This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
If by chance you walk into the Hog Wallow pub seeking a little conversation with your drink but no one obliges, don't panic. The pub itself has plenty of stories to tell.
This is a pub that speaks volumes without so much as a word, from the old names carved onto the ceiling to the gurgle of water resounding through its outdoor patio.
If it's words you want, though, owner Keith Biesinger has them. A Salt Lake City native and attorney, Biesinger took sole ownership of the building in 1995, then known as D.J.'s Beer Garden. Two years later, he and his father and brother transformed the place into the Hog Wallow, named after a rapid on the Green River.
The building's history as a neighborhood watering hole, however, stretches back to 1947. That's when workers at the nearby Old Mill stopped by the converted Civilian Conservation Corps bunkhouse for a drink to top off a hard day's work.
Since then, Biesinger said, pub ownership seemed to switch hands every five to 10 years, usually after a co-owning husband left town with a red-headed woman. "I've been waiting years since for another redhead to walk in here," Biesinger said.
Not that any pub owner wouldn't settle instead for a steady stream of loyal, laid-back clientele. If a recent Saturday-night crowd wasn't taking in the mellow aura of Hog Wallow's patio, they were inside playing pool or talking to the rollicking sounds of Revolver, a Beatles cover band assembled from members of local indie bands and led by guitarist and keyboardist Rick Gerber.
"I've yet to meet a local musician who didn't like the crowd here," Gerber said. "It's a very receptive pub crowd, but chill."
Soon after he launched the band into a rendition of "Let it Be," others echoed those sentiments. "It's like the neighborhood bars of Chicago and New York, but in Salt Lake City," said Dean Sutter, a fencing contractor. "This is the place where you bring friends and meet friends."
What makes Hog Wallow a destination spot — whether launching a first date, celebrating a hard-won divorce, looking for a place to imbibe under the stars, or simply kicking back for a good time — is its sheer versatility.
Six television screens are placed conveniently, but not obnoxiously, for quick game score-checking. The pub's wooden interior offers a sense of congenial warmth. Pool tables and assorted video games are located, again conveniently, near the restrooms. There's also a menu of Mexican-inspired finger food, pizza, grill-fresh burgers and Tom Westland's signature barbecue.
"The best thing here is the ribs. The meat just falls off the bones," said Dean Ward, a regular who recently moved to Cottonwood Heights from Davis County.
He added: "Even the road getting here is fun," said Ward, who drives a Harley. "It's right off the I-215 interchange, so it's easy."
Jodi Upton, a physician recruiter from Cottonwood Heights, said Hog Wallow's patio is almost the only place she'd consider for a girls' night out with friends. The only requirement is that you show up early, as outside tables are a popular feature.
"It's so quiet you can hear the crickets," Upton said. "You can talk to your friends without yelling."
Michelle Hahn, shift manager at the pub for three years, has made a ritual out of ringing a bell hanging above the bar. In addition to providing a sense of momentum, the sound signals good tips, and the fact that bar staff think highly of the night's band.
The bell rings aplenty as Revolver progress from one Beatles song to the next. By the time Gerber and the rest of the band — Paul Lovelady on drums, Jon Davis on guitar, Jason Sawyer on lead guitar and Stephen Valdean playing an authentic, left-handed bass in the spirit of Paul McCartney — reach "Tomorrow Never Knows," the crowd knows right were the rest of the night is headed.
"Did I already tell you why I love this bar?" Sutter asks. "Even if I did, I'll say it again: This is the place where you bring friends and meet friends."
Twitter:@Artsalt —
The Hog Wallow Pub
Where • 3200 E. Big Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake City
Hours • Monday-Thursday, 3 p.m.-1 a.m.; Friday-Sunday, 2 p.m.-1 a.m.
Info • 801-733-5567, http://www.thehogwallow.com —
Look online
O Check Friday's Mix section for The Tribune's drink guide, listing 50 of our favorite bars and clubs, and visit our new daily entertainment website, nowsaltlake.com.