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The Great American Saloon Series
The Royale Treatment
A remembrance of corner taverns gone by.
Stroll through any city with a formerly Episcopalian, German Lutheran, and Roman Catholic majority population, and one will find on every block the ghost of a corner tavern. In his excellent history of watering holes, The Old-Time Saloon, the humorist George Ade recalls the superfluity of corner taverns circa 1900, and how the establishments rapidly fell into disfavor.
According to Ade, the glut of public houses was one of the main gripes of groups like the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and the Anti-Saloon League. Ade believed the bar owners had it coming. As the dry opposition snowballed, tavern keepers continued to flout the law, serving minors, operating after midnight, and opening their doors on the Sabbath. Taverns were havens for all manner of illegal shenanigans. And they spread like warm butter.
Ade had high praise for the established German brewers — the Buschs and Lemps in St. Louis, and the Schlitz, Pabst, and Blatz families in Milwaukee — for being conscientious managers of the industry. It was the English that mucked things up. Envious of the Germans and their wide profit margins, the British aristocrats muscled their way in. The English were happy to set up anyone with a pair of shoes with a corner saloon — as long as he agreed to sell only their brand of beer. Wrote Ade:
New saloons opened whenever there seemed to be a fair chance of attracting a group of bar drinkers. They grew in number along the main thoroughfares, filtered into side streets and invaded residence districts. They planted themselves next door to churches, schools and hospitals. They began to sprout in quiet neighborhoods among well-behaved homes, despite the frantic protests of property-owners and householders.
German-Americans (about one in three of the population) were the last bulwark against the dry protests. But the sinking of the Lusitania (1915) effectively silenced them. With the wet resistance squashed, the WTCU, Anti-Saloon League and the Methodist Board of Temperance, Prohibition and Public Morals easily carried the day.
AFTER PROHIBITION, the neighborhood tavern made a brief comeback. I have fond memories of being dispatched to fetch my father home from the corner saloon, but not before joining him at the bar for a Royal Crown Cola and a bag of corn curls. That tavern is no more, having been dealt a deathblow by the middle class flight to the suburbs. (How bad was it? If Chicago boasted 7,600 taverns in the early 1900s, it now has fewer than 1,300.)
Today, as some urban neighborhoods undergo gentrification, a few corner taverns are coming back. More often than not they are reopening as gourmet bistros where the linened tables are reserved for yuppie diners who quaff craft beers on tap.
The tavern at the corner of Kingshighway and Juniata in St. Louis has largely avoided this pitfall. The proprietor, Steven Fitzpatrick Smith, is a Chicago native with enough untainted Irish blood in his veins to eschew shabby chic (you will find no rust-painted 1950s Schwinn bicycles hanging on his walls). What’s more, Smith has earned his Irish innkeeper chops by serving as the city’s de facto boxing commissioner due largely to his inner city youth boxing program and renowned backyard amateur bouts.
Smith opened The Royale Food & Spirits in 2005. Since that happy day, it has been our default saloon. The Royale is smallish, and usually crowded. But it is never rowdy. The clientele are mostly mild-mannered hipsters, with a few yuppies and sports fans sprinkled throughout to keep the atmosphere from becoming too ironic. Most bars are ruined by their unfortunate selection of music. Not the Royale. Evenings there is a DJ who plays old scratchy records from the early Sixties. If one thing distinguishes today’s Royale from its 1930s predecessor, it is that the free lunch counter has been replaced by a menu featuring fish tacos, goat-cheese pizza, and other delicacies. However, it is the Kobe beef hamburger that wins awards.
The Royale makes a point of not serving Anheuser-Busch products, even though you sometimes smell the brewery from The Royale’s spacious biergarten. Instead, the bar specializes in cocktails named for the city’s famous neighborhoods. My favorite is the Soulard sling (Rhum Barbancourt, fresh orange juice, fresh lemon and lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, Angostura bitters and grenadine, served on the rocks, with a slice of orange and a cherry). If your prefer your poison by the pint (and who doesn’t) there’s St. Louis’s locally brewed Schlafly’s on tap. I like the grapefruity IPA the best.
