Walk in through the front door of The Logs Inn, and you’ll be greeted with tabletops, covered in old Polaroids taken of patrons of the B Z Corner-based pub. General Manager Joel Rinker said those were devised a few owners ago.
“They were taken a while back,” Joel said with a smile, acknowledging to me and Molly Wenger, patron and “beer drinker,” that he was a subject in a few of those photos. An invention from previous owners of the establishment, the Polaroid tabletops are just one feature of the pub that recalls the foundation which The Logs Inn was raised.
Just like what The Logs Inn was known for in years past, Joel said they brought back the classic fried chicken that the restaurant, and its original owners, were known for.
“That was their thing, was fried chicken and beer ... it’s one of our bestsellers,” said Joel. Since Joel took over management of the establishment, he has been keeping a keen eye on making sure the restaurant stays true to form. Joel said people love the place, because it reminds them of when they were kids and they ate there with their families.
“It’s very much a public house,” said Joel. “A place for locals to grab a drink after work.”
It also makes as a nice stop after rafting down the White Salmon River, said Joel.
Joel told me The Logs Inn has a long and checkered past. Even Joel, who grew up in town, wasn’t exactly sure on the history of the building.
“I’ve heard stories it was a stagecoach stop,” Joel said. The Logs was established as a restaurant back in 1934. Since then, it has served locals as well as the numerous travelers attracted to the area by its whitewater rafting. Perhaps its most famous anecdote is that The Kingsmen, of “Louie Louie” fame, performed here, even before their heyday.
“It’s been here forever and a day,” Joel remarked. Live music has not yet been a feature to the newly opened The Logs Inn, but Joel has plans to bring it back once it’s more suitable to do so.
The restaurant had been closed for a few years back until the Park family, who also owns Eat14 in Bingen, bought the establishment and brought it back to life.
“Once people saw the ‘Open’ sign, we were here, ready to serve,” said Joel.
The Logs Inn is surrounded by a supportive and loving community who wants to see business succeed, Joel said, and people come back expecting the same place they remember from when they were kids. That’s why Joel does not intend to change too much about the place, save for adding some backyard furniture and outdoor games, when the time comes.
Since the new owners took over last summer and hired him on, Joel has been waking up early five or six days each week and heading down to The Logs and devising ways to make sure The Logs Inn is performing at its highest standard, while tending the bar, maintaining the front of house and providing customer service to guests of the four log cabins, available to stay for a cozy vacation.
The interior of The Logs Inn, B Z Corner.
Jacob Bertram photo
“It’s the same style it always was,” Joel said about the cabins.
The Logs had been open for about two months last summer before Governor Jay Inslee’s emergency orders shut down indoor dining in November.
“It was nice we were able to stay open at least for take out,” said Rinker. Now that restaurants are back to indoor dining at some capacity, Joel is preparing for a busy Summer season. Right now, The Logs Inn is running on a skeleton crew, so chances are, if you give them a call, it will be Joel answering the phone.
By the summer, Joel hopes to get some backyard furniture and outdoor games to liven up the place a bit.
“I feel really fortunate to take it over,” said Joel. “I spent a bunch on Pac-Man here when I was younger ... now I get to be behind the bar.”
The Logs Inn is located at 1258 WA-141, B Z Corner. It’s open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 3- 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call 509- 493-1505 for more information or to place a reservation.
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