Patterson's Pub

Some buildings in Mendocino seem built for quiet history, and then somehow end up full of Guinness, stories, regulars, visitors and one more round.

Overview

Patterson's Pub at 10485 Lansing Street is one of Mendocino's best-known gathering places, but the building was already well over a century old before the first pint was poured under the Patterson's name.

The pub's own history identifies the building as dating to 1866, when it served as the rectory for St. Anthony's Catholic Church. Patterson's has occupied it since 1993 and describes itself as a little bit of Ireland on the Mendocino Coast.

Today Tony and Mary Anne Graham continue to operate the pub, which serves food and drinks seven days a week. Their website says Patterson's has been part of Mendocino for more than three decades and remains a gathering place for both locals and visitors.

Location

Patterson's Pub stands at 10485 Lansing Street in the center of Mendocino village, between some of the community's best-known longtime businesses and institutions.

The Kelley House Museum has identified the building in an elevated historic photograph of the area as the "Priest's House," noting that it was once used by the Catholic Church as a rectory. The same photograph places it among a recognizable collection of old Lansing Street buildings, including the Mendosa Brothers store nearby.

History

The strongest documented early chapter begins in 1866.

Patterson's own history and Visit Mendocino both identify the building as an 1866 structure originally used as the rectory for St. Anthony's Catholic Church.

That religious use is also independently supported by the Kelley House Museum, which describes the building as the Priest's House because of its former use by the Catholic Church.

What happened during every year between the rectory period and the arrival of Patterson's is less completely documented in readily available published sources, but an important piece of that middle history has now come from community memory.

One local family remembers that from roughly the 1950s through the 1970s the house was occupied by Doris Cruttenden Viera and her husband, Louie Viera. According to that memory, the room that is now the pub's bar was then the couple's living room. They also maintained a large garden in the backyard.

That detail transforms the building in a wonderful way. Before bartenders, stools and Guinness taps filled the room, people were simply living here, looking out the same windows and walking through many of the same spaces.

The same family remembers living next door, in the property associated with what later became Mendo Burger, from approximately 1975 through 1984. Their grandmother had previously owned that neighboring property, and part of the old structure toward the alley has since been removed.

Those memories help bridge the gap between the old rectory and the modern pub and show that this was still very much a residential corner of Mendocino during part of the twentieth century.

Then came Tony and Mary Anne Graham.

The idea for an Irish pub in Mendocino reportedly began on September 6, 1989, while the couple were having a Guinness in a pub on Ireland's Dingle Peninsula. Four years later, Patterson's Pub opened in Mendocino in 1993.

Tony Graham came from a legal background and Mary Anne from teaching, an unlikely combination perhaps, but apparently a good one for running an Irish pub. Published profiles have described Tony as a retired lawyer and Mary Anne as a retired teacher.

The Building Today

The place developed a personality that goes beyond simply serving food and drinks.

Patterson's became known for its traditional Irish-pub atmosphere, Guinness and other beers, a substantial bar, comfort food and the kind of loud, crowded room where conversation from the next table becomes part of your own.

Visit Mendocino currently describes it as an adults-only, 21-and-over establishment and notes that well-behaved dogs are welcome in its garden seating area.

Community Memories

That arrangement shows up clearly in community memories. One regular specifically remembered liking the adults-only policy while also appreciating that dogs could come along.

The food has built its own following. People commenting on the building's history singled out the clam chowder, fried calamari, Reuben sandwiches and BLAT sandwiches. More than one person called the Reuben a favorite, while another remembered pairing a BLAT with a Little Sumpin' beer.

The outdoor seating also earned praise from someone who appreciated having a quieter alternative to what was affectionately described as the "roar" inside.

Others did not need a particular menu item to explain the appeal. They simply remembered the owners, the staff and the place itself. One commenter called Tony and Mary Anne "the best." Another praised both the food and staff. Someone named Patterson even called it his favorite pub in Mendocino - while carefully pointing out that he was no relation.

Why It Matters

That kind of affection is probably the best explanation for why Patterson's has lasted.

The pub opened in 1993, but it did not replace the building's history. It added another unusually lively chapter to it.

A house associated with Mendocino's Catholic community in the 1860s later became a family residence, complete with a backyard garden. More than a century after its construction, it became an Irish pub.

The room that was once somebody's living room is now filled with conversations, pints and plates of pub food. And after more than 30 years of Patterson's, that chapter has itself become part of Mendocino history.

Timeline

1866 - The building is constructed as the rectory for St. Anthony's Catholic Church.

circa 1950s-1970s - Doris Cruttenden Viera and Louie Viera live in the house and keep a large backyard garden.

September 6, 1989 - Tony and Mary Anne Graham conceive the idea for the pub while in Ireland.

1993 - Patterson's Pub opens at 10485 Lansing Street.

Present - The Grahams continue operating the pub seven days a week.

Sources & Original Research: Patterson's Pub - official history identifying the building as an 1866 former rectory for St. Anthony's Catholic Church, confirming operation since 1993 and current information about Tony and Mary Anne Graham; Kelley House Museum - "Elevated View, Ukiah Street," identifying the building as the Priest's House; Visit Mendocino County - Patterson's Pub listing confirming the 10485 Lansing Street address, 1866 rectory history, current food and drink service, adults-only policy and dog-friendly garden seating; published profile material on Tony and Mary Anne Graham; Mendocino visitor material on the pub's Dingle Peninsula origin story; community memories contributed by Gee Bee, India Gingell, Tammy Lowe, Jeni Lee Smith, Theresa Roberts, Keith Patterson, Karen Hamilton, Barbara Chedister Cowan, Shannon StCyr and Janna Stark Foster on the original Buildings and Businesses in Mendocino post; original post text, photograph and research compilation provided by Gee Bee.