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Bars where Pete has had a drink

Monday, May 03, 2021

#3549 - Genoa Bar, Genoa, NV - 6/29/2018

The Genoa Bar, Genoa, Nevada

The first Europeans to settle in the region that would later be named "Nevada" were Mormon missionaries in the Carson River Valley in 1851. There they created a supply area known as "Mormon Station," for the growing numbers of emigrants passing through. The area was renamed Genoa in 1856, and in the following year, the LDS were recalled out of the area by Brigham Young due to the "Mormon War," as the LDS clashed with a federal expedition sent by President Buchanan.

The religious make-up of the permanent residents at the time is not clear to me, but it would seem that they were not all Mormons. as a saloon called Livingston's Exchange was established in 1853. That same building appears to have hosted bars or the majority of time from that point to today. I do not know how long it has been called the Genoa Bar, but it is at least several decades. The bar that remains there today retains that old west "thirst parlor" look and feel, the walls crammed with memorabilia that looks like it may have been last dusted before the Mormons left.

I personally tend to date a single bar back only as far as it retained the same basic name, but it appears that most of Nevada dates this one back to the founding of Livingston's, and hence the oldest bar in Nevada by some measure. It's hard to disagree with the decision when you step into the place. I don't think anything I write would improve upon the photos and this description in travelnevada.com, but nevertheless I will end with a few bits from other sources, primarily the bar's own web site:

'First of all...the building was built in 1853 and I was first open for business as Livingston's Exchange, then renamed "Fettic's Exchange" in 1884 and operated by Frank Fettic. I [the bar] was well known as a "gentleman's saloon" back then and I was "kept in first-class style in every particular way." Mr. Fettic served fine wines, liquors, and cigars. According to one of his advertisements, " would be pleased to have all my old friends call, and they would be treated in the most cordial manner."

I have changed hands many times over the years and in 1963, I was bought by the Bob and Betty Carver family who ran my great establishment until 2000, when they retired and sold the bar to Willy and Cindy Webb.

The top of my bar is original from the front to mid-way where you'll see a line across it. The medallions on the ceiling above the lights are original as is the one red oil lamp which is lit every New Year's Eve. The electric lamps are also original to the bar and were oil but converted to electricity at the turn of the century. I'm kept warm in winter by the woodstove, and since it's the only source of heat, the locals often bring in firewood when I'm getting low. And, no, those are not blood stains you see on the ceiling (it's tomato juice) while there have been many rough and tumbles here, no one was ever killed. And yes, we grow our own cobwebs here too....

Many famous people have visited over the years. Among them, Mark Twain when he first reported for the Territorial Enterprise which opened in Genoa before moving to Virginia City. Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt* enjoyed “cool ones”, perhaps right where you're standing. Carol Lombard and Clark Gable came here to play high stakes poker games with the local cattle barons. Among the other famous and infamous, Lauren Bacall, Richard Boone, Ronnie Howard, Red Skelton, Cliff Robertson and all of our Nevada Governors have come through my doors.

When Raquel Welch visited us, she was asked to leave her bra. She agreed but insisted that all the other bras be taken down -and they were! Her's is the black leopard print hanging on the antlers though it's so dusty now, you can't really tell. It wouldn't be right to exclude anyone, so I take lingere "donations" kept in the old safe. Go ahead and peek, but remember, the custom is: if you open the door to the safe, a donation is required!

A number of movies have been filmed here including "The Shootist" with John Wayne, "Charley Varrick" with Walter Mathau and Joe Don Baker, "Honky Tonk Man" with Clint Eastwood, "Misery" with James Cann, Kathy Bates, Rob Reiner and Richard Farnsworth, and most recently, (last summer) "Till the River Runs Dry" starring Ann-Margaret....


Musicians seem to gravitate here. I've welcomed Willie Nelson, Charlie Daniels, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Slim Pickens, John Denver, and the Captain and Tennille to name just a few.'



*Footnote: The Grant and Teddy Roosevelt visits appear to be unlikely.



'Despite having owned the place for the better part of two decades, [Willie] Webb says it’s difficult to grasp how deep the history runs at the Genoa Bar. “A few years back a woman came into the bar in her Sunday best. She had to be over 90, so she of course stood out a bit,” Webb recalled. Eventually, the woman called Webb over and said, “My name is Abigail, I worked here when I was 16.” Instantly fascinated, Webb immediately began to do the math, calculating when she must’ve worked at the saloon, and finally asked what it was that she did there. “And in her little old lady Grandma voice, she says, ‘I was a prostitute!” Webb laughed. “I couldn’t believe it! She told me that they used to take men out back to a bar that no longer exists, with bathtub gin they used to distill in the basement. There weren’t any beds, so it was a literal roll in the hay,” Webb joked.'