Two years ago, Smith purchased an abandoned corner saloon on Cherokee Street, not two blocks from my home. The plan was to house a boxing parlor on the first floor and a Royale-style saloon on the second. However, the local alderman, a teetotaler, wasn’t having any of it. He managed to stall the project until the economy tanked and Smith had to shelve his plans. Today, the tavern sits dormant, its brick walls splattered with gang graffiti, a twitchy crack dealer and a low-rent hooker sheltering in the doorway. In our ward at least, the Anti-Saloon League rides again. Thank God we still have The Royale.
About the Author
Christopher Orlet writes from St. Louis.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (33) | Leave a comment
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Bob K.| 3.3.11 @ 8:19AM
They are all going. We have become a "Carrie" Nation. MADD; your typical Alderman, probably as ugly as Carrie was; our castrated bureaucrats hiring more Liquor Agents to snoop around what taverns remain and issue their quotas of harrassment citations; lawyers dragging in owners in as potential defendants whenever a traffic death involving drinking occurs have all contributed to this demise of our neighborhoods.
It is another sign of what is the devolution of America from "masses yearning to breathe free" into a whimpering mass of wimps!
Redstateboy| 3.3.11 @ 8:32AM
what??! am I the only who knows that it was the Smoke Nazi's that killed the local Bar? In Buffalo, NY, where I grew up, there was a local bar on practically every corner.. then the smoke Nazi's came along and.. "Poof" - Bars that had been family owned and operated for generations began to fold - it was no fun having to step outside in a freezing snow storm to have a puff.. so people started saying: "screw it! I'll stay home!" and let's see.. which political party has the greatest propensity to be home for smoke nazi's ? ah yes.. why the good ole' slave party - the Democrat Party.
russel| 3.3.11 @ 9:11AM
You're both right . Do-gooderism has spread out like an oil slick , an undercover PC . Even the MADD founder quit , citing the organization has gone too far . Their eventual goal is another Prohib , but finishing off establishments first . The other , smoke , well , some districts allow it , other communities tell the owner his property rights belong to them . I'm too old and scared of the cops to spend nights out now , but those taverns and bars were some good times .
Bob K.| 3.3.11 @ 11:20AM
Yeah, I forgot that!
Steve A| 3.3.11 @ 9:42AM
Great, now I am going to think about a nice, tall cold one all day.
Matt Morehouse| 3.3.11 @ 9:44AM
Two of my favorite joints from the eighties; Patterson's and the No Name in Sausalito. I wonder if they are still there.
Like others I too am wary of having more than one or two which is not enough to even begin a good conversation. "They" have won.
Paul McGrath| 3.3.11 @ 4:18PM
I think Patterson's is still there, or something like it. They had like 75 different kinds of Scotch available and I remember telling my girlfriend at the time that my life-long goal was to get to all 75 of them. I was only eight for 75 when I left San Francisco for Sacramento. I still return to San Francisco several times a year, but only occasionally do we take the ferry to Sausalito. I will make a point to do so, and look up Patterson's, when we to the city in April.
"They" have not won. But you have to make damn sure that they don't get you when you're driving. You're life will be a pain in the ass for about three years if they do.
Michael L. Hauschild| 3.3.11 @ 9:52AM
My family either personally managed or leased one of these establishments, the Parkside Bar, a town fixture since the original liquor license (a document we still possess) was issued in 1888 for the outlandish price of twenty dollars. The tavern evolved from the Old German Home at the onset of WWI when goose-stepping in the streets and lower German while ordering lost favor. The structure was burnt beyond repair in 1997 due to a fire caused by electrical ballast in a dart board. It was subsequently condemned and demolished.
