Horrible experience! If I could give it zero stars, I would.
Visiting from Canada with my best friend staying at Wally's Hot Springs. Decided to go to the "Genoa Bar" our last night there.
While having a cocktail and exchanging jokes with the bartender, we noticed a couple at the bar begin to argue very loudly about "bills" they had to pay, later to find out it was the owners.
Suddenly, the man began yelling that he was the "fucking" owner at the top of his lungs and screaming at the bartender and proceeded to slam bar stools into the bar to the point she left hysterically crying. It was the most pathetic treatment of an employee I have ever witnessed. So unprofessional and trashy.
We've heard so many great things about this historical place, being the "oldest bar in Nevada". Needless to say, we couldn't cash our bar tab out fast enough to get out of there. Â
Won't be back. Farewell, Genoa!
Woot woot! Â Willy the owner just informed me if you are the designated driver for your group of friends like I was, the non-alcoholic drinks are on the house. Â I am in love with this place even more! Â Be safe out there, and thanks to safety-conscious bar owners like Willy (the owner not the singer Nelson).
Review Source:This was so disappointing because I was really looking forward to coming to this bar. Â I have never been to a place where I spent 15 minutes and was ignored by both of the people working there, a burly guy and a small female bartender. Â While there, I observed a handful of people come in who were helped. Â We were completely ignored and never acknowledged. Â My wife felt as if it was racially motivated as neither of us is white and everyone else was. Â I'm not so sure that race was a factor, but of this I am sure, it was a very uncomfortable situation and I would never step foot in there again, nor could I recommend anyone else to either.
Review Source:I have no idea why anyone would want to drink here. Usually I would give a place like this one star, but it gets a second star because it does have the advantage that if you are a smoker, you can save on cigarettes by merely drawing breath in this bar. Â Your clothes will reek of smoke even if you just duck in momentarily for a view of the women's lingerie hanging from the rafters. Â You've seen women's brassieres, right? Good. Then you can skip that part.
If you are dressed like a normal adult (i.e., wearing normal clothes and not a leather biker jacket complete with matching assless chaps) and you want a drink in Genoa without risking lung cancer or a very expensive dry-cleaning bill, go to the bar across the street at La Ferme instead. Â Or you can have a beer at "Genoa's Newest Bar", on Main Street almost directly across the street. Or go to the Country Store on the corner just across the street north of the Genoa Bar and buy a little something to share in the park.
Genoa Bar would've easily gotten four stars out of me based on the simple fact that it's a dive bar - and oh lordy do I LOVE me some dive bar.
But Genoa Bar stands out as a dive bar. As soon as you walk in, you know there's something different and a little special here. Maybe it's that the place has been around for so long, and all the dirt and dust and history it's accrued through the years give this manky little joint the prestige reserved for historic monuments. Maybe it's the cross section of bikers, tourists, locals, and hippies from Tahoe that makes you take a step back and grin when you walk in. Maybe it's the old arcade games used as tables, or Raquel Welch's bra hanging on that deer's antlers.
Aside from whatever gives it that special "magic", Â GB has a great selection of brews / liquor and (as stated by many before me) the jukebox has a killer selection of music. If you are anywhere even marginally near Genoa, it's worth stopping by. Even if it's only to rub up against a wall and get some of that Genoa Bar magic (okay, dirt) on your shirt.
I absolutely adore this place...dust, cobwebs, folklore and all. This will forever be on my list of places to take (or send) people to when they come to Reno or Tahoe. Personally, it was worth the drive from Tahoe City just to walk into this "Thirst Parlor". The whole town (well, the cluster of buildings at the main intersection) is like go back in time.
Also, as stated by others on Yelp, the jukebox has a fantastic selection! Don't miss this place!
I'm not going to go on and on about this Thirst Parlor, Bar. Almost everyone in their 4 & 5 star reviews have hit the nail on the head. But I will say:
I was glad to hear a ton of great music from the Jukebox (Blues, Rock, etc) and the bartendress was kind enough to lend us her heavy duty flash light to check out some of the stuff too high up the wall to see with the naked eye. This is defiantly a tourist trap but clearly the locals love the place as well.
I'm fairly sure an entire college history class could be taught from the memorabilia on the walls of this place. Check it out if you have the time!
