Wetting whistles for 125 years

19th-century building hosts restaurant, bar

By: Sarah Kleopping, Herald Times Reporter

MANITOWOC — Tijuana Rose Baja Grill & Cantina has been serving alcohol since it was more fashionable to be called a saloon.

Marking its 125th anniversary this month, the building was built in 1884 and has been serving drinks at the corner of 10th and Hamilton streets since 1894, probably before it was fashionable to call them streets.

"It was a residence for the first 10 years, became a saloon in 1894, and as far as we know was an operating saloon ever since," said Steve Kuehnl, co-owner of the restaurant.

The building might be the oldest operating bar in Manitowoc and possibly in the state.

Kuehnl and his wife, Rosa, have looked into making the restaurant a registered historical building through the Manitowoc County Historical Society.

"Supposedly it's the oldest operating saloon in the state," Kuehnl said. "And we can't verify that, but that's been told to us. One thing about this building … it's still got the facade up front (that) the Old West buildings had. It's the only one left around here like that. Everyone else has gone and updated their buildings. So that's one reason we'd like to try to get it on the registries, because it's still the original structure from 1884."

Rosa Kuehnl said to get the restaurant registered they would have to return the windows in the front of the building to the original style.

The Kuehnls bought the property in April 1999 on a whim and retained its previous name, The Hamilton House, for about three years.

I was a (certified nursing assistant) before and (Steve) was in real estate, and this is something we talked about and said, 'Let's try it, and see how it goes,'" she said. "And all of a sudden we have been here 10 years now."

Steve Kuehnl said they went from a bar that served burgers and changed it to more of a restaurant that serves drinks.

"As far as the interior, when we first took over we didn't make many changes, and as time went on we repainted and redecorated and made it look like it does now … Mexican restaurant (with a) biker bar up front."

According to research done by the owners, the building was first occupied by Paul Riederer, who used it as a saloon through the 1930s. From 1938 to 1945, the bar's name changed three times before becoming Kamm's Tap Room until the 1980s. The building was changed to The Hamilton House in the mid 1990s.

"People come here and tell us stories … of coming here when they were little," Rosa Kuehnl said. "I guess in those years families brought their kids to bars."

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