I am old enough to have witnessed its devolution from a family type establishment, to Sports Bar, to its demise by brimstone when the patronage was composed mostly of alcoholics within walking distance of home. Toward the end there were more police with breathalyzers lurking in the recesses of the old downtown area than there were patrons with their elbows propped on that original mahogany. Like that wood, first in Nebraska by the way, the bar was a shrine for memories. Some were major like the two World War victories, some were more personal, designated by the thousands of blue and pink cellophane wrapped cigars that you could actually smoke. Prohibition came and went with its painted doors, the half and full pints of moonshine from the back room continued uninterrupted.
Many relationships were initialized there, some of them, as my second marriage, were fleeting (I have not drank since) but also many 30th, 40th, and Golden anniversaries now need a new location. It has been nearly a generation since its passing but not a week goes by without one of our old patrons offering up a “Parkside” memory.
Ron H| 3.3.11 @ 9:53AM
Does this quote cover the agenda of the "do gooders"?
Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. C.S. Lewis
Bob K.| 3.3.11 @ 6:55PM
Thanks for the quote. C. S. Lewis is on the side of the Angels!
KyMouse| 3.3.11 @ 10:53AM
I've been to England, Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man dozens of times, and have always been impressed by how nice almost all of the pubs are. They are places in which I'm happy to have a meal and talk with the local folks. Almost all of the pubs I've visited have appeared clean and cheerful.
Many of them have themes, such as the Sherlock Holmes one in London. The Mutiny on the Bounty-themed one in the Isle of Man (Fletcher Christian was Manx, I think) had a back wall that was made to look like the windows in the captain's quarters. There was a big picture of the sea behind the "window" that rocked slightly from side to side -- a clever touch.
In contrast, there are very few city bars in which I want to stay longer than it takes to have a quick drink or two. I know there are many exceptions, but the traditional image of the American bar is a pretty seedy one.
Why the difference in ambiance?
MoeBlotz| 3.3.11 @ 12:17PM
The British Pub has always been a place to sit down whilst enjoying a pint and conversation. The brewers owned most of the pubs and matured their beer in casks down cellar. Real ale is the the most fragile of beer and delightful to sip when it is kept properly. The best pubs I have visited all had the character of the locale and conversation was all you heard,no blaring speakers or television sets. A traditional British pub needs no gimmicks.
Occam's Tool| 3.3.11 @ 7:35PM
Indeed.
Occam's Tool| 3.3.11 @ 7:40PM
The British pubs were/are part of a culture where drinking is more thoroughly integrated into normal society than in the US, Mouse. When I lived in N-Zed, I noted that my nurses drank a heck of a lot more than they did at home in the States (in public). In addition, it was easier to have kids around, which helped with the normalization.
In contrast, we are more puritanical. However, I have noticed a lot of pubs in Minnesota allow kids with parents at lunch, which contributes to a more congenial atmosphere. Again, there is a difference between pubs and meat markets.
KyMouse| 3.4.11 @ 7:48AM
Thanks for your thoughtful replies, Moe and Occam's Tool. I agree, Moe, that "a traditional British pub needs no gimmicks." My point was that pubs often find ways to showcase their owners' interests or show their pride in their local history. Nothing wrong with that.
Handy| 3.4.11 @ 7:32PM
British and Irish pubs are also canine-friendly. That factor adds to the friendly ambience.
Timothy Birdnow | 3.3.11 @ 11:46AM
I refuse to go into the Royale, since they had an enormous mural of Obama on their south wall during the 2008 elections.
For shame, Chris! :)
Go to Tin Can on Morganford instead. You can get Hamms beer...
Michael L. Hauschild| 3.3.11 @ 11:53AM
From the land of sky blue waters, the beer refreshing.
Handy| 3.3.11 @ 11:57AM
In Cicero, Illinois, back in the 1970s, in a four block square, there were 16 corner bars. One at each intersection. This, of course, did not include the motels and race tracks that also served booze.
When I was in graduate school at the University of Chicago, I passed at least 20 bar/restaurants on my 10 block trek to the campus. Fully 10, plus three elegant hotels, were within a two block radius of my dorm. Most sold beer and botlles of hooch to go, and they only closed between 0300 and 0400, because they had to be ready for the early morning crowd.
