Bars, Restaurants, & Taverns
RATHSKELLER
There was also a Rathskeller Grille that was in the New Oregon Hotel per article in Oregonian June 25, 1905, page 19.[See Below] New Oregon Hotel turned into The Benson. Check out New Oregon Hotel/Variety Hall section. The following two postcards are from the Rathskeller Grille NOT The Rathskeller that was on SW Taylor.
Should be noted for Portland restaurant history, Henry Thiele was born in Hanover, Germany, on April 5, 1882. was chief steward at the Rathskeller – date is unknown but per the Oregon Encyclopedia about Henry it states, “In Portland, the entrepreneurial Simon Benson hired Thiele as the chief steward of his new Benson Hotel, which opened in 1913.” He would later open his own famous Henry Thiele’s restaurant on NW Burnside.
722 SW Taylor Street [between Broadway and SW Park]
Years: Built in 1910 1934-1939 The Rathskeller (Rathskeller Café]
The Rathskeller was in the basement of 722 SW Taylor.
Also: Rumba Room
Per ad in Oregon Journal November 15, 1934, the Rathskeller is mentioned as one place among many to serve Blue Ribbon Genuine Ale. [This is the right
The Rathskeller Café was the one on SW Taylor that developed a reputation by the ’40s such as this mention in The Oregonian in March 13 1937:
Several more notices in the newspaper, Below Left in the July 27, 1937 The Oregonian. And then again The Oregon Journal – May 20, 1942 see Below Right.
More notices in the paper like this one in the Oregon Journal March 20, 1943 page 3 see Below Left. And then another see Below Right.
Ad above is from August 16, 1948
NOTICE IN THE AD (and there were many in 1944 all the same that says: NEW Rathskeller Café]
The Rathskellar began as a nondescript bar in 1936 but gained a reputation as a queer meeting place with the patronage of soldiers during World War II. It was located in the basement of a former horse stable and was similarly described by the OLCC as a "dimly lit place."3[9 Tom Cook, "Portland's Gay Bars and the Rise of a Community," and http://home.teleport.com/-glapn/ar04024.html, 17 October 2001.] and in the same paper “Lee temporarily closed the Rathskellar in 1949. The Rathskellar had a series of OLCC violations before Lee ordered its closure, including sales to minors, serving very intoxicated people, poor sanitation, and disorderly premises, but had previously only received warnings and suspensions. Owner Marijan Kokich quickly re-opened the tavern as Club Rhumba but was again closed temporarily by the city for serving queer clients in 1951.77 OLCC then issued a warning to Club Rhumba for "lewd and disorderly premises," and suspended its liquor license less than a month later. Shortly after the last OLCC violation, Kokich's lease was cancelled and he surrendered his Iease. [78 Oregon Liquor Control Commission, Applicant Record: Marijan Kokich, Oregon Liquor Control Commission, Portland.] also in the paper “ “[Dorothy McCullogh] Lee's increased action against gay bars were part of her reformist attack on vice throughout the city, rather than a direct manipulation of elections or distraction from scandal. Gay bars during Lee's administration included the Harbor Club, Music Hall, Back Stage, and Rathskellar Beer Parlor. A lesbian clientele gathered at the Buick Cafe, while a mixed crowd went to the Back Stage and Music Hall. 75 per Gay Bars, Vice, and Reform in Portland, 1948-1965 Beka Smith, Portland State University https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3978&context=open_access_etds
The Rathskeller closed and CLub Rumba took over. See Below Left from and ad in Oregonian December 17, 1949 Continuing into the 1950s per a notice in the Oregon Journal 9/10/1950 see Below Right from The Oregon Journal 9/10/1950.
Shortly after closing, Mike Kovick, (son of Marijen Kovick) re-opened the space as Club Rhumba. The only other mention of the Club is when a fire broke out due to defective wiring per the fire department. $350 worth of damage was assessed, and this was right after it had reopened. Within two years, Club Rhumba closed as well. Oregonian Feb 19, 1950 see Below Left. Then, the ball really drops. See Below Right. July 21, 1951 Oregonian (published as The Oregonian) Portland, Oregon Page 7
