Dude Saloon
The Dude Saloon and Restaurant was owned by John B. Webb and located in his 3-story Webb Building on the southwest corner of 20th Street and 2nd Avenue North from 1871 to 1907. The well-furnished bar was located on the ground floor with rooms for boarding guests upstairs.
In 1875 "Webb's Old Stand" was being operated by J. W. Dupuy. He took delivery of two new billiard tables for the saloon that year. In January 1887 it was reported that Webb was closing the saloon and opening a "family" grocery.
In 1884 the restaurant was managed by E. Lessing while the saloon's proprietor was Joe Hochstadter. In 1887 the Dude Saloon offered "regular meals" for 25 cents.
Like other saloons of the era, the Dude Saloon issued tokens to customers which could be exchanged for drinks. These tokens are valued by collectors today.
There was another Dude Saloon in Pratt City, with Will Swain as bartender in 1900.
References
- "Changes" (January 17, 1877) Birmingham Age-Herald, p. 3
- City Directory of Birmingham and Gazetteer of Surrounding Section for 1884-5 (1884) Volume II. Atlanta, Georgia: Interstate Directory Company
- Pocket Business Directory and Guide to Birmingham, Ala. (1887) - accessed January 16, 2007
- White, Marjorie Longenecker (1977) Downtown Birmingham: Architectural and Historical Walking Tour Guide. Birmingham: Birmingham Historical Society.