Jules Maes Saloon is by some accounts the oldest bar inSeattle, in theU.S. state ofWashington.[1][2] It opened in 1888 in the city'sGeorgetown neighborhood.[3][4][5] The building it occupies, "The Brick Store", at 5919 Airport Way at the corner of Nebraska, is listed as a Seattle Historic Site.[6]
The bar first opened in a building at 5953 Airport Way South (before it was called Airport Way, for nearbyBoeing Field) under a different name.[2][7] It was purchased by Jules Gustaf Maes, a Belgian-born bartender, who eventually changed its name and moved it to the 5919 building.[2] The back room was once used as a bookie joint.[7]
The bar was owned by June Espelend for a period. John and Vanessa LeMaster, who had owned it since 2005, closed it during thecoronavirus pandemic.[2][8] It was reopened by Raché Hemmelgarn in January 2021.[9]
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