The Brick Saloon

Washington's oldest continuously operating tavern, established in 1889, featuring its original 23-foot running-water spittoon and a starring role in Northern Exposure.

The Brick Saloon stands at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and First Street, a monumental anchor of Roslyn's historic core since its founding in 1889. Originally opened as a simple frame tavern by John Buffo and Peter Giovanni, the establishment was destroyed by a devastating fire in the late 1890s. Undeterred, Giovanni, who would later serve two terms as the town's mayor, rebuilt the structure in 1898 using 45,000 locally manufactured red bricks, giving the legendary watering hole its permanent name and its fireproof resilience. Today, it remains the oldest continuously operating bar in Washington, its facade marked by a towering neon sign that illuminates the street at night.

Inside, the saloon's centerpieces are its historic fixtures, most notably the 23-foot Brunswick back bar. This massive piece of carved oak was crafted in England, shipped along European trade routes around Cape Horn to Portland, Oregon, and eventually hauled to the Cascade foothills. Running along the base of the bar is the famous 23-foot water-filled spittoon, a fully functional relic of the town's coal-mining era. Originally designed to allow miners to clear their lungs of coal dust, or relieve themselves without relinquishing their barstools, the trough still flows with running water today. Overhead, the ceiling is papered with hundreds of signed dollar bills left by generations of travelers, while historical photographs, antique steins, and old flasks line the wood-paneled walls.

The history extends deep beneath the floorboards. In the basement, visitors can find the subterranean 'coolie tunnel,' which once connected the saloon to neighboring businesses and served as a discreet passage for bootleggers during Prohibition. The basement also preserves original holding cells from the town's early days, alongside two additional steel cells constructed by Hollywood set designers for the 1979 film 'The Runner Stumbles,' which starred Dick Van Dyke as a conflicted small-town priest. Decades later, the saloon gained international fame when its exterior served as Holling Vincoeur's tavern in the beloved 1990s television series 'Northern Exposure.'

The kitchen serves up hearty, straightforward pub fare designed to satisfy travelers and locals alike. Notable menu options include the Fire Burger, which comes loaded with a grilled Anaheim green chile, fried jalapenos, applewood smoked bacon, pepper jack, and sriracha cream cheese. Other favorites range from a slow-smoked brisket sandwich with candied jalapenos to a classic Reuben piled high on grilled rye. For those seeking plant-based options, the kitchen offers an Impossible Burger and black bean patties alongside their signature rosemary shoestring fries. It is a menu that honors the working-class roots of the saloon, providing robust sustenance in an environment that has barely changed since the miners first walked through the doors.

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