Arizona’s own “The Desert Bar” Nellie E Saloon

The one and only sign for the bar. It’s not visible from the highway, either

Well, if you want a Wild Wild West type of adventure, you can sort of find it at the Desert Bar. This is a totally off-grid multi-level bar. In the middle of nowhere. In the middle of a desert, with NOTHING but cacti and rocks to call neighbors.

Who says the desert is not beautiful!?

The road to get there is not for sissies. Be sure to either take a truck or go easy on your car. I went pretty easy on my truck. I did not have 4 wheel drive, but I didn’t need it. I hear there is a longer off-road way to get there but it REQUIRES 4 wheel drive.

I did not take that route.

If you see this sign, you have arrived!

Upon arrival at The Desert Bar, the first thing you notice is a one-sided large church front ‘wall’ which is part of the decor of the parking lot.

Church wall- a major photo-op spot

It’s a great place to get photos taken. A lot went into the construction, design and aesthetics of the bar, including the parking lot. It is enormous.

This truck lives on in the glorious form of art

The next thing easily observed are the solar panels which make up the roofs of each area. The entire place is off the grid and run by solar.

Bar entrance- solar panels for a roof!

The owner, Ken, likes to recycle as much as possible, including the art and the construction of the place. Old rustic cars and trucks dot the landscape in wild-west style and bar doors are from old refrigerator doors.

More truck art

Old carriage art

The art is even made out of recycled materials such as used horseshoes.

Neat idea- they left the nails in for cactus ‘thorns’

All the water used here comes from a well. This place is only open on Saturday and Sunday from October through April, from high noon to 5pm. You do the math, they have to do massive business on those two days to keep their doors open, and they do!

I forgot to get a t-shirt!!!

However, on the day I visited, it was not very crowded due to a football game which would not be aired at the Bar. In fact, there were no TVs anywhere at the bar.
There is no need for television with the abundant choices of what to do here- listening to the live band, getting old time photos taken, chatting with bar patrons, eating lunch, or walking to the different zones of the bar to take in the beautiful surrounding mountains.

Even the parking lot is a photographer’s dream and the drive in is a full adventure in itself!

‘Nuff said

There are three main levels to the bar. When you walk in over a covered bridge, you are on the main level with the music stage and two bars to order from.

Main level.

Downstairs is more protected from the wind and has two places to order food from and there is a lot of seating with tables.

Downstairs level, where we were protected from the wind

There’s an upstairs balcony area offering great views of the bar below and the mountain landscape.

That’s the balcony, where you see the lady taking a photo

Even the bathroom was very interesting as it’s carved out like a cave and the steel doors are very heavy.

(Naaaaaah, decided against an interior bathroom shot. You’re welcome.)

There aren’t many man-made walls other than the steel stall doors! When washing your hands, you are looking out over the desert and the old-time photo area.

Women’s restroom view! Not a window, its open air

I had planned to meet up at Desert Bar with some new friends I had recently made and we sat downstairs.

Cheeeeeeeeeese!

We had a great time talking about RV related stuff among other things… Solar, black tanks, batteries and such.

I liked this place so much I returned the next weekend!

Had a glorious time! Until next time…

As the bar was closing we got this epic selfie. (I know-  I have used this photo already but I like it that much. So deal…)

So if you are ever close to Quartzsite or Parker, Arizona, don’t miss The Desert Bar. Then you can tell your friends you have been to one of the coolest, real live (modern) saloons in the Wild Wild West!

www.TheDesertBar.com

View from the upstairs balcony

Downstairs lemonade and food stand. One of two located downstairs

Band playing- Main level- there were people dancing but I caught them in between dancers

This is the original bar that started the whole Desert Bar!