{"id":1457,"date":"2026-06-07T21:36:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T21:36:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1457"},"modified":"2026-06-07T21:36:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T21:36:35","slug":"last-call-for-beloved-santa-rosa-dive-bar-wagon-wheel-closing-its-doors-after-seven-decades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1457","title":{"rendered":"Last call for beloved Santa Rosa dive bar: Wagon Wheel closing its doors after seven decades"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><div><p>You don\u2019t have to go home, but you can\u2019t stay there.<\/p>\n<p>The Wagon Wheel Saloon, a beloved, and sometimes notorious dive bar that opened in Santa Rosa some 70 years ago, will soon be gone. Its last day is Sunday.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1445\">Asia Live food emporium will make its Valley Fair debut Friday<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe survived the Tubbs Fire, we survived COVID,\u201d said Christine Mandoli, who along with her husband Mark became co-owners of the bar 35 years ago, along with Debbie and Rob Bunting, and John Guglielmoni. (Rob Bunting and Guglielmoni have since died.)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNew landlords took over a couple months ago, and they have some plans,\u201d said Mark Mandoli. \u201cAnd we\u2019re not in their plans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut it\u2019s been a great run.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been a ride,\u201d Christine agreed.<\/p>\n<p><span><iframe allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"youtube-player\" height=\"360\" loading=\"lazy\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IPwTKFhrbaQ?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;fs=1&amp;hl=en-US&amp;autohide=2&amp;wmode=transparent\" style=\"border:0;\" width=\"640\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Before the saloon\u2019s blessedly dim lights go out for good, however \u2014 before its superb shuffleboard and jukebox and pool tables are removed, and the dollar bills stapled to the ceiling plucked down and donated to the Redwood Empire Food Bank \u2014 there\u2019s still time to assess its complicated legacy.<\/p> <div>\n<\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s true that the Wheel, just north of Liberty Bail Bonds on Mendocino Avenue, has a colorful and sometimes checkered past as a biker bar \u2014 and that it has often been a first stop for patrons freshly sprung from Sonoma County\u2019s nearby Main Adult Detention Facility. (For years, customers who showed their release papers from the county lockup got a free drink, although the Mandolis put an end to that tradition.)<\/p>\n<p>There was that FBI raid in 2017, when authorities arrested a half-dozen Hells Angels for charges that included racketeering and conspiracy involving murder, assault, robbery, extortion and witness tampering.<\/p>\n<div><ul><div><div><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Law enforcement officers from various agencies search motorcycles outside the...\" class=\"wp-image-1447\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/968508db056b35d182c50ab2c10c6e1f-768x512.webp\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/968508db056b35d182c50ab2c10c6e1f-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/968508db056b35d182c50ab2c10c6e1f-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/968508db056b35d182c50ab2c10c6e1f.webp 1008w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Alvin Jornada \/ The Press Democrat<\/div><div>Law enforcement officers from various agencies search motorcycles outside the Wagon Wheel Saloon in Santa Rosa, California on Saturday, November 18, 2017. (Alvin Jornada \/ The Press Democrat)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"People mill around in front of the Wagon Wheel Saloon...\" class=\"wp-image-1448\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/131a66eeb4a2ce712451ec33e7bf1711-1024x682.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/131a66eeb4a2ce712451ec33e7bf1711-1024x682.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/131a66eeb4a2ce712451ec33e7bf1711-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/131a66eeb4a2ce712451ec33e7bf1711-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/131a66eeb4a2ce712451ec33e7bf1711-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/131a66eeb4a2ce712451ec33e7bf1711.webp 1859w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Alvin Jornada \/ The Press Democrat<\/div><div>People mill around in front of the Wagon Wheel Saloon after a raid by FBI, CHP and local law enforcement officers in Santa Rosa, California on Saturday, November 18, 2017. (Alvin Jornada \/ The Press Democrat)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"California Highway Patrol officers block off Mendocino Avenue outside the...\" class=\"wp-image-1449\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/dc5747bfcd636e642b528a85952b80fa-1024x683.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/dc5747bfcd636e642b528a85952b80fa-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/dc5747bfcd636e642b528a85952b80fa-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/dc5747bfcd636e642b528a85952b80fa-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/dc5747bfcd636e642b528a85952b80fa-1536x1025.