Draft beers (12 Oz.) were about 50 cents and a shot of skull-popper was 85 cents. Today, beer is about $4.00 and you can't get a skimpy pour on the rocks for less than $9.00.
The Bull and Bear in the Waldorf was like a corner saloon in olden times. Regulars stopped in after work. I used to enjoy the double martinis served in pewter caraffes: $3.00. On a recent trip to Gotham, I quaffed a single martini for only $25.00.
We truly have become a nation of prudes, scolds, and revenue hounds. In my small home town there is a popular tavern on the main street. It really is a good place, but there is no overnight parking nearby. So, if you have had more than a couple, you have the choice of walking home and paying the parking fine, or worse, getting behind the wheel and trying to avoid the lurking Barney Fifes.
Now, I can't be sure about the net take on all of this for my county, but there are three full-time DUI judges and their staffs, plus the prosecutors and assorted other functionaries, such as the army of "stand-around" security guards at the court house. Do the fines collected make up for the loss of liquor license fees, and local sales taxes on booze? I don't know, but I suspect not.
I no longer go clubbing. Not even across the street where there used to be a friendly spot. I no longer go to the Off Track Betting parlor a few blocks away. These places are deserts ever since the anti-smoking laws took effect.
There used to be Men's Grills, where a guy could escape the ladies and have a stogie and a shot. It was nice to go to the Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh, or the Cosmos in DC where it was men-only. No more. Without fragrant tobacco smoke, these places now reek of perfume. It's cloying. And, with the way girls jabber, you can't get a moment of silence to collect your thoughts.
Sorry to be so long, but I always enjoy the Saloon Series in TAS.
The good times are gone. I blame wimmen and gays.
Paul McGrath| 3.3.11 @ 4:48PM
When I hear the comment, "the good times are gone," sometimes I think it's because, well, we're all not quite as young as we used to be. And as, uhh, attractive. And unmarried.
As a younger man in my thirties, it was pretty much standard operating procedure that we'd go out and have a few drinks with lunch at least a couple of times a week. The president of the company did, the VPs did, everybody did. Within three blocks of the Market/Van Ness intersection in San Francisco--where I worked--there had to have been about thirty places within walking distance where one could go to have a drink. Maybe more. At lunch on every day of the week, the streets were thronged with people wandering about looking for a bite to eat or a beer or two, and every place was busy.
Now, forget it. The concept is gone. I tried to get a few of the younger crowd at my recent place of employment to go out and have a couple on a Friday, and although a couple of them liked the idea, it was obvious that they were uncomfortable with it. One is not supposed to drink during work hours, don't you know. (Although the employee guidelines never explicitly state that anywhere.)
Yes, I know it's horribly sexist to say, but women are the problem. In the earlier days, women were present in the work force, and they'd occasionally join us for lunch, but rarely did they drink. Now, women are dominant in the work force and in management, and since so few of them are comfortable with the idea of having a drink at lunch, nobody under them is either. Wittingly or unwittingly, their will has been imposed.
What a pain in the ass.
Handy| 3.4.11 @ 10:38PM
Can you say WCTU? Emphasis on the W. Women really are the problem. Without them, we could have a civil society.
Carrie Nation and her ilk were more responsible for the gansters and mayhem of the 1920s than the ATF bureaucrats.
All girls should be sent to Australia and all guys should come to North America. The two can meet in Hawaii for breeding purposes. If there are not enough hotel rooms, the Philippines are a fall-back option. Nice shoes Imelda, so do you wanna?
But, the bossy bitches need to step aside. They are not only unattractive; they are just plain annoying. And, they add nothing to the bargain. Sort of like gay guys.
marcia| 3.3.11 @ 12:49PM
our local Episcolalian church, with its clan of home-brew makers has a Pub Nite every February. Darts, Mr Bean movies and a sing-a long of bawdy ditties. Great fun and even Methodists have been known to show up.
PKelly| 3.3.11 @ 2:13PM
My God you can get IPA in the states, theres hope for us yet!
