across 84 years is dicey (a bartender at Maxwell House told me he knows periods when the Checkerboard has been closed). And I've been unable to find the Checkerboard or any bar listed at this address in any primary sources before 1937 -- e.g. it is not in the 1934 Spokane Polk directory, nor in the 1935 telephone directory.

But in any case it definitely has a lot of history behind it and is a nice joint for a drink.

1716 E Sprague Ave, Spokane, WA 99202 - (509) 535-4007                    
Est. 1933 - Building constructed: 1928
Previous bars in this location: None
Web site: checkerboardbar.com - facebook
Reviews: spokanedivebars - inlander - yelp - cityvoter

#2531 - Bubba's Bar and Grill, Reardan, WA - 5/24/2014

Like many central Washington towns, Reardan is defined by a railway stop and grain towers. The Central Washington Railroad line laid in 1888 was first used for transporting cattle, but the livestock increasingly gave way to barley and the wheat transfered through the looming towers, and which remains the area's largest crop today. (historylink)

The small set of buildings in the shadows of those towers includes the 1905 Stevenson Building, originally home to the town's first bank, and subsequently hosting a variety of businsesses, including, for over 25 years, a tavern and card room called Bonstrom's Place. Since 2006 it has hosted Bubba's Bar and Grill, a laid back tavern named for the owner's dog (which is depicted in the sign) and valued for its burgers, cold beers, and general divey goodness. The exterior features painted cartoon cowboys and the woody interior includes vintage murals of nature scenes.

Bubba's Bar & Grill, Reardan, WA

Bubba's Bar & Grill, Reardan, WA

245 E Broadway Ave, Reardan, WA 99029 - (509) 796-2640                           ;
Est. 2006 - Building constructed: 1905
Previous bars in this location: Bonstrom's Place
Web site: facebook
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor - roadtrippers 

#2530 - Chief's Bar and Grill, Odessa, WA - 5/24/2014

Chief's Bar and Grill, Odessa, WA

"Odessa's only full service restaurant & lounge. Serves breakfast, lunch, & dinner. We serve steak, shrimp, burgers, pizza, sandwiches and more."

In the late 19th century the Odessa area was settled primarily by Germans who had lived along the Black Sea and Volga River, a heritage now celebrated in the Odessa Deutschesfest each third week of September. The town was incorporated in 1902, quickly grew to around 1,000 people, and has hoved closed to that number ever since.

Chief's Bar and Grill, Odessa, WA

I don't know how long Chief's Bar & Grill has been in Odessa -- It doesn't appear in directories from a few decades ago, but it's pleasantly worn and broken wooden sign indicates that it's been here at least a few years. In the front is a classic, small-town, family diner, and in back a brightly lit lounge that remains open on certain days until 10 or 11pm.

Odessa note: For many years, from at least the 50s until 2007, Odessa was one of the at least 60 Washington state cities and towns with a bar named the "Pastime." In 2007 this was renamed the Rolling Thunder Saloon, which operated until 2012. It was replaced by an art gallery that eventually started to also sell pizzas, and appears to have a sign from the old Pastime inside.

17 E 1st Ave, Odessa, WA 99159 - (509) 982-2999                        
Web site: facebook
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor