DeKing’s Tavern

While it may look a little scary on the outside, DeKing’s Tavern is a prime shining example of a stereotypical suburban tavern dive bar. I’m not sure anything has been touched since this place opened decades ago, and the absolutely only sign of modernization comes from a giant flat screen TV hanging from the wall, directly next to an ancient CRT TV.
It’s got that old bar smell, likely from decades of cigarette smoke still clinging to the walls despite smoking being banned for years now, and the single pool table in the middle of the bar provides endless entertainment as someone is always playing. If you’re anywhere inside DeKing’s, you’re going to be a part of this game, as the bar is so small you’re going to be inevitably asked to move over a bit so someone can take their shot.
Beers are cheap and consist of what you’d expect of a place like this, Coor’s, Miller, Budwieser, etc, as well as a fully stocked bar. They’ve got rotating daily specials including cheap long islands on Friday, along with other staples scattered throughout the week like Fireball shots, Jaeger bombs, etc.
The bartender, and everyone there was super friendly. The bathrooms were a little sketchy, but, I feel like that’s par for the course in a place like this. Where’s the last place you were at where they had the infinite roll of cloth towels to dry your hands on? That’s how gloriously ancient the fixtures of DeKing’s are.
I guess they serve pizza there too? I’m dying to try one, as it always seems like bars like this are able to magically turn a Tombstone into something divine. Or maybe it’s just the right combination of frozen pizza and beer. Who knows.

Dekings was a good time. The bartender was happy to serve and keep cups full at all times. It has a homey, and laid back atmosphere. And the pool table is a plus. I believe they have tournaments on certain days of the week. Go check them out.

I stumbled upon this dive bar on a Friday night and it was packed. Luckily, there were a couple of bar stools at the end of the bar for me to sit on. I’m getting too old to stand and drink. There was constantly a pool game going on at the one pool table in the bar. There were deer heads watching the game from the wall. The crowd was mixed and looked to be 30’s+.
The bartender was nice and friendly. There’s a menu of daily drink specials with Friday offering $ 4.25 very strong long islands. There’s also a tiny back area with a video game and a juke box. The bathroom had one of those hand towel boxes that you pull down and it rotates to a clean section. We did not get stabbed, so it was a great time.

DeKing’s is a textbook example of a vintage tavern… as in original architecture.
Better yet, you may not find a better museum example of a «Dive Bar» in the Tri-​Cities area! It’s not much, but it makes a point to lead by example and to care less of what others think.
Nothin’ much has changed here. The 1940’s back bar has a few wrinkles, the natural wood floor has been covered in tile and sanded impeccably overtime by the shuffle of shoes. The divey green colored walls frame the bar area with dated taxidermy, dated bowling trophies and memorabilia that creates a wet dream for bad bar basement enthusiasts. The parking lot is gravel!
The original bar remains intact, however the foot rail is long gone. Patrons tend to focus on the pool table as the alter of attention. The dynamics of this joint are difficult to explain as clientele can be as different as day and night.
My experience tells me the place is crawling with locals willing to belly up… elbow to elbow… without sizing you up.
DeKing’s is worn out as hell. Kind of a deciding factor for a textbook example of a vintage tavern… right?