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/dc5747bfcd636e642b528a85952b80fa.webp 1859w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Alvin Jornada \/ The Press Democrat<\/div><div>California Highway Patrol officers block off Mendocino Avenue outside the Wagon Wheel Saloon after a raid in Santa Rosa, California on Saturday, November 18, 2017. (Alvin Jornada \/ The Press Democrat)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"California Highway Patrol officers cordon off Mendocino Avenue in front...\" class=\"wp-image-1450\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0e97653986e9a5455cc0652ef9722e09-1024x682.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0e97653986e9a5455cc0652ef9722e09-1024x682.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0e97653986e9a5455cc0652ef9722e09-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0e97653986e9a5455cc0652ef9722e09-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0e97653986e9a5455cc0652ef9722e09-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0e97653986e9a5455cc0652ef9722e09.webp 1859w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Alvin Jornada \/ The Press Democrat<\/div><div>California Highway Patrol officers cordon off Mendocino Avenue in front of the Wagon Wheel Saloon after a raid by federal and local law enforcement, in Santa Rosa, California on Saturday, November 18, 2017. (Alvin Jornada \/ The Press Democrat)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><\/div><\/div><\/ul><div><button>Show Caption<\/button><div>Alvin Jornada \/ The Press Democrat<\/div><div><span>1<\/span> of <span>4<\/span><\/div><div>Law enforcement officers from various agencies search motorcycles outside the Wagon Wheel Saloon in Santa Rosa, California on Saturday, November 18, 2017. (Alvin Jornada \/ The Press Democrat)\n<\/div><span>Expand<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<p>And there remain those dark smudges on the flooring where, years before, a biker named Billy rode his Harley through the doorway on the west side of the Wheel, executed a burnout, then gunned it through the bar to the opposite door.<\/p>\n<p>Further burnishing Billy\u2019s legend, according to numerous witnesses, was the fact that he performed this feat while transporting a female passenger who was, for that brief journey, unclothed.<\/p> <div>\n<\/div>\n<p>While acknowledging the bar\u2019s rowdy past, the Mandolis and other friends of the Wheel choose not dwell on or overly emphasize it.<\/p>\n<p>Sure, there are still some bikers at the Wheel, particularly in its final weeks and days, but they are longer in the tooth and shorter in number than a quarter century ago, Mark Mandoli noted.<\/p>\n<p>In those wild days, recalled a woman named Robin, who showed up with seven friends Thursday evening to toast the bar, the Wagon Wheel had a dirt parking lot that was much larger and served as a staging area for mass rides. \u201cAfterward, we\u2019d come back here for a barbecue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What has remained constant, say the Mandolis, is the vibe in the bar.<\/p>\n<div><ul><div><div><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Old friends meet for a last look at the Wagon...\" class=\"wp-image-1451\" height=\"687\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/a8affbd839ba39073d642b4c8170d168-1024x687.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/a8affbd839ba39073d642b4c8170d168-1024x687.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/a8affbd839ba39073d642b4c8170d168-300x201.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/a8affbd839ba39073d642b4c8170d168-768x515.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/a8affbd839ba39073d642b4c8170d168-1536x1030.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/a8affbd839ba39073d642b4c8170d168.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Old friends meet for a last look at the Wagon Wheel Saloon and what they claim is the best shuffle board set up, Thursday, June 4, 2026 on Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess\/The Press Democrat)<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Wagon Wheel Saloon on Santa Rosa\u00e2\u0080\u0099s north Mendocino Avenue...\" class=\"wp-image-1452\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/40fd358b53010e927c48bd4dbc568e51-1024x683.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/40fd358b53010e927c48bd4dbc568e51-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/40fd358b53010e927c48bd4dbc568e51-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/40fd358b53010e927c48bd4dbc568e51-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/40fd358b53010e927c48bd4dbc568e51-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/40fd358b53010e927c48bd4dbc568e51.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Alvin Jornada\/The Press Democrat<\/div><div>The Wagon Wheel Saloon on Santa Rosa\u2019s north  Mendocino Avenue in 2014. (Alvin Jornada\/The Press Democrat)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Wagon Wheel Saloon in Santa Rosa located a short...\" class=\"wp-image-1453\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5dd0f7d87b81f249a71730ed7371967c-1024x680.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5dd0f7d87b81f249a71730ed7371967c-1024x680.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5dd0f7d87b81f249a71730ed7371967c-300x199.