BL in AK| 3.3.11 @ 4:51PM
PKelly-Stick to the east coast breweries if you want an English-style IPA, the sweetness from the malt is preferred over the bitterness from the hops. In really good examples the malt and hops are well balanced. The west coast IPAs are big on hops. Imperial (or Double) IPAs are even better with higher ABVs and higher IBUs (Intl Bittering Units). I prefer IPAs myself, my favorite is Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, it is a classic American style IPA.
cheerz
BL
Bill Streeter | 3.10.11 @ 9:36AM
By definition India Pale Ales should be heavy on the hops. The style started as a beer specifically brewed for export to India so extra hops were added as a preservative to survive the trip. An IPA that isn't very hoppy isn't a good representation of the style.
Leo| 3.3.11 @ 5:37PM
The smoking prohibition fanatics killed the corner tavern. And the hospitality and restaurant industry just stood by and watched as their industry was robbed of an important revenue source, the nearly 25% of Americans who are (still) smokers. That's a lot of lost customers and the industry failed to understand how important smokers were to its success. The whining non-smokers now failed to replace them as customers spending money at the same level. It's a shame that the industry did not fight it because they also failed to understand how smoking was really an issue of freedom. When that freedom was taken away, Americans realized that these taverns, hotels, restaurants, country clubs etc. aren't quite as comfortable places to relax as they once were.
Negro X| 3.3.11 @ 5:51PM
I no longer frequent local bars because of the all the reasons stated in other posts as well as some idiot bar owners who foolishly redecorate in an attempt lure in the homo hipster crowd.
Michael L. Hauschild| 3.3.11 @ 7:03PM
"Homo hipster crowd?????" There are two bars left in town, trust me here,there are no glory holes at Brownies (his last name is Brown), and Dort's sports a pool table/shuffleboard motif with bowling trophies on the backbar.
Occam's Tool| 3.3.11 @ 7:34PM
Interestingly, for I am not a drinker, I frequent the local pubs in town for their pub food and the beautiful wood.
My favorite pub is Caspar and Runyon's Nook in St Paul. The cheeseburgers there are usually voted the best in the Twins. I would say they are the best I've ever had, period. Because of the lack of smoke, one can take children in there for lunch (this is true of the Pubs in Rotorua, NZ as well at lunch) and eat quite well.
There are meat markets and then there are family pubs. I haven't noted the two overlapping much.
Flee| 3.3.11 @ 8:11PM
An interesting piece though I don't understand the tavern's refusal to sell AB products when they are a St. Louis icon if there ever was one. With my family growing up on the North Side of Chicago I certainly remember the high number of taverns within nearly spitting distance of every side street. They have gone the same route as the neighborhood market.
Marla Hare Griffin | 3.5.11 @ 12:17AM
Bob, I regret to point out that it is you who has spoken less than truthfully. You know full well that The Royale did not recently decide against carrying products distributed by Lohr. The Royale has not carried products distributed by Lohr since the driver’s strike of 2005. Both you, and most St. Louisans have been aware of this for a good many years.
Knowing this, it is difficult to understand your apparent surprise that we would stop selling your beer once GB moved to Lohr. At the time to which you refer, we didn’t “pull any product going through Lohr” --- there were not any such products in our lineup. We stopped selling GB when you stopped selling to us and urged us instead to reverse a long-held position.
The Royale’s reasoning has always been and remains sound with regard to our right as merchants to decide with whom we conduct business. Your suggestion that this is some sort of publicity stunt is approximately 6 years late, and frankly, offensive to me, the staff of the Royale, and to the Smith family.
Dee See| 3.5.11 @ 1:44AM
BTW ---check out what they're doing
with all those HD video screens mandated
everywhere, along with those RED China
made, mercury filled 'smart' flourescent bulbs.
FACT IS the neuro-controllers have found
you can use flicker rates to neutralize the
opinion and reality forming functions of
the brain.
I think this is, IN FACT, part of the much
promoted 'Singapore Model' of the future.
NO KIDDING
العاب بنات | 4.11.12 @ 6:06PM
is nic