Big tourist stop. Some locals too. All friendly. Lots of history here. Easy motorcycle parking. I saw about 30 bikes and 4 cars. Full bar, Jameson to Patron they got it.(and so did I !!! )
I stopped in Sunday afternoon on Labor Day weekend on my way to Reno from South Lake Tahoe. I had a good time. The pool table was open so I had a few beers, a couple shots, beat a few people in pool, and headed on.
Worth a stop. You could spend all day here just talking to the interesting types stopping in like me, just on our way.
They don't sell cigars, helllloooo I crossed the border for a reason ! I'll give ya 5 stars anyway.
This place reminds me of The Florence Bar in Niles,CA. This place rocks, it is the oldest continuing bar in Nevada. When you walk inside it takes you back to the 1800's. You can sit back on the front porch and chit chat with other crawlers through the town. They also have some nice shops to browse. Stop in and check out this historic place.
Review Source:To have a Drink in the Oldest Saloon in the entire state of Nevada was sooo worth visiting this awesome Dive bar! Â
It's Dark and Smokey with various memorabilia on every wall, Patsy Cline playing on the Jukebox sets the mood. They have a fully stocked Bar, Pool Table, Video Poker, and Gambling machines; plus a wood burning stove, friendly bartender, and fun local patrons made for a perfect setting!
This little old place has so much history and has been visited by many famous people. Â Clark Gable played poker here, and Johnny Cash as well as many others frequented this Saloon! You can see Raquel Welch's Bra hanging from the ceiling!
Genoa Bar has great charisma and much history. You will find locals, real cowboys, bikers, and visitors all mixed together. Summer gets very busy here! It is Cash Only, but the prices are very affordable. This is a total must if you're ever in the area!
The Genoa Bar is one of the greatest places on Earth!
Jukebox: Awesome music, limited genre of music, which is great because you don't want to be sitting, having a drink and have some out of place music come on. Plus $5 lasts forever.
Pool table: I totally get to show off my skills... or AKA: embarrass myself as I slop shots in left and right. Â (I wish it wasn't $1 for each game though)
Bartenders: The one who worked this last weekend was pretty hot and really nice!
Slot machines: They have about 6 machines, all seemed kind of fun, but I mostly played the poker ones.
Drinks: Some were light and some were heavy handed. I wish they were all heavy - average prices.
Outdoors: Killer patio out front with lots of picnic bench seating. The weather was so killer that we sat outside quite a bit.
The Genoa Bar is Nevada's oldest bar, which is pretty cool. Â Some very famous people have drank at this place. I'm not going to list them all, you'll need to check the bar to find out the complete list, but 2 of the coolest are Johnny Cash and Clark Gable.
When we moved to the Carson Valley over twenty years ago I invented a "Bar Tour" and I took friends and family visiting to a group of bars that I deemed unique and worthy of their time and money. The Genoa Bar has always been among the group, and it looks much the same as it did all those years ago except that they've dusted.
If your visiting the area, you need to find some time to go there. Last night, on our way home from Costco, my wife and I stopped in again, and we smiled all the way home after the visit.
On this visit we got to chat with the bar tender that had just finished her shift. She talked about the candle lit news years eve party, the live band they had that night, and the crowd in the room as we visited. I was curious if they were locals or visitors, and she let me know that it was about a 60/40 split between those that she sees all the time and those coming in from out of town.
What should you expect? You'll be in the bar billed as the "Oldest Continually Operating Thirst Parlor" in the state of Nevada. You'll walk into a place with memorabilia glued to the walls, poor ventilation (and on this night, cigar smokers), pictures of celebrities who visited the place on the wall behind the bar, and pleasant help. They'll serve you and make you feel comfortable asking all the questions in the world. Beyond that, they won't go home until you're done enjoying the place, regardless of the time. You'll also get to enjoy a pool table, a juke box, a wood stove, and a good time. Bring your camera and create some memories.
You should also know that in the summer the crowd often spills out to the tables located in front of the place, and, as mentioned by previous reviewers, there are a number of bikers (and they're always a lot of fun).
For those interested in the other bars on the tour, here they are, with brief notes:
1) The Cutthroat Bar in Markleeville (building still there, bar no longer worth the time, skip it)
2) The French Bar (downtown Gardnerville on 395, still worth the stop)
3) Sharkey's Casino (has changed hands, Sharkey has passed away, much of his Rodeo Memorabilia is gone, no longer has the character it used to, not worth it to me, but you might like it)
4) Valley Bar (Unfortunately, burned down and won't be back, but was great until it ended)
5) Old Globe, (in Carson City, find it, very similar to Genoa Bar, but smaller and not nearly known as well to visitors as the Genoa Bar, a lot more locals).
