SEATTLE — Behind the burgers, bacon and beer, there are more than seven decades of local history remembered here.
Look past the hundreds of defaced dollar bills on the wall; avert your eyes from the giant antler chandelier; ignore the Bloody Mary with a burger on top.
Focus on the old red sign with white lettering. It's up the stairs and to the left, just past the beer pong table.
"The Original Red Robin Burgers & Spirits Emporium," the sign at the Seattle tavern says.
Founded 1943.
Sam’s Tavern, with two locations on Capitol Hill and South Lake Union, is a nod to the original Seattle tavern that became Red Robin. It’s not affiliated with the national chain, though it does tell the story of the first location near the south end of Seattle’s University Bridge.
Beyond the booze, the new Sam’s has your typical tavern fare.
The burgers, all $13, are a bit more expensive than their Red Robin counterparts – but the portions seem to add some bang for your buck, and the happy hour prices are cheap. Each burger comes with complimentary, bottomless fries.
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There are a few salads – but this really isn't the place for healthy, low-carb meals.
There's also breakfast (they open at 11 a.m.), sandwiches, (they're girthy) and an interesting array of desserts (alcoholic shakes, anyone?).
And when it comes to snacks, Sam's got you covered: nachos, mini sliders, onion rings – classic bar food.
The original Sam's Tavern on Eastlake Avenue East didn't have as much selection. In the 1940s, Sam's served mostly burnt popcorn and plastic wrapped sandwiches.
No burgers. No alcoholic shakes. No Bloody Mary with a burger on top.
Back then, the tavern largely served college students and house boaters. The owner, Sam, sang in a barbershop quartet.
His favorite song was, "When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along). You can listen to a rendition of the song here.
He loved the song so much, he later changed the tavern's name to "Sam's Red Robin," then shortened it to "Red Robin."
Sam sold the tavern to Gerry Kingen in 1969. Kingen is the current owner of Salty's restaurants and lives in West Seattle.
In 1973, Kingen gave the hillside joint a facelift, adding burgers to the menu and constructing an outdoor eating area.
Good call on the burgers, Kingen. Keep em' sloppy.
After the upgrade, business nearly tripled, Kingen told the Seattle Times. Red Robin eventually expanded to Northgate and elsewhere and later franchised.
"I basically created a grownup's McDonald's," he said.
In 2010, Red Robin announced it would close the original location permanently.
The restaurant said the decision was driven by the need for "considerable investment to maintain in the building and make the restaurant more efficient from an operations perspective and more comfortable and convenient for guests."
In other words, the building was really old and it would take a lot of money to make it better.
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Initially, there was talk of a sports bar moving into the space. Currently, the lot is vacant.
You can read more about the chain's history here.
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Sam's tavern is owned by James Snyder, son and nephew of the first two Red Robin franchisees. Read more here.
In addition to the Capitol Hill location, Sam's opened a second tavern in South Lake Union earlier this year.
You can check out their menu here, or follow them on social media.