Silver Peso

Calin Van Paris, Tim Porter, Photographer,

Finding that the Silver Peso was actually purchased with silver pesos is one of the best pieces of Marin lore I have ever unearthed. To me, the Silver Peso was just the Redwood High School Bar, just as The Deuce belongs to Tam. But apparently I was wrong — according to a Thrillist article that was published just before we went to print, it’s also one of the best dives in the U.S. The bartenders employ a certain sarcastic candor, there’s a popcorn machine, and I have met several nice girls in the bathroom, so I understand the appeal. We are proud to have the Silver Peso on our list and in our backyard.

For the magazine:

The building that houses the Silver Peso opened in 1905 as a blacksmith shop. It wasn’t until the 1930s, after another incarnation as a market, that a bar was born. The Silver Peso came into being after World War II when a former GI bought the building with — wait for it — silver pesos. The pesos were “recovered from Manila Bay after the GI learned the Philippine government had sunk its bank reserves to prevent them from falling into Japanese hands,” according to the Marin History Museum. The bar has been one of Marin’s premier blue-collar institutions ever since, drawing a wide variety of patrons either coming from or going to or simply pulling up a stool and staying put for the night. 

What They Say: Rick Adams, owner

Is Silver Peso a dive bar? Yes.

Your definition of a dive bar? It’s the ultimate equalizer — the kind of place where everybody is the same, from your tech guy to your construction guy, and everyone in between. You can have a shot and a beer, or two shots and two beers, and no one is going to look at you funny.

Describe the Peso. Old, rickety, cluttered, cozy, comfy. This building is more than a century old; fortunately we have lots of ventilation.

Dive Bar Checklist:

Games? Shuffleboard, three pool tables, pinball machine and Buck Hunter.

Celebrity photos? No.

TV is always on? Yes, all seven of them.

PBR available? In cans and on tap.

Muddled cocktails? Nope.

Wedding parties and high school reunions? Yes, especially with the Catholic church right across the street.

Fake fireplace? No.

Food served in bags (chips, nuts, etc.)? Yes.

Silver Peso T-shirts? Yes.