When you get to this part of Nevada, it is well worth the time to include this place in your plans. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Â This five star rating is based on 'time and place' issues. Â If you are interested in fancified city food and bars, this is clearly not your spot. Â You'll need to enjoy it for what it is, and absolutely for what it is not.
There aren't many places like this left in the United States. an authentic continually operated western bar.
No pretesne, rickety old building with lots of relics, but not toruisty. I was intitated into the Virgina Bulette chapter of E Clampus Vitus at this bar in 1984, a true test of endurance (dirinking endurance especially)
Lots of local color and on summer days, tons of bikers and visitors from afar.
On a whim, I drove over the mountain from Tahoe to the 'dry' side just to explore. Â When I found this joint I almost didn't go back (my girlfriend was very persuasive in making me leave). Â A great old west feeling bar featuring:
- a good jukebox
- Guinness (in the desert!)
- relics from Oklahoma and elsewhere
- an awesome ice cellar (that you can't go in but still cool)
- really cool gas lamp chandeliers
- Great staff!!
- Fun and interesting locals
All the things that make an old west dive bar/salloon. Â The stories about the place are great too. Â If I lived in Genoa, this would be my local joint.
Here was how my night was here last night!!!
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Yup.... Yup....
Great dive/hole in wall bar to take some pictures with friends and throw back some shots. It's not big and my family (group of 10 of us) overtook the place for about 2 hours on a saturday. Â It's just what you would expect and old Nevada saloon to be so be ready for slots, smoke, and a jukebox bumping classic tunes. The bartender was friendly and the domestic bottles didn't break the bank.
Review Source:Gayle and I took a nice walk on New Years Day from her mother's house to the Genoa Post Office. Maybe it was a mile or so each way on this beautiful sunny and slightly cool day.
On the way out, we visited the Genoa cemetery where some of Gayle's beloved relatives are laid to rest, saw the statue of Snowshoe Thompson (that has Gayle's name on it from a fundraising effort many years ago), looked around the Dancing Deer gift shop, checked out the new Trimmer's Outpost and walked past her cousin's house. On the way back, we checked out the menu at La Ferme and stopped at the Genoa bar for some adult refreshment.
Gayle had a really good Bloody Mary and I the equally tasty Genoa Pale Ale. It was a little smoky inside, so we opted to sit outside and enjoy the day. There were a number of bikers coming and going and everyone was in a friendly and relaxed mood.
This is a dive bar among dive bars that would make any Yelp DYL group's fondest dreams come true. The Genoa Bar is always worth a stop when your in the area.
There is no bar on earth that feels more like "home" to me. Honestly.
This place is the site of the first time I ever got drunk in a real bar (when I was 18), The first place I ever played video poker (when i was 16), and THE center of rad activity during the world famous Genoa Candy Dance.
My wife and I got married in Genoa, and the unofficial "after, after-party" was here. All of the people I love the most were drunk well beyond the point of reasonable. It was the happiest moment of my life, thus far. And it happened here, under the watchful gaze of Raquel Welch's bra, and a sympathetic bartender that called me "honey" all night.
God Bless the Genoa Bar. Who cares about the beer selection, or the ambiance...This Is History.
Appreciate it. Â Its the oldest and most friendly bar in Nevada.
I took the Director and her city slicker friends on a tour of the Washoe Valley and on the way home from dinner I took them to the little town of Genoa, Nevada. This is the home of Mormon Station and depending on who you talk to is either the first or second oldest white settlement in the state. It was also on the Pony Express route and this is where Snowshoe Thompson would start and end his treks across the Sierra Nevada range in the winter. A statue stands in his honor in the center of town.
The Genoa Bar is about what you would expect, artifacts and dead animals decorate the walls. But a wood burning stove keeps the bar warm and cozy. Now here is the interesting part when we were there the Genoa Bar was populated by a diverse group of folks including, yuppies straight out of the Marina, bikers, skiers, real cowboys, off duty hookers and a couple of dealers from Harrah's Casino demonstrating card tricks. Everyone was happily getting drunk and playing pool.
Some guy was at the bar with a scalp massage device rubbing people's heads. It was like something out of a Jimmy Buffet song, if I could only play the guitar.
One thing, horses are not allowed in the bar. You will have to go and ask for the story...
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