2282 Main St, Genoa, NV 89411 - (775) 782-3870
Est. as Genoa: ? - First established as a bar: 1853 - Building constructed: 1853 
Previous bars in this location: Livingston's Exchange, Fettic's Exchange 
Web site: genoabarandsaloon - facebook 
Articles ranked: travelnevadanational trust for historic preservation - onlyinyourstate - thesheetnews - tahoesouth (video) - historical marker database - mynews4 - knpr - sierranevadageotourism - swingu - tripadvisor - travelnevada 



#4204 - The Hidden Door, Shoreline, WA - 5/2/2021

The Hidden Door, Shoreline, WA

It doesn't look like it from the outside -- and certainly not from the inside -- but this little building on the Shoreline side of the street dividing that city from Seattle, has been here since 1917 and hosted a bar since at least 1935. It has claimed to be hiding something for all of those 8+ decades, named with variations of "Hide-a-way" for 80-some years and now the "Hidden Door."

For the 25 years that I've lived some 3 miles south of it, the thing the establishment has been hiding is mostly gambling -- it was one of a string of tiny to medium sized casinos and card rooms living off the more liberal regulations north of Seattle city limit. But it's a very different place with a very different vibe in its latest incarnation. "BBQ, Booze & Bands" says their logo. Gone are the poker tables and plush carpet; in its place a homey decor that seems like your hippy friends' recording studio. Little sections of sofas, lamps, and edgy paintings. A pool table and pinball machines punctuate the roomy exterior with a music stage in the corner and sound booth across the way.


Even if the blues and rock music focus were not evident from the setup, as well as the Grateful Dead poster and psychedelic banner, it was plain when the owners had to deal with opening during a pandemic. The joint started live streaming music in May 2020, before serving any food or drink. After completing their build out they had a couple soft open days in July and officially opened their (hidden) doors on August 5th, 2020.

While the old Hideaway had a small porch overlooking the parking lot, the current version, perhaps out of COVID necessity as much as inspiration, has an expansive patio area on the parking lot below. The server was nice, and I liked my BBQ fine, but I may wait until COVID is more behind us before considering it an eating option, as I prefer to be outside and, at least on my visit, the entire patio tends to serve as one big smoking area. But I am much looking forward to having a funky new live music option whenever, God help us, some semblance of our old social life returns.

The Hidden Door, Shoreline, WA

Oh, and the door? It's not that hidden -- just in back ...













The Hidden Door, Shoreline, WA









































































14525 Aurora Ave N, Shoreline, WA 98133 - (206) 420-7285
Est. Aug 5, 2020 - Building constructed: 1917
Previous bars in this location: Hide-A-Way Beer Parlor / Tavern / Card Room / Casino, Redbird's Hideaway
Web site: thehiddendoorbbq.com - facebook 
Reviews: yelp 

Saturday, May 01, 2021

#3681 - Laki Kane, London, England - 1/27/2019

Laki Kane, London

The London district of Islington, named "Giseldone" by the Saxons in 1005 and evolving to its modern form in the 17th century, was at one time home to Cat Stevens, Douglas Adams, Tony Blair, Boris Johnson, and Helena Bonham Carter. There on Upper Street is a lovey variety of bars from the stately King's Head, to the divey Slim's, to, as of 2018, a full-bore tiki bar called Laki Kane ("lucky man"). 

The creators of the bar brought some considerable tiki experience, with co-owner Georgi Radev having managed the cocktail program at the Mahiki for many years, in addition to founding and hosting the "Spirit of Tiki" festival. He and acclaimed chef Michael Moore created this new tiki bar with a serious devotion to the cocktails, food, decor and service. In addition to the many classic touches, they've added some rare, if not unique aspects, including what they describe as the first cocktail bar in the world to include all natural ingredients and zero refined sugar in their drinks.

