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| Wonders from the 1970s |
I may have made some progress with the travel/restaurant review writing that has been eluding me.
Update 1.25.23 - El Camino and the Kitty Warren Social Club are for sale. You can snap up both establishments for a cool $400K, which just just a bit above the average price for a starter condo in Bozeman. https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/business/two-downtown-bozeman-bars-to-be-put-up-for-sale/article_13836684-9c39-11ed-82cc-ffdeba8a512f.html
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Although I’ve only been to El Camino two or three times, each time go I feel compelled to snap a photo. This time it was the cool light fixtures over the bar that captured my attention. These bulbous orange orbs dangle on slender metal rods and immediately bring me back to my 1970s childhood. As a child, my antique-filled home in exurban New Jersey always felt formal, and trendy pieces such at these spoke of a sense of style and the good life I’m sure would be mine once I grew up and could make my own interior decoration decisions.
My most recent visit to El Camino was one of those rare times I met up with friends for happy hour after work. It was just after 5 p.m. when I arrived but swirly disco lights were already ping-ponging around the room while a 1990s mix provided the soundtrack. Between the fun of going out early and the atmosphere, the minute I stepped in the door I was transformed into the youthful, Über-cool me of days past.
Located at 211 East Main Street in downtown Bozeman, El Camino opened earlier this year and bills itself as “the bar that bites.” It’s the latest creation of Okay, Cool, the company behind Red Chair, Copper, and Kitty Warren’s Social Club. With an energetic interior, a menu filled with bar food such as corn dogs and tater tops, and drinks resembling a gas station Slushie, El Camino is a place revels in its casualness and offers a nice change of pace in a town that is getting fancier, more expensive and more smitten with itself each year.
The retro interior is one of El Camino’s highlights, but what sets it apart from other establishments going for a retro look is that the décor spans multiple eras. This may sound jarring but they’re able to pull it off and create a cohesive feel. El Camino has a magical way of bringing me back to my 1970s and 1980s youth, and my post-college and ski bum years in the 1990s all at once.
My favorite spot in El Camino is an elevated space in back. A maroon and tan geometric shag tapestry hangs from the wall and compliments two brown, boxy sofas. Egg-shaped brown leather swivel chairs with riveted trim and a fuchsia plastic chair in the shape of a cupped hand compliment the couches and help create an atmospheric spot to hang out. This furniture is what the trend-deprived young Ann would have coveted. A Pac Man game is projected on the wall and makes me nostalgia for my middle and high school days in the 1980s even though I have never liked video games.
Unfortunately, the space is closed so the evening’s DJ can set up, and we opt for a spot near the front window. The high-top tables with turquoise vinyl bench seats offer a command view of both Main Street and the entire establishment including the front door. My 1990s self, out to see-and-be-seen. would prefer this spot.
Behind the bar, a trio of Slushie machines gyrate. They look identical to what you’d find in a convenience store but the icy concoctions filling them are mango margaritas, strawberry daiquiris and OG Purple Drank, a Grape Pucker and vodka drink. You can also order an Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, a combination of the three and El Camino’s nod to the 1960s. I almost order one to get in touch with my Grateful Dead show-going past, but I opt for a beer instead.
A few arcade games line the walls and two table-top shuffleboard games fill the middle of the room. Shuffleboard has always been a mystery bar game to me, an odd play on traditional shuffleboard, which gives it an inherent innocence. Maybe this is why it never took off as a popular bar game. Shuffleboard speaks of some unidentifiable place and time and helps add to El Camino’s timeless charm.
The food at El Camino is classic bar fare, a bit expensive for bar food but compared to other Bozeman establishments its almost budget priced. Fries, tater tots, nachos and other finger foods good for sharing make up a good part of the menu. Burgers and all-day breakfast available if you’re in the mood for a meal. Pitchers of beer (I didn’t know bars still had pitchers) are popular.
After a beer, some tater tops and good conversation with friends, the evening was coming to an end, all of us tired after a long work week with big outdoor adventure plans for the next day. Part of me, buoyed by the atmosphere and the memories El Camino roused, wanted to stay out for a rowdy night, but things wouldn’t have gotten started for a few more hours and I knew I’d fade before then.