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5dd0f7d87b81f249a71730ed7371967c-768x510.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5dd0f7d87b81f249a71730ed7371967c-1536x1021.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5dd0f7d87b81f249a71730ed7371967c.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>The Wagon Wheel Saloon in Santa Rosa located a short distance from the Sonoma County Jail on Mendocino Avenue. (Pio Alfredo Valenzuela \/ For The Press Democrat)<\/div><\/div><\/li><\/div><\/div><\/ul><div><button>Show Caption<\/button><div><span>1<\/span> of <span>3<\/span><\/div><div>Old friends meet for a last look at the Wagon Wheel Saloon and what they claim is the best shuffle board set up, Thursday, June 4, 2026 on Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess\/The Press Democrat)<\/div><span>Expand<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<p>While the \u201cbiking community\u201d is shrinking, said Mark, \u201cThe atmosphere\u201d in the Wheel has always been the same. \u201cIt\u2019s always been a warm place where everybody got along.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian Teager, a gentle man with an offensive guard\u2019s build who has tended bar at the saloon for 33 years, explained that those who enter are expected to \u201ctreat the place with respect, and treat people with respect. And if you don\u2019t, you\u2019re asked to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Teager\u2019s final shift, on Wednesday, June 3, was a busy one. Some customers are venturing in for the first time, to see what they\u2019ve been missing before it goes away. Others are dropping by to bid an old friend adios \u2014 including the married couple from England who first met at the Wagon Wheel, then moved to the United Kingdom, and returned to Santa Rosa two weeks ago for the express purpose of saying goodbye to the place.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho\u2019d have known that going out of business would be so good for business?\u201d Teager said.<\/p>\n<p>Citing one of the Wheel\u2019s unofficial mantras, he described it as a place \u201cwhere people can come who don\u2019t necessarily conform to the norm.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Asked to name a few of those nonconformists, he mentioned Kenny the Weasel \u2014 \u201cLittle guy, beady eyes. Lived in his car, liked to drink\u201d \u2014 and Bill from the Hill, a retiree and morning person who lived on Calistoga Road. His habit was to be at the Wheel when it opened at 6 a.m.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1443\">Iran\u2019s soccer team arrives in Mexico for training ahead of the World Cup<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019d drink \u2019til about 10, then he\u2019d leave.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jason Teats, whose baby face is belied by his salt and pepper goatee, has spent a quarter century working behind the bar at the Wheel.<\/p>\n<div><ul><div><div><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Wagon Wheel Saloon has been a destination for motorcycle...\" class=\"wp-image-1454\" height=\"691\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f390881e929c34b4bc352b550fcd3400-1024x691.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f390881e929c34b4bc352b550fcd3400-1024x691.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f390881e929c34b4bc352b550fcd3400-300x203.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f390881e929c34b4bc352b550fcd3400-768x519.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f390881e929c34b4bc352b550fcd3400-1536x1037.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f390881e929c34b4bc352b550fcd3400.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>The Wagon Wheel Saloon has been a destination for motorcycle riders since the 1950s, with a spot to park out back, Thursday, June 4, 2026 on Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess\/The Press Democrat)<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Wagon Wheel dive bar on Mendocino Avenue in Santa...\" class=\"wp-image-1455\" height=\"666\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/345d7c69bbf6ea65109adb63606763af-1024x666.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/345d7c69bbf6ea65109adb63606763af-1024x666.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/345d7c69bbf6ea65109adb63606763af-300x195.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/345d7c69bbf6ea65109adb63606763af-768x499.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/345d7c69bbf6ea65109adb63606763af-1536x998.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/345d7c69bbf6ea65109adb63606763af.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>The Wagon Wheel dive bar on Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa opened in the 1950s but will close for good on Sunday. Photo taken Thursday, June 4, 2026. (John Burgess\/The Press Democrat)<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Wagon Wheel Saloon on Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa...\" class=\"wp-image-1456\" height=\"685\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/e9f52bb6193784cbeae310d16c3d815e-1024x685.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/e9f52bb6193784cbeae310d16c3d815e-1024x685.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/e9f52bb6193784cbeae310d16c3d815e-300x201.