Sunday, August 3, 2014

WAWeekend: A Taste of the Ol’ West

Prior to heading off for Greece this summer we took a quick road trip to the Yakima Valley, a part Central Washington’s wine country, and had a taste of the ol’ West at a new eatery in an ol’ building in the heart of downtown Prosser.

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So join us for lunch at the Horse Heaven Saloon. The Scout will even hold the door for you:

PicMonkey Collage

The doors by the way are made of Brazilian Purple Heart wood, a wood used in area hop kilns which are the processing plants where hops are prepared to use as flavorings in beer.  For you gun enthusiasts out there: The photo on the left shows the door handles which are replicas of the Old West Cavalry single revolver with seven inch barrels. The two inside handles are models of an 1897 25 –32 caliber Winchester and a 1970’s model 32 caliber.

PicMonkey Collage 
The bar has been made from repurposed old growth Douglas Fir and old combine wheels.  (Combines with wheels like these were used in the harvest of hay and grain in the Yakima Valley and are the precursors to the modern-day mammoth versions).  Here those wheels separate the bar seating from the restaurant seating, making the place family-friendly. . .kids can eat in the restaurant which is separated from the bar per Washington State’s rather goofy law on the subject.

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The walls are covered with murals that pay tribute to the Saloon’s name, Horse Heaven Hills. The name, by the way, is attributed to a Valley pioneer, James Gordon Kinney who in 1857 is said to have noted the knee-high grasses covering the rolling hills in the area and the large herds of feral horses grazing there.  “Excellent forage and comparative isolation. . .This is surely a horse heaven!” he is credited with pronouncing.

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This one pays homage to the old beer truck deliveries.

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Being a cat lover I had to include this one.

If the décor wasn’t enough reason to head here, the food is.  And the menu describes it as a Western-themed gastro pub. The chef, Laurie Kennedy creates a variety of dishes that could include seared ahi to specially prepared chicken gizzards.  While the full bar provides any type of adult beverage, you might want to try a Horse Heaven Hills Brewery beer handcrafted by Gary Vegar.

PicMonkey Collage

We were there at noon and decided to share a sandwich and each have ‘just’ a cup of soup. . .both were so large that we could have skipped one or the other but the food was so good we managed to eat it all without a bit of hesitation!

If you are in Central Washington, this eatery – now open for just under a year – is worth a visit.

Prosser is about a 3.5 hour drive from Seattle. The nearest airports are in the TriCities and Yakima.


Horse Heaven Hills Saloon
615 6th St. (Main Street in this small town)
509-781-6228
Check their web site for hours and menu and some fun photos or find them on FB.
Linking up:
Inside Journeys – Foodie Tuesday

13 comments:

  1. Howdy Stranger,

    Wow! Love the murals in this fun eatery, Jackie, and the food looks and sounds fantastic! You and Joel always manage to find such interesting places to hang out at! Thanks for sharing the whimsy of this good ol' west restaurant!

    xo
    Poppy

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    1. Howdy back at you, Poppy! It really was a fun stop and did feel like the good ol' west eatery. Thanks much for your visit - you are a bright spot in my life!! Hugs, Jackie

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  2. Our kind of place for sure. We will definitely check it out next time we are in Washington!

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    1. Oh you two would love this place. Only wish we'd have had time to belly up to the bar like at Ko Olina, but maybe some future visit. . .Thanks for stopping by, hope all the repairs have been made to Moondance!

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  3. What a fun place! :-) I've never heard of the wood used for the doors, but it's beautiful.

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    1. I hadn't either and actually looked it up. . .it seems to be quite a popular building material around here! Thanks for your visit -- I always appreciate your visits. xxJ.

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  4. I have a Pinterest board with doors and couldn't resist adding this one. How unique!

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    1. Glad you liked them, Irene. We got a 'bang' out of them! Thanks much for your visit!!!

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  5. The closest I've been to Prosser is Moscow, Idaho! Is Scout still holding the door because we just read this, Jackie! :) Those Winchesters are NICE :) Great artwork with the kitties and horses too :)

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    1. Well Mike you might say you were 'in the neighborhood'. . .sort of. :-) Yes, The Scout did ask how long he had to stand there grinning and I said until Travel Photo Thursday's post is up!! Thanks for the visit - always appreciated.

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  6. Hello Jackie and Joel,

    What an amazing place! We can truly say that we have never seen or eaten in anywhere like it. What fun and it sounds as if the food was good too!

    We loved the horse looking over the door and, as cat lovers too, the small cat peering at the bottom looked so sweet. Sadly, Horse Heaven is rather too far to pop by for lunch.....

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    1. Oh hello Lance and Jane! I had missed you of late and wondered if you were off traveling. While you can't pop over for lunch I do hope if you get to the Northwest you'll add Central Washington to your list. . .if I am in the state, I'd even give you a tour! Thanks much for the visit. . .

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  7. It certainly looks good. And I love that door with the horse and the cats!

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