Dive Bar Shirt Club: Greasewood Flat

I received my Dive Bar Shirt Club t-shirt for the month of April yesterday, and for only the (I believe) second time since joining the club, I actually wore the shirt right away. This is our busy season at work, so every Friday and Saturday (if you need to come in) you're allowed to wear jeans. As an added way to enjoy the day, there's also a designated theme for each weekend. This weekend's theme was "Destinations," and what better way to exemplify that than by wearing a t-shirt from a dive bar in Arizona. And hey, the place has a website as well (although it's a .net), so that means I can just cut and paste. Love the t-shirt, though!

1880's Stage Stop
During the Arizona Territory days, Reata Pass was on an old stagecoach stop along a dust-filled, rocky trail that wandered often steeply uphill northeast from Phoenix and on to connect Fort McDowell on the Verde River and Prescott. Crossing the McDowell Mountains in those days was no easy task as the climb took its toll on the passengers and horses. Travelers were treated to a hearty meal and cool drink while the horses were being watered, A knee-high foundation of boulders and mortar supported a wooden one-room stage station built in 1882. Portions of the adobe walls and old stone foundation still exist, making Reata Pass the most authentic "cowboy" restaurant in the Valley. The old jailhouse across the road is original and was used elsewhere in the 1880's to hold Indian prisoners.

Scottsdale's Pioneer Blacksmith Family
The Cavalliere family was one of the first to settle in Scottsdale, before the town's incorporation. They still own and run Scottsdale's oldest continuous business, the historic Cavalliere Blacksmith Shop in Old Town, founded in 1909. George "Doc" Cavalliere II purchased Reata Pass in the fifties and proceeded to add on to the western "town" as an event would require. Three generations of graceful Cavalliere ornamental ironwork accent the various inside as well as the patio and cookout areas outside. Rusty western relics collected by the family over the years, such as branding irons and spurs, hang in scores from the rafters and walls here and the family's sister cowboy bar next door, Greasewood Flat.

Movie Location
Reata Pass has been used as a backdrop for several movies over the years. "Cancel My Reservation", "Raising Arizona" and earlier portions of "Bonanza" were shot here. Bob Hope and a young Michael Landon frequented the restaurant during the filmings. At one point movie producers built a church as a backdrop for an early western called "Peace and the Gunfighter". In addition we have hosted many of the rich and famous, such as Tennessee Ernie Ford and Barry Goldwater to name a few. We even built a large chair for one of our regular customers, who weighed around 500 pounds.

Greasewood Flat Website: http://greasewoodflat.net

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