Toots Tavern

Toots Tavern is the oldest continuously operating bar in Contra Costa County and one of the most historically rich live music venues in the entire Bay Area, a 125-year-old institution tucked into the heart of Crockett, the charming "Sugartown" on the Carquinez Strait just across the bridge from Vallejo. The building itself dates to 1887, when it served as the American Hotel, and the Pezzuto family opened the bar on the ground floor in 1901. Don "Toots" Pezzuto, reportedly born in a room on the upper floor of the building, took over in the late 1930s and added the now-iconic neon sign that still greets visitors on the street. During Prohibition the bar relocated upstairs and operated as a speakeasy while a movie theater occupied the downstairs, and the family's commitment to keeping the doors open through those years is why Toots holds its distinction as the county's oldest continuously operating establishment. Don Pezzuto's passion for music extended to the Lanai Theater he owned down the street, which hosted the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and Carlos Santana in their early years. That musical legacy lives on at Toots today with live music running Thursday through Sunday nights across a genuinely impressive range of genres from punk, metal, and hard rock to blues, country, and classic rock. Past performers have included Pat Travers, Nile, Narcotic Wasteland, Featherwitch, and the David Outlaw Band. The sound system is consistently singled out in reviews as among the best at any small venue in the Bay Area. Open jams run every Thursday at 8pm and the first Sunday of every month. An eclectic assortment of tchotchkes, vintage decor, pool, pinball, happy hour specials, and a limited food menu round out the experience at what remains a completely singular venue.