Laki Kane tiki bar, London

They also have a rum distillery in the upper floor, where they give classes in rum making and cocktail mixing, and a button at each table to summon your server. We did not avail ourselves of the button in our visit, choosing to sit at the bar, and enjoying some well made drinks and friendly service from bartender Abi (sp?), and a sample of their thai small plates. We departed happy, and each with a souvenir mug in hand.














































144-145 Upper St, London N1 1QY, United Kingdom - +44 20 7607 0766
Est. 2018
Previous bars in this location: Be At One bar
Web site: lakikane.com - facebook 
Articles ranked:  secretldn - barchick - gq-magazine - dodatenight - Big Daddy G cocktail (video) - elle.com - timeout - designmynight - dingly - lecoolyelp - tripadvisor 

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Historical Note: Mary E. Thompson and the Minnehaha Saloon

Many years ago I came across this snippet of information from the book Seattle's Black Victorians, 1852-1901, by Esther Hall Mumford, via the historylink.org site: 

"In 1893, Mary Thompson, owner of Minnehaha Saloon dies. She was one of Seattle's wealthiest African American citizens at the time of her death. As the owner of the saloon and brothel, she earned a fortune in real estate, jewelry, and cash."

Particularly for someone with a hobby of studying northwest bar history, this was really damn intriguing. And yet with all my data and all my reading of Seattle history, I never found another mention of the Minnehaha, nor a shred of additional information about Mary Thompson -- not in sources of bar history, not in local black history, and not in local women's history. I found only the occasional repetition of the basic facts above. 

But recently, I found a series of newspaper stories on Mary and the bar in online issues of the Seattle Post Intelligencer that I'd somehow missed all this time. There were only a few articles, and with the first brief mention I found I was happy just to have a primary source confirming that the bar existed. But then the soap opera that unfolded about Mary's life was beyond anything I ever would have imagined.

It turned out that I actually did have a bit of the Minnehaha in my bar data -- an entry for a saloon of unknown name and inexact location belonging to E.D. Thompson in 1890. I would later find out that this was Edgar Thompson and the saloon was the Minnehaha Lodging House, located at 319 Jackson Street. The "Lodging House" portion of name referred to the rooms available on the floor above the saloon, i.e. the brothel. I have no evidence for how long the bar and brothel may have existed before then, with no mention of Minnehaha or E.D. Thompson in city guides of the preceding years.

I also confirmed the wealth of Mary Thompson, though estimates of the size of her "fortune" varied widely. In the Jan 19, 1893 Seattle PI, R.W. Stokes, her main heir, summarizes her net worth at approximately $2,000, or the equivalent of $200,000 today. But the Seattle PI estimated it at closer to $20,000 ($2 million in today's dollars), comprising the saloon, additional real estate, "considerable jewelery," a horse and carriage, and cash. (Seattle PI)  But let's back up a bit.

Edgar D. Thompson, then proprietor of the Minnehaha, died of consumption on June 29, 1890. But the inheritance of his estate (then estimated at $5,000) by his wife Mary Eddy Thompson was contested by Edgar's brother George. George maintained that at the time she married Edgar in Tacoma, Mary was actually married to another man, Caleb Eddy, from whom she never divorced. While I have not found an article on the resolution, Mary must have prevailed, as subsequent articles refer to her ownership of the saloon and other assets. 

Mary herself appears to have died in California in early 1893. Her own will leaves most of her assets and the role of executor to R.W. Stokes, a bartender at the saloon whom she describes in her will as "a husband and a friend" (despite her continued use of the Thompson surname), and also "the only one on earth I think is entitled to my affection and respect." But some thought Stokes had manipulated her into the will.

At the time she wrote her will in 1892 Mary had both a son and a daughter; but she states, 
"I have no recognized relations. None that I care to inherit any of my gains left behind. I, Mary E. Thompson, have two children living, a boy Johnne, 18 teen, a girl Maggie 17th. The girl I have not seen nor do I know that she lives or not but the boy has been around me going on three years. He has never respected me as a mother but has caused me much trouble." 
The son, the PI notes, is actually nearly 25 when she died, and was employed at the saloon. Stokes' status of executor was revoked because he could not maintain both this role and most the inheritance, and he eventually appears to have ended up with little to nothing, after failing to procure the appropriate bonds. (Seattle PI 3/31/1893)

As for the saloon, if it was in operation at all after Mary's death, the business was short-lived. The saloon was gone by the time of a news story of a fire in the building in October 1893, and it was torn down in 1894. By 1906 the area would make way for the King Street Station, where now travelers deboard Amtrak, and fans exit light rail trains on their way to Seattle Seahawks games

For several years I'd hoped for some additional information on Mary and the Minnehaha Saloon -- largely items that would fit neatly into a spreadsheet: the location, years of operation, changes in ownership. But when I finally found more answers they created so many more questions that I'll almost certainly never see answered. What was her personality like? What would Mary tell us about her experiences as a black woman making a go of it in the rough and tumble skid road area of 19th century Seattle? Was she happy in life, with her multiple husbands, few friends, and estranged children? Did her wealth help her or hinder her toward that end? Every answer just evokes a hundred more questions, but I'm glad for every little tidbit.



