The pine street saloon

paso robles cowboy wine country

The two story redwood building, with the "Western False Front", which

at the time, was for sure not "False" in that it was built during the true days

of the wild west.  The exact date is not known but figurin' right now might

have been the present day location of the Pine Street Saloon was built 1857

circa.

 

Back in those early days it had a narrow balcony at the second floor level. 

"Old records give some indication that the first floor was used as a saloon,

and the second floor a boarding house, and as story again tells... a Bordello. 

You can just see the ladies of the night out on the balcony luring  the cowboys

and ranchers up to their rooms...sometime in those early days it housed the

Cosmopolitan Hotel and a saloon.  In the 1890tys it was known as the Young

Hotel.  It was a popular hotel where delicious food was served at reasonable

rates. 

 

In 1960 it became the Estrada Bar.  But, now and maybe forever known as

the Pine Street Saloon.

 

 

Now this is a old timey Saloon buckaroos

 

Whisky for my men

Beer for my Horses

Ron French

Proprietor of the famous Pine Street Saloon

 

In 1888 J. Campbell operated a saloon at 1236-1238, the original site of the Pine Street Saloon before the 2003 San Simeon Earth-quake.  For many years back then it served as a saloon, a billiard parlor and a card room.  It was one of the oldest brick structures in Paso Robles.  South and right next to the building at 1234 Pine St. where now the famed Pine Street Saloon is kicking up dust nightly,  the brick building that housed the first Pine Street Saloon  was completed in 1865, if not sooner. 

 

"In 1971 Pat French bought the bar, when it had the only beer license and was called the Red Door.  Ms. French and Jim Johnson, the local sheriff's deputy, began collecting the mirrors, beer signs and other memorabilia that now cover the walls of this popular landmark and civic treasure."

 

In 1980 Pine Street went through a remodeling session and at a time the name was changed from the Red Door to what is now known as "The Pine Street Saloon".  In 1996, the Saloon started serving liquor from a full bar.  In 2001 the Saloon moved next door to its current location at 1234 Pine Street.

Right next to Ray's Card Room is the original Pine Street Saloon, just

to the right is the wood structure that is now the Pine Street Saloon

where you see the truck on the far right parked in front of the Saloon.

Rising fast Country Star Kacey

Musgraves at Pine Street Saloon

Travis Howard, hit song writer for

County Mega star Miranda Lambert

Kenny Lee Lewis lead guitar for Steve

Miller Band for 30 + years, and Internet

sensation Laura Francisca

Jesse James as he looked when

hiding out in Paso in 1868-69,

or thereabouts

 

Called the last of the "old-time beverage-purveying establishments of a bygone era in a town that once boasted dozens of such places."

 

Bernie Taupin and Norm Sancho

Louie Ortega, Eliza and Ramblin'

Jack Elliott

Benedict Cumberbatch actor

The Imitation Game

Nicolas Escarpio

who rode with Poncho Villa

 

 

Louie Ortega, Kenny Lee Lewis, who has been playing lead guitar for the Steve

Miller band for the past 30 years and the great John Andrew Parks on the left

Paula Nelson Band, and yepper that is the

daughter of the one and only Willie Nelson

 

 

Jack Tempchin, Eagles' hit songwriter of

Peaceful Easy Feeling, Already Gone and more

Robert Carradine of the Carradine movie making family,

John Andrew Parks, Louie Ortega, and Bryan Lloyd

James Dean walking down 12th St. with

Pine Street behind him???...start the rumor

 

Connie Nelson (ex Mrs. Willie Nelson) Paula Nelson, Mary Swallum, of Willie

Nelson's Luck Films and filmmaker/author/photographer Chris Felver on right

Merle Haggard, who told Benford he hung out some at Pine Street

Saloon years back and his pal Benford Standley, producer/writer/carnie

 

 


Ron French owner of Pine Street and Meg

Linsey from Steel Magnolica and the Voice

The one and only Gary Busey boards the Pine Street Saloon

Limo  for a ride back to Hollywood...no kiddin'!!!!

Robert Carradine, actor/musician

of the great Carradine movie dynasty

 

Matt Kettmann in his article in Smithsonian Magazine talked about his six-man entourage embarking on what he called "the most

authentic and doable old-school tour of the West Coast" and saying, "Our visits to a handful of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo

county’s longest continually ale-slinging establishments would indicate that ghost stories may be as old as the saloons themselves." 

A number of times in the Smithsonian talked about the Pine Street Saloon and stories owner Ron French told them "his security

cameras were picking up a presence...but was it a mere illusion or something more ghostly," Matt asks...

 

The Smithsonian Magazine articles goes on to say:

First opened by Ron’s mother, Pat French, in 1971, the Pine Street Saloon ditched its old location in 2002 to move into the

circa 1865 building next door. That was just in time to avoid the massive Paso Robles earthquake of 2003, which knocked

down their old brick building but only tilted their new wooden structure. French, it turns out, might just be the most hospitable saloonkeeper on the planet, having refurbished the upstairs brothel rooms into a boardinghouse of sorts to accommodate overly

inebriated guests and purchasing a limousine to drive such patrons home for free, so long as they’re within Paso Robles’ city

limits. more: smithsonianmag.com/travel/The-Historic-Saloons-of-Central-California.html#ixzz2MG6n24SR 

 

Chris Felver, filmmaker/photographer/author

Amy Estrada from A-town, Chuck Ward

Mark Sellers

  

 

 

Movie shot at Camp Roberts in 2002

and cast and crew stayed in Paso Robles

Greg Kinner, in We Were Soldiers

and hung at Saloon with Mel and Sam

Mel Gibson, Sam Elliott and Greg Kinner hung out at the Pine

StSaloon while in town filming the movie "We Were Soldiers"

 

 

Chris Kenner also in We Were Soldiers and at Saloon

Nick St. Nicholas

bass player for Steppenwolf

Super model Elanie Lee and Buffalo Benford

 

 

Rick Rosas, Bass for Neil Young's

Crazy Horse Band

Norm Stephens, played lead guitar for Merle

Haggard, Lefty Frizzell and Hank Thompson

Cass Warner, filmmaker Granddaugher of one of

the founders of Warner Brothers, Jack Warner

 

 

Jesse James rumor has it and hear say

Frank James visited Paso several times

Merle Haggard great memories of Pine St Saloon

Nicolas Escarpio rode with Poncho Villa

Mel Gibson actor/producer/director

Sam Elliot actor

Robert Mitchum actor

Glen Campbell songwriter, music star, session guitar

Sandy Koufax baseball star

Ramblin' Jack Elliott the legendary

Gary Busey the one and only

Robert Carradine of the Carradine dynasty

Kacey Musgraves huge present country star

K.M. Williams legendary blues player

Travis Howard Miranda Lambert songwriter

Greg Kinnear movie actor

 

Bernie Taupin songwriter partner with Elton John

Chris Felver author/photographer/filmmaker

Amaya Rose songwriter/singer/fiddle player

Chance Wilson - actor/singer songwriter

Jack Tempchin Eagle's song writer

Louie Ortega Grammy Award winner

Paula Nelson Willie Nelson's daughter

Connie Nelson - ex wife of Willie Nelson

Kenny Lee Lewis Steve Miller Band's lead guitar

Nick St. Nicholas bass player for Steppenwolf

John Andrew Parks songwriter/performer

Tennessee Jimmy Harrell local country performer

Tony James tv and music star

Norm Sancho from Jack Tempchin's band

Rick Rosa bass player Neil Young

Lauren Francisca Internet star

Bryan Lloyd great one man show on keyboards