The Desert Bar

This is one view of the Desert Bar which is about 10 miles from Parker, AZ and 5 miles of that is down a dirt, rocky road. There are several roads and trails into the bar and many people arrive in their ATVs of all shapes and sizes having come in across the rocky desert. The location was originally an old mine but now is a thriving bar/eatery only open 9 months of the year and only on Saturday and Sunday. We were there on New Years eve and got there early. They stay open late that day and the large crowd, and growing larger as we left, reflected that fact. You enter the bar, it is really large and consists of two main areas and upstairs and downstairs. in this image you see the down stairs area. You park up behind the church and walk across the bridge to the upper area then down the stairs to this lower eating area.

The church is in front of the parking lot and really is just a facade, a shell front and back. They do hold weddings here for those who want a fun setting out in the desert but there are no regular services. It seems to be a nicely done structure.

In the parking lot and at various locations you see this sign. They really emphasize not drinking and driving though with the wine and whiskey we saw flowing early in the day the least of the problems seemed drinking in the parking lot.

You can actually walk into the bar area from various dirt trails, it seemed pretty open. Most all the folks that parked up behind the church entered though this covered walkway. It was really well done. There was a young lady positioned along the walkway informing people to keep their dogs on a leash and i am sure looking for beverages entering or leaving.

After you cross the bridge you enter this eating area. There is a bar on the left of this picture and the counter you see here where you order your food. We got here about 11:35 and it was relatively uncrowded, that was soon to change.

This is a view of the same area just looking at the seating area. Many more people had arrived and you can see the growing crowd. Everyone seems to be having a great time.

When you come down the stairs to the lower area you see this order counter. There are several places to get something to eat and drink. They have a wide variety of food. The upstairs has different menu options than the downstairs. It looked to us that all the food was great. There are some signs for Niki's which is an eatery north in Lake Havasu. It seems they do the food catering here at the desert bar.

Here are a couple of menu boards that are downstairs. you order at the counter and then they call your name when you food is ready. The prices seem a little high but considering where you are and, as we will see the quantity of food you get it is worth the cost. I placed out order and the lady asked for a name and I said George so she looked and said George of the jungle and she chuckled.

I had ordered the smoked trip tip from the menu with Mango Habanerno sauce and Deanna got the pulled pork with the sweet hot chili sauce. When our order was ready at the pickup counter the lady stuck her head out the window, with several people waiting and shouted "George of the Jungle". I looked at her and she said "I only read what they write".

Here we have an order of Nachos. This is the family pack and only my good friend Rodger would have ordered these, all for himself. That man can eat some nachos!! They had a wide variety of fries and other sides but the quantity they served made us stay away. They only take cash, no checks, no plastic. The bar is solar powered and cell phones don't work here.

Scattered around the grounds is an assortment of old pieces of mining machinery and vehicles in various states of disrepair. This appears to be an old fire engine, it was perched on the hill just above the down stairs eating area. Also much of the area appears to still be a wok in progress. I doubt much of it will ever get finished, it just adds to the character of the place.

The dwelling you see with the low roof line is the owners house. It is separated from the bar, across the road. It is situated in a low spot and seems as if it would be a fascinating home to see. One old story says that the owner in the late seventies used to sit out here with a cooler or two of beer and sell it to the ATV riders that would come by hence the bar got a start, much different now.

This is a view of the road going into the bar. It got really busy and we left early. We chatted with some ATV riders here in the park and they said they got there at 3:00 PM and it was really packed. The Desert Bar seems to be a really popular spot. It was scheduled to stay open unto 10:00 PM on New Years Eve and we are glad we didn't stay that late and come out on that road with all that traffic.

This is another view of the terrain. The bar is really a ways out in the desert. It is certainly understandable why it is closed during the summer months, way too hot here for man nor beast. Here is a link to the Desert Bar Website where you can get some historical perspective. Be sure and stop by if you are in the area. It is really fun. http://www.thedesertbar.com/