Pioneer Saloon

Bullet Holes, Whiskey Shots, and the 150-Year-Old Legend of Nevada Saloons | Eater Vegas

"A 1913-built desert saloon that still feels like stepping into a living piece of the Old West: its prefabricated walls still bear bullet holes referenced in a 1915 coroner’s report, sunlight cuts through dusty air onto patterned copper walls and a cherry-wood bar, and a cast-iron potbelly stove and 19th-century cash register anchor the room. Perched on a deck that overlooks defunct mine headframes and old railroad traces, the spot is run by a long-term owner who displays memorabilia tying it to Hollywood and local lore, serves smoked barbecue ribs and thick old-fashioned milkshakes now alongside a full whiskey bar, and hosts live music, bikers, ghost-hunters, and history buffs. Its mythology reached pop-culture fame after being digitally reimagined in a popular video game—drawing annual fan pilgrimages that swell the tiny town’s population—and the building’s atmosphere, artifacts, and stories continue to make it both a community hub and a tourist destination." - Janna Karel