“Is It Ralph?”

Minturn Saloon

Vail Valley, CO

Built after a fire devastated downtown Minturn in the 1890s, this spot is perhaps best known for being the final destination of the “Minturn Mile,” a famed out-of-bounds ski run in Vail. It’s loaded with history, having been a pool hall, boxing hall, and gambling joint. It was once owned by Jack Dempsey’s sparring partner. Another owner was buddies with John Wayne. The most recent owners restored the place in 2023, moving its handsome dark wood original bar—built in Missouri in the 1830s—to the back.

Photography by Kathleen Branthover (@thedcnative)

Western Café

Bozeman, MT

Whether you’re a 19th-century cowboy on a cattle drive, or just a modern traveler in an unfamiliar destination, a home-cooked meal can go a long way. That’s the kind you can get at this spot in Bozeman, which bills itself as “the last best café.” Settle in at the old-school counter, peruse the specials (written on a chalkboard hanging from the wood-paneled wall), and make friends with the locals over homemade cinnamon rolls or pie. No wonder writer David Coggins has called this “the world’s best restaurant that closes at 2 p.m.”

Gruene Hall

New Braunfels, TX

Home to theWillie Window—named for Willie Nelson, who pioneered the art of crawling into the venue through a small passage, once covered by chicken wire, by the men’s room before a 1998 benefit concert—this charming dance hall, which sits above the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country, has been hosting concerts since 1878. On a good night (say, when Lyle Lovett is playing with his Acoustic Group) you can feel the dance floor vibrate in time with the bass. Put on your boots, order a Shiner, and embrace a piece of authentic cowboy history.

Pioneer Saloon

New Braunfels, TX

Sun Valley is Hemingway territory, and this feels like Papa’s kind of place: Taxidermied bison and deer on the walls, fresh beer on draft, and a story all its own. Opened in the 1940s as the Commercial Club, it was first an illegal casino, then an American Legion hall, then a dry goods shop before its current incarnation debuted in 1972. Today, you can enjoy beef ribs while studying the antique bullets on display, before making your way to a framed collection of artifacts from Hemingway himself.

Grumpy’s

Ketchum, ID

Grumpy’s—a two-room cabin that sits in the shadow of Baldy, Sun Valley’s main peak—is the kind of place that says Hemingway“Sorry, we’re open.” The kind of place that has never had a phone and license plates adorn the ceiling—including an Idaho one that reads “NOT IOWA.” Where Springsteen or Tom Hanks might stop in, and be treated like a local. The kind of place that definitely opened in 1978, possibly on Cinco de Mayo, but no one’s really sure. The kind of place where beers come in frosty schooners, and the burgers are much better than they have to be. The kind of place where the owner’s named Pete, because of course he is. Grumpy’s, in short, is our kind of place—and, in all likelihood, your kind of place, too.

J-Bar

Aspen, CO

Nestled inside the luxe Hotel Jerome, which opened its doors in 1889, this bar once served as an unofficial office to a noted local candidate for sheriff: Hunter S. Thompson. After an afternoon on the slopes or exploring the town, take your perch on one of the high-backed leather barstools, chase your Old Fashioned with a J-Bar Burger, and don’t forget to look down (at the immaculately tiled floor) and up (at the till, signed by every bartender who has worked the bar).

Saloon No. 10

Deadwood, SD

Like Deadwood itself, this nearly century-old bar owes its story to a bit of old-fashioned American mythmaking. A Chicago cartoonist, who had drifted into town after being fired, saw the Old Style speakeasy struggling to draw customers in its early days, and had a vision: Rename it Saloon No. 10, after the nearby spot where Wild Bill Hickok was killed, and lean into the legend. Sample a dram from South Dakota’s biggest collection of whiskey by the rooftop fire, or make like Wild Bill and play a low-stakes hand of poker, which hopefully ends up better for you than itdid for him.

The Mangy Moose

Jackson Hole, WY

Whether you call it The Moose, or by its full name—The Mangy Moose Saloon Spaghetti Emporium and Opera House—you’re speaking of a place known for encouraging hard-driving skiers to loosen up after sundown, thanks to live music (Kris Kristofferson and Brandi Carlile are among those who have graced its stage) and its cavernous, barnlike interior. It also has something for you after sun-up: omelets, breakfast tacos, and more await at the café.

Old Saloon

Emigrant, MT

More than 120 years ago, the Old Saloon was a new saloon, its swinging double-doors welcoming train passengers en route to Yellowstone, thanks to its convenient depot-adjacent location. One of those passengers: The back bar, shipped via steamboat from St. Louis, and still in use today. New owners came aboard earlier this year, but the mission—providing hearty food, much-needed libations, and live music from the likes of Charley Crockett and Dwight Yoakam, to weary passersby—remains unchanged.

Owl Bar

at the Sundance Mountain Resort

Sundance, UT

Naturally, a bar in a town famously associated with the Sundance Kid Robert Redford was once a watering hole for the actual Butch Cassidy. Dating to the 1890s, the bar was relocated from Thermopolis, Wyoming, by Redford himself, and remains the Platonic ideal of a Western bar, from its original cabinets and back bar to its brick fireplace. The food, however, got an upgrade—something tells us Butch never experienced a Bavarian pretzel with green chili queso dip.

Barbara’s Bar

at the Dunton River Camp

Dolores, CO

Ignore the word “camp” for a moment, and imagine something considerably more upscale, almost like a safari retreat but in a secluded former cattle ranch in southwest Colorado. Bed down in one of just eight camps, and cap a day of hiking, fly-fishing, and exploring with a glass of vino and a round of billiards at this bar, named for the ranch’s longtime doyenne, and attached to the original 19th-century farmhouse.

Buckhorn Exchange

Denver, CO

As the John Ford movie says, “Print the legend,” so we’ll just note that the Denver Landmark Commission plaque here mentions that Henry H. “Shorty Scout” Zietz, the original owner, was a scout for Buffalo Bill Cody and a hunting guide for Teddy Roosevelt … at least, according to legend. Whatever the truth, the building has stood since its days serving lunch and beers to workers from the railyard across the street, and remains an unpretentious spot that has served Presidents Eisenhower, Carter, and Reagan; Roy Rogers; Jimmy Cagney; and more.

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