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/e9f52bb6193784cbeae310d16c3d815e-768x514.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/e9f52bb6193784cbeae310d16c3d815e-1536x1027.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/e9f52bb6193784cbeae310d16c3d815e.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>The Wagon Wheel Saloon on Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa opened in the 1950s but will close for good on Sunday. Photo taken Thursday, June 4, 2026. (John Burgess\/The Press Democrat)<\/div><\/div><\/li><\/div><\/div><\/ul><div><button>Show Caption<\/button><div><span>1<\/span> of <span>3<\/span><\/div><div>The Wagon Wheel Saloon has been a destination for motorcycle riders since the 1950s, with a spot to park out back, Thursday, June 4, 2026 on Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess\/The Press Democrat)<\/div><span>Expand<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<p>He was drawn to it at first, he recalled, because \u201cpeople were real with each other, and watched out for each other. Anytime you walk in with a long face, somebody is going to recognize it, and ask how you\u2019re doing, and what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Those with negative things to say about the Wheel, he believes, \u201care people who have heard things from people that barely came here.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn my 25-year bartending career,\u201d he said, \u201cI\u2019ve only ever had to lay hands on three people.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the safest bar in Sonoma County.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While that may be debatable, patrons credited Mandolis and their co-owners with creating a unique refuge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are some rough people here,\u201d said a man, who had just won at the shuffleboard table. He identified himself as \u201cThe Barrel,\u201d although his lanky frame evoked a stave more than a barrel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut when they come in, they show (the Mandolis) appreciation and respect, because of the way they\u2019ve run this business.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It would be a mistake, however, to go too far in trying to sanitize the history of the saloon.<\/p>\n<p>The aforementioned Robin and her circle of friends, seated by the back wall \u2014 \u201cThe Real Housewives of Sonoma County,\u201d they called themselves\u00a0 \u2014\u00a0will quickly set you straight.<\/p>\n<p>Has the Wheel been misunderstood, lo these many years?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, it was bad,\u201d replied one of the housewives. \u201cIt was a raunchy biker bar.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was bad, but it wasn\u2019t bad bad,\u201d said another. \u201cIt was GOOD bad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>All conversation ceased when the 26-year-old bartender Savannah Sisko, commemorating the end of her final shift, announced she would be giving her \u201cdear friend Tim\u201d a Hurricane shot.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s when a man takes a shot, and I throw a glass of water in his face, then slap the s\u2014 out of him,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n<p>A cheer went up.<\/p>\n<p>Tim slammed the shot, and \u2014 to the bar\u2019s roaring approval \u2014 got his face slapped.<\/p>\n<p>The applause grew louder when, after absorbing that blow, he reflected briefly on the matter, then said, \u201cOne more time.\u201d He was slapped again, droplets flying from his face.<\/p>\n<p>After Sisko gave him a hug, signaling no hard feelings, Tim spoke again. He was talking to her but might as well have been addressing the bar itself: \u201cI\u2019m gonna miss ya.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As the raucous laughter subsided to a dull roar, the song playing on the juke box was Queen\u2019s \u201cFat Bottomed Girls,\u201d whose closing lyrics included one with special resonance in the waning days of the Wheel:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGet on your bikes and ride!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>You can reach Staff Writer Austin Murphy at austin.murphy@pressdemocrat.com or on Twitter @ausmurph88.<\/em><\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1441\">Loaded list: Mike Leach, Terrell Suggs and Marshawn Lynch are on the 2027 College Football Hall of Fame ballot (with 77 others)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The somewhat notorious saloon had a reputation that evolved over the years from raunchy biker bar to warm, welcoming vibe. Its last call is Sunday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1446,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Last call for beloved Santa Rosa dive bar: Wagon Wheel closing its doors after seven decades - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1457\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Last call for beloved Santa Rosa dive bar: Wagon Wheel closing its doors after seven decades - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The somewhat notorious saloon had a reputation that evolved over the years from raunchy biker bar to warm, welcoming vibe. 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