Tuesday, April 27, 2021

#3600 - Bux's Place, Challis, ID - 8/20/2018

Bux's Place, Challis, ID

When I first found a photo of the sign outside of Bux's Place I knew I had to go there. It obviously had some age and character, but I wouldn't know how much until I visited. The bar has been Bux's since 1949, owned by Willis and Sylvilla Buxton until they sold it to Tony and Madge Yacomella in 1981. The sign had just gone up the previous year, but the bar has been there far, far longer. Once you step inside you clearly see the rounded log structure of the place, though the clapboard and shiplap facade is also original, dating back to the Central Hotel, constructed in 1877. The back section was added in 1879 and the current window treatment in front is said to date back "only" to the 1930s. (IHS

It is, in fact, the only commercial log structure that has survived since the 1880s in this old mining town -- there for the boom times of the late 1870s, surviving the fire of 1894, and also the earthquake of 1983. Challis's current population of around 1,000 people is actually not all that different from the mining boom years, reaching 614 in 1880, dying out with the mining, but climbing back up over 800 in the 1930s as the economy shifted to agriculture and lumber. It's enough people to make it the largest city in Custer County, Idaho, and in one site's rankings placed 9th in the 10 Most Redneck Cities in Idaho -- with Bux's being all the article talks about. But if so, I'll take it. The beer was cold and the people friendly.

The Idaho historical society has described the surroundings thusly:

"The town of Challls lies at an elevation of 5,280 feet in Round Valley, a circular yalley formed by a bend of the Salmon River as it flows through the southern Salmon River Mountains. To the north the town abuts a bluff of volcanic tuff and columnar rhyolite. U.S. Highway 93, which connects Mackay and Salmon, runs near the eastern edge of town. To the west the valley narrows into Garden Creek Canyon, where cottonwoods are abundant. North, west, east, and south, the valley is surrounded by the rugged, pine-skirted Salmon River Mountains and Lost River Mountains. In this physically isolated and sparsely populated area, the town of Challis grew up as a trade center for mines farther north and west in the central Idaho mountains." (IHS)

Patrons Suzie and Crockett, owner Madge
Bux's Place, Challis, Idaho

The first Europeans, appear to have passed through the area in fur trading expeditions in 1822, with prospectors beginning to arrive in 1864. "The settlers who had come to Challis by 1880 were a predominantly Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern-born group, but a substantial number were immigrants from England, Ireland, and Western Europe. There were, in addition, eight Chinese households. As one would expect, men outnumbered women five to one, and there were few children. Slightly less than half of the population were miners; the remainder were occupied with services and trades necessary for the subsistence of Challis and the surrounding mining towns." (wikiwand)



The Yacomella family still own and run Bux's, Tony and Madge's son Bill the manager, and Madge still pouring drinks when I was there. The large space serves as an unofficial community center for Challis, hosting birthday parties, memorials, and weddings -- with limited gambling events that would be a lot more common, I was informed, "if not for the goddamn Mormons." The "Testicle Festival" celebrating "Rocky Mountain Oysters" is a highlight. Madge is said to be "the true matriarch of Challis" (SVM), and as people relate past hijinks of people riding horses and motorcycles into the bar "There is a general acknowledgement that such tomfoolery doesn’t occur when Madge is around."

The interior is highlighted by ancient murals of mountain scenes on the upper walls, old taxidermy big game heads and antlers, a wood stove, and the aforementioned friendly people. Another highlight is the beautifully ornate, antique Brunswick back bar. It is both living history and a charming place to visit, not to be missed in any central Idaho roadtrip.










































321 Main St, Challis, ID 83226 - (208) 879-4464
Est. 1949 - Building constructed: 1877
Previous bars in this location: Central Hotel Saloon, Challis Hotel Saloon
Web site: facebook 
Articles: sunvalleymag - yelp - wikipedia - national historical places description 

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

#4141 #S1688 - Octopus Bar (corner), Seattle - 3/15/2021

The Octopus Bar, Seattle, WA

Judging from the crowd waiting for the new location of the Octopus Bar to open up today, I think they'll have a hit on their hands.

