The Buck Bar
by Bobby Howell – Grand Junction, Colorado
The Buck Bar is a freestanding bar that is positioned perfectly in the backyard of my home. It is a fully stocked cigar and whiskey bar that easily accommodates up to ten people inside and countless outside. The bar just celebrated its first year in existence and continues to grow.
The concept of the Buck Bar came about during a conversation with my late father-in-law Buck while we were sitting at a bar inside the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas. It was his 70th birthday when he decided to share with me that he was on his “way out”. Buck would never give specifics on his health and would never ask for help so for him to share anything was an honor. We spoke about mortality and he knew that he would not be around long. Of course, I gave him my word that I would not “rat” him out and made me promise that I would smoke cigars with him till the end. I spent many months lost in thought of how to create a place that would honor and then eventually memorialize Buck. In the spring of 2020 my friend Larry and I began building the Buck Bar. I would regularly send Buck pictures to update him as he lived in Arizona and I had moved to Colorado. Although the bar is a work-in-progress it had reached a point where it was finished enough for Buck to come see it. Because of covid-19 and just shitty logistics Buck found it hard to make it to Colorado. He did have a planned trip to the Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival, and it was a perfect time for us to grab him and show him the bar. Sadly. the festival was cancelled and Buck never came. In August of 2020 we got the call that Buck had passed, and we needed to get to Arizona. Buck never saw the bar in person and it instantly turned into a tribute and memorial.
The Buck Bar Facts:
• The bar is a 14’ X 14’ shed that I had built to suit. It has 2 exhaust fans positioned at the front and back of the bar. I had the door installed in the middle of that bar to create a natural division in the bar.
• I found a 100-year-old bar from a local mercantile store to add dark wood and class. (Buck was all about class)
• The antique bar is flanked by two black metal shelves. One shelf holds humidors of Bucks, pipes and one of the famous fedoras that Buck wore. Most importantly it is where Buck’s ashes reside.
• The other shelf holds a variety of whiskeys and bourbons. The top shelf is reserved for Buck’s bottle of Macallan 12-Year and bottle of Ron Zacapa rum.
• The cigars are housed in a Nuaire electric humidor as well as traditional wood humidors. There is a private reserve of cigars that I brought back from Buck’s place. The center of the antique bar features a humidor that was given to Buck by Rocky Patel. (See picture)
• We use a mini refrigerator to keep beer and wine cold.
• There are 4 leather chairs that make up the seating. In the middle of the chairs is a cow hide and ottoman.
• The floors are real bamboo wood floors.
• The walls are completely covered with cedar wood planks.
• Both the ceiling and walls are insulated, and the bar is hard wired to the house and supplies all the power we need.
• The covered patio is 14X12 and will feature a wicker sectional as well as a bar top table and 4 chairs. The patio will be extended ten additional feet and an outdoor bar will be added.
• Currently the bar has 2 TV’s. There is a 65’ TV inside the bar and a 40’ TV on the patio. This way we can watch sports and bet horses.
To add ambiance, we add metal signs to the exterior whenever we find good ones. We also proudly fly the American flag as well as the Arizona flag (I know we live in Colorado, but our hearts are in Arizona). On the inside there hangs Buck’s Willie Mays jersey (Became a fan and a friend during spring training) as well as a banner from Mr. Bucks fine cigars. The Buxstyl license plate from his Cadillac is also displayed.
• The centerpiece of the Buck Bar is the handmade lighted sign for Buck himself. This was crafted by our friend Terry.
Once the Buck Bar was created it began to take on a life of its own. This spawned the Face Book group Mr. Bucks Cigar Lounge and Social Club. Many people were able to sit and smoke a cigar with Buck. This is the goal and mission of the Buck Bar; Sit, Smoke and Enjoy! The world has lost a truly amazing character but through the creation of the Buck Bar there are days where you can feel Buck sitting next to you smoking a Rocky or an Opus X, while bitching about the Cubs or the long shot horse that didn’t come in. So, in a small town in western Colorado sits a bar in a backyard that pays tribute to my smoking buddy, father and friend, Buck.
