One thing you’re guaranteed to do a lot of if you visit the Tower District’s newest cocktail bar, The Howlin Wolf?
Staring.
At all the art deco details and the speakeasy ambiance, from the tile under the barstools to the giant medallion made from the frame of an old satellite dish on the ceiling.
There is so much to look at here, like a vintage motorcycle displayed on one wall.
And if you look hard enough, you’ll discover some Fresno Easter eggs of sorts. Like the 22 feet of banquette seating in several shades of green vinyl from the now-defunct Chicken Pie Shop across the street.
Or the wooden (yes, wooden) organ pipes on the wall, which are from the old Azteca Theater in Fresno’s Chinatown.
The gold metal “cheese grater” walls that line the small outdoor patio were rescued from the exterior of the Proctor’s Jewelers on Fulton Street in downtown Fresno when it was remodeled.
“This whole bar is a love letter to Fresno