Built in the classic style of the 1930s, the Potlatch Bar is a drinking man’s hangout, where the gritty spirit of Ketchikan is regularly on display. Expect standing-room only during fishing season, as hard-working and hard-playing seiner and troller crews throw back cold ones on a rare day off.
You’ll find the Potlatch at the top of the ramp to Thomas Basin, which is the fishing boat moorage of choice. After a week at sea, crews stumble up the ramp and straight into the Potlatch.
The beer here is cheap, and the entertainment is cheaper. For 20-some years, Dave Rubin and his associates had a band that played here on Friday nights (still known today as the Potlatch Band). Now there’s karaoke on Fridays, along with a single pool table, dartboard, and jukebox.
If you want to immerse yourself in the salty, spirited lifestyle of a commercial fisherman in Alaska, go have a drink at the Potlatch with these guys.
