by Randy Garbin
The greatest trophies of the road trip are the unexpected discoveries. One balmy summer evening in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, we came up on a little corner tavern called Elmer Sudds, which provided us with a prize of personal lore good enough to hang over the mantle. Hundreds of miles away from our home base in Worcester, we will forever speak wistfully of that wonderful tavern in the least likely of locations. It was nearly four years before opportunity would allow us to revisit. Thankfully, our memories did us justice, and we found the corner bar even better than the first time.
Sure, I'm one who appreciates the occasional indulgence of a few glasses of a fine freshly brewed ale after a long day. Traveling the back roads has afforded me the chance to see not only the greatest of diners and other whimsy of the roadside, but also to take up a stool at bars older than my grandparents. Sometimes these places are so steeped in history, character, ethnicity, and tradition, you could walk out speaking with a foreign accent.
In the great Northeast industrial towns, such as Wilkes-Barre, one still finds the old blue-collar neighborhoods, some still well-preserved and welcoming as ever. Before the war, and before the subdivision, and zoning, and universal automobile ownership, we built our bars near where we lived. While public inebriation vexed town fathers, at least they never had to deal with the deadliest aspect of drunken driving. Home was often just a few doors away.
So first seeing this modest corner block with neon beer signs in the window hardly came as any kind of shock -- Pennsylvania's older towns host many such places. But the neon Sapporo Beer sign did cause a double take. What was a corner bar in a dusty blue-collar neighborhood doing promoting an obscure Japanese lager? Plans for that evening called for checking into a motel, having dinner at the still-open Palooka's Diner, and just going to bed. But I couldn't forget that Sapporo sign. Call it a hunch, but this joint deserved a closer look.
It took about a half-second after we pulled open the front door to recognize the value of this prized find. Happy faces, an extensive beer selection, a unique pub menu, and cartoons painted on the walls and showing on the TV screens, all told us that we had arrived. The atmosphere of Elmer Sudds can best be described as relaxed and cozy, without a hint of pretension.
So, once we discovered Elmer Sudds, we had to ask its owner Steve Sallitt, what's a nice bar like this doing in a town like Wilkes-Barre? Though obviously successful, this little place would probably draw triple the business in more "cosmopolitan" surroundings. Steve took our question in stride, responding with a grin that it was always his dream to have his own place. The bar represents the different aspects of his personality: good beer, fun drinks, fresh food, and cartoons. Taking the risk that even Wilkes-Barre might wean itself from a steady diet of Bud Light and Genny Cream Ale, Steve has slowly but steadily educated his customers on the merits of different beer varieties and microbrews. On our latest visit, there was a variety of delicious Belgian ales on tap, but one is also likely to find a good sampling of locally brewed products and various other micros.
By no means do I want to disparage Wilkes-Barre. The city still struggles, but it makes an honest effort. It is home to the Stegmeier Brewery, King's College, and a downtown, which while it cannot be said to be not thriving, certainly has a fighting chance. On the other hand, this once-great railroad center (home to four railroads!), has had no passenger service since the early 1960s. It has lost all of its diners except the aforementioned Palooka's, and may soon lose that one as well. A bold and imaginative attempt to make a hotel out of a huge collection of Pullman cars in Market Square failed miserably and closed about three years ago.
Steve has made excellent use of the space and its built-in architectural features–the original tin ceilings and tile floor, the stained glass windows, and the nook-filled layout. You can come here in a suit and tie or tie-dye and feel at ease over a draft or playing a game of darts. Thankfully devoid of too many video games and very, very light on the sports theme, this is exactly the kind of place that encourages a good gab fest. I should also mention that the other aspect of the bar that provides a wealth of selection is the jukebox. Whatever you like, you'll probably find it here.
As previously mentioned, the bar features an unbeatable pub menu, but once also served dinners. We had good fortune to give that a try during a previous visit, but the run didn't last because Steve's small kitchen couldn't accommodate the increasing demand. In other words, dinner was a victim of its own success. Still, one can get salads and sandwiches that are among the best of anything in northeastern Pennsylvania and beyond.
What's with the cartoons, Steve? Always a big fan of Looney Tunes, Steve gave the bar its name by reasoning that "If any [Warner Brothers] character would open up a bar, it would be Elmer." And while his theme isn't exactly sanctioned by the powers that be, but I couldn't be happier. Having visited those super-slick W-B stores in the malls, I can only imagine how the heavy corporate hand would ruin a place like this.
In every old town such as Wilkes-Barre, one always finds a core group of believers. In the face of insurmountable odds, they seem willing to take the stand required before any kind of revival can take hold. And where one finds these folks, one finds some sweet fruits of their labors. Every town thus has something worth exiting the interstate for, and while Wilkes-Barre probably has several such places, Elmer Sudds reigns supreme.
Elmer Sudds is located on 475 East Northampton St. and is open every day from 4 P.M. to 2 A.M. All parking is on-street, so prepare yourself for a little walk, and be respectful of the neighbors. For more information or directions, call 717-825-5286. If you don't smoke, remember, this is a tavern, but we found the atmosphere quite breathable.
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