One of the songs from the evening’s 1990s mix, Cake’s Love you Madly, is on repeat in my head as I arrive home and El Camino has left me in a cheery mood. I’m the 1970s, 80s, 90s and 21st century Ann all at once. Rather than being disappointed with myself for no longer having the stamina to rally for a late night at El Camino, I’m content and am happy to turn the bar over to those who will keep it lively late into the night.
My most recent visit to El Camino was one of those rare times I met up with friends for happy hour after work. It was just after 5 p.m. when I arrived but swirly disco lights were already ping-ponging around the room while a 1990s mix provided the soundtrack. Between the fun of going out early and the atmosphere, the minute I stepped in the door I was transformed into the youthful, Über-cool me of days past.
Located at 211 East Main Street in downtown Bozeman, El Camino opened earlier this year and bills itself as “the bar that bites.” It’s the latest creation of Okay, Cool, the company behind Red Chair, Copper, and Kitty Warren’s Social Club. With an energetic interior, a menu filled with bar food such as corn dogs and tater tops, and drinks resembling a gas station Slushie, El Camino is a place revels in its casualness and offers a nice change of pace in a town that is getting fancier, more expensive and more smitten with itself each year.
The retro interior is one of El Camino’s highlights, but what sets it apart from other establishments going for a retro look is that the décor spans multiple eras. This may sound jarring but they’re able to pull it off and create a cohesive feel. El Camino has a magical way of bringing me back to my 1970s and 1980s youth, and my post-college and ski bum years in the 1990s all at once.
The 1970s Ann was swooning
My favorite spot in El Camino is an elevated space in back. A maroon and tan geometric shag tapestry hangs from the wall and compliments two brown, boxy sofas. Egg-shaped brown leather swivel chairs with riveted trim and a fuchsia plastic chair in the shape of a cupped hand compliment the couches and help create an atmospheric spot to hang out. This furniture is what the trend-deprived young Ann would have coveted. A Pac Man game is projected on the wall and makes me nostalgia for my middle and high school days in the 1980s even though I have never liked video games.
Unfortunately, the space is closed so the evening’s DJ can set up, and we opt for a spot near the front window. The high-top tables with turquoise vinyl bench seats offer a command view of both Main Street and the entire establishment including the front door. My 1990s self, out to see-and-be-seen. would prefer this spot.
Behind the bar, a trio of Slushie machines gyrate. They look identical to what you’d find in a convenience store but the icy concoctions filling them are mango margaritas, strawberry daiquiris and OG Purple Drank, a Grape Pucker and vodka drink. You can also order an Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, a combination of the three and El Camino’s nod to the 1960s. I almost order one to get in touch with my Grateful Dead show-going past, but I opt for a beer instead.
Shuffleboard, the table-top variety
The food at El Camino is classic bar fare, a bit expensive for bar food but compared to other Bozeman establishments its almost budget priced. Fries, tater tots, nachos and other finger foods good for sharing make up a good part of the menu. Burgers and all-day breakfast available if you’re in the mood for a meal. Pitchers of beer (I didn’t know bars still had pitchers) are popular.
Just as the décor varies so does the clientele. A few rowdy kids play shuffle board while their parents have a beer. Random folks of all ages hang out for happy hour. and an immaculately dressed middle-age couple arrives with to-go boxes from a nearby restaurant. They look big-eyed and a bit out of place in such a chill environment, but they seem almost giddy as they grab bar stools and a drink. A few college kids are there although they will arrive in droves later, when it’s party time.
After a beer, some tater tops and good conversation with friends, the evening was coming to an end, all of us tired after a long work week with big outdoor adventure plans for the next day. Part of me, buoyed by the atmosphere and the memories El Camino roused, wanted to stay out for a rowdy night, but things wouldn’t have gotten started for a few more hours and I knew I’d fade before then.
One of the songs from the evening’s 1990s mix, Cake’s Love you Madly, is on repeat in my head as I arrive home and El Camino has left me in a cheery mood. I’m the 1970s, 80s, 90s and 21st century Ann all at once. Rather than being disappointed with myself for no longer having the stamina to rally for a late night at El Camino, I’m content and am happy to turn the bar over to those who will keep it lively late into the night.
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