Joe’s Cafe (U.S. History 101)
Originally opened in 1928, Joe’s Cafe has been a mainstay of the Santa Barbara downtown. Closed for a while following a remodel and a move a few blocks up State Street, for the most part Joe’s hasn’t changed much over the years, with maybe it’s reputation growing stronger through the 80’s and 90’s. That reputation was that Joe’s was probably the place to go for the stiffest drinks. I’m not sure that holds true today. It’s a reputation that Joe’s itself continues to push. Not “Joe”, the original Joe Ferrario is no longer with us, and the cafe became a part of the ownership that includes Lucky’s and Ca Dario, but the cafe’s advertisements state they serve the stiffest drinks. Harry’s would be in the running as would many other bars from the breakwater out to Winchester Canyon.
I think for a bartender, having the rep as a strong server is similar to getting a merit badge for a Boy Scout. You don’t sew the little patch on your sleeve, but you are known and well respected amongst your peers and patrons.
It is rumored that when Joe’s opened in 1928, during Prohibition, that it was a Santa Barbara speakeasy (a place where illegal alcohol was sold and consumed). U.S. History 101: United States Prohibition, 1920 to 1933 banned the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol for consumption. Increasingly unpopular, President Franklin Roosevelt signed into law in March, an amendment allowing for the manufacture and sale of 3.2% beer and light wines, and later that year the repeal of Prohibition. Roosevelt’s famous March 23, 1933 remark; “I think this would be a good time for a beer.” Previously unaware of his quote, I think I’ve made that same statement a thousand times over.
For those of us who complain as the clock nears 2:00 am and we wish we were in Las Vegas or New Orleans or anywhere that the phrase “last call” doesn’t exist, think of this… The Prohibition laws, (the Eighteenth Amendment and the Twenty-first Amendment), gave states the right to restrict or ban alcohol sales. Mississippi had actually made alcohol illegal in 1907 and was the last state to repeal Prohibition in 1966. Kansas did not allow sale of liquor “by the drink” (on-premises) until 1987, and there are still numerous “dry” counties and towns across the United States. So for those of us whose State Street shuffle ends at about 1:45 am, think about poor Dorothy and Toto. After all that, wouldn’t you have wanted to put the dog in the basket and ride your bike to the corner bar for a double?