This spot on the corner of 45th and Bagley in Wallingford has hosted bars since shortly after prohibition. By 1935 it was the Picture Palace Tavern, then the Checkerboard in the early 40s to the mid 60s. In either 1964 or 1965 to became the Iron Bull, then very briefly the "Jolley Trolley in the mid 70s, and finally Goldies from the mid 70s until 2010. Later that year it became even more sport bar focused, and reinstituted the Iron Bull name until closing in November 2016.


However their loss became our gain when the frisky Octopus Bar, forced to move out of their location just around the old Guild 45th Theater, moved and greatly expanded into the space. The Octopus has 8 or 9 booths outside (which one hopes they'll be able to keep post-COVID), and a few inside spots along the front wall with big open windows that are probably just as COVID-safe. They also have a lot more indoor space right now, which I'm personally not ready to use, but their precautions seem relatively strong.




The food menu leans toward familiar comfort foods, and while the cocktail menu leans toward sugary sweet concoctions that are not going to impress more serious drinkers, but you can definitely find some satisfactory options. The big draw, of course, is the vibe and decor. From the pier pilings outside to the almost steampunk nautical decorations inside to the bathroom with sea life decor looking in and Bettie Page images looking out from the inside, it's an adult fun fest. 































2121 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 397-4557
Est. March 15, 2021 (this location); Jan 25, 2014 up the road - Building constructed: 1925
Previous bars in this location: Picture Palace Tavern, The Checkerboard, Iron Bull, Jolley Trolley, Goldies
Web site: theoctopusbar.com - facebook 
Articles ranked: seattlepi - do206 - wallyhoodyelp - tripadvisor  

Thursday, March 11, 2021

The Eastlake Zoo

(Note: This is a post on one of the more interesting bars that I first went to long ago and was on my starting list, and hence hasn't had its own blog entry at the time.)

Eastlake Zoo Tavern, Seattle, WA
Est. 1974
The University of Washington campus is framed by two epic neighborhood dive bars, the Blue Moon and the Eastlake Zoo.
The former is the older establishment, and has attracted more attention from the local literati. But both locations have hosted bars since shortly after prohibition, and both are living time capsules, that have preserved their considerable character for decades as the neighborhoods around them changed.

The Eastlake Zoo building, constructed in 1902, has hosted since at least early 1935, when the city directory lists a bar of unknown name owned by Max Hurwitz. (Hurwitz also owned the "Put & Take Tavern," before new owners renamed it the Latona Pub in the late 40s.) From the mid 30s to the mid 60s it hosted a string of eponymously named bars including "Joe's Place" (Joe Carroll) by 1936, "Tommie Wood's Tavern" (owned by, yes, Thomas Woods) by 1941, "Teel & Moffatt's Tavern" in 1944, "Jack's Tavern" by 1945, "Mack's Tavern" (Ivan "Mack" McKinnon) from 1948 to 1959, and "Hank's Tavern" owned by Henry Kourad by 1960 and preserving that name for a few years when it was owned by Thelma Brown and Maxine Hart, until Hart renamed it the "It'll Do Tavern" in either late 1965 or early 1966.

Howard Brown, owner, Eastlake Zoo Tavern
March 2021

Hart appears to have sold the It'll Do to Alf and Donna Schroeder, and in a couple years it exchanged hands to a group calling itself "Blue Moon Inc." I have not found any connections of this group to the Blue Moon Tavern, which at that time was owned by Gerry Kingen (along with a ramshackle tavern the edge of Portage Bay called the "Red Robin"). But Howard Brown says that the Blue Moon Inc. group included Clinton Worthington and Stan Paul at the time the "Eastlake Zoo" group purchased the place in 1974. The Zoo team (or "Ooz Bros" as they were known via their softball team and other extracurricular activities) was formed as a co-op, with a percentage ownership determined by how much one worked the place, and rotating roles like chief executive. They assumed the name of "ITC," the Intergalactic Tavern Co-op -- though the co-op part is less relevant now, with all the main members having passed away with the exception of Howard Brown.

Eastlake Zoo Tavern, Seattle, WA

Much of the group lived just down the hill from the bar, in the "hippie houseboat community," before the floating houses had plumbing and million dollar price tags. Howard didn't work there at the very start, but his roommate in a house across the street from the houseboats did, and Howard joined in 1978. In 1992 Howard and his wife, now with a child, moved, and Howard worked in construction while his wife worked for UPS. But after partner Mike "Seemore" Bennett passed away, the people left running the place gradually let the place slide, and handled the cash-only till with something less than total integrity. In 2007 Mike's brother Pat Bennett called Howard to help rescue the place, the two had a meeting with the landlord, and Howard was back on the job, firing undependable staff and cleaning up the business. He's been there most days ever since, even after Pat passed away.


Throughout all this, the Zoo has maintained its hippie-like, laid back but fun vibe and decor. It is one of a very few remaining true taverns -- no liquor, just beer and wine -- and only accepts an ancient form of payment known as "cash." The bar was expanded well beyond the confines of the It'll Do Tavern, with the added back section holding billiard tables, an official-sized snooker table (lit by a billiards lamp from the old 211 Club in downtown Seattle), Skee-Ball, ping pong table, shuffleboard and pinball machines, along with an elevated back portion looking down on the alley below. There's a dance floor and room for a band -- less common now, but one wall is covered with a sample of the the fliers for the regular schedule of years of the mostly blues and rock bands, and occasionally funk or metal, that got the place jumping. "Duffy Bishop & the Rhythm Dogs were repeating performers, and I remember a night when a friend of mine didn't allow the exuberant Duffy quite enough space on the dance floor, and as she popped her head up she accidentally broke his nose. It was the sort of bar where those things happened. (The same friend's injury was re-aggravated at the Zoo one night when I convinced him to climb head first into an antique Coke cooler.)

King Zoosaga, AKA Seemore, AKA Mike Bennett
owner, Eastlake Zoo Tavern, Seattle, WA

Things appear mysteriously at the Zoo.
Any great old dive is lined with layers of bric-a-brac accreted in an undirected manner over many years, and the Zoo has these memories in spades. Sometimes they are carefully planned like the mural on a back wall, and sometimes they are only discovered the next morning, like the squirrel hide Howard found mounted on the wall, or the framed, hastily scrawled note observing "H.B. says it's not his fault." ("H.B." would be Howard.) There are memories of past owners, past patrons, and various past events -- like the Seattle Times article about Howard wining his 4th straight Pub Run, a once annual event that required racing between eight to thirteen bars (varying with the year) and pounding a 7-oz beer at every one of them. There are photos of the softball team, of an annual event in Marysville, of people dancing, singing, fighting, and just sitting. And then there are the "after-hours" photos where things really get weird. 


There are animal heads and horns and hides (tending to the more exotic than the aforementioned squirrel contribution). There's a giant photo of Basil Rathbone for some reason, and a red paper mache dragon with glowing eyes (sometimes you don't ask). There are dartboards surrounded by rope and wooden frames with the dart holes of thousands of errant throws over the decades. There are posters from past events, many of them done for the benefit of Northwest Harvest or other charities, including the annual events of  the "Guitar Outlaws" ensembles, chili cookoff, and mac-n-cheese smackdown. The Guitar Outlaws in particular is a venerated tradition, though tragically due to COVID, the December 2020 performance was canceled for this first time since 1991. The authors of its opus "The String Cycle" have compared it favorably to Wagner's Ring Cycle, and described it modestly as "the most important event of the 20th century." (Seattle Times, Oct 16, 1992).

In summary, the Eastlake Zoo, while casual, is so deep in character and characters, that if the phrase "great old dive" has any appeal to you, you must not live in or visit Seattle without at least occasionally dropping in.


For more photos please see Pete's Eastlake Zoo Flickr pics 


2301 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102
Est. 1974 - Building constructed: 1924 - Co-op founded in 1974
Previous bars in this location: Tommie Wood's Tavern, Teel and Moffatt's Tavern, Jack's Tavern, Mack's Tavern, Hank's Tavern, Joe's Place, It'll Do Tavern
Web site: facebook - eastlakezoo.com (2010 via wayback machine)
Articles Ranked: atlasobscuraseattlepi - seattlepi - seattleweekly - artzone (video) - seattle times re. guitar outlaws (Seattle library card required) - yelp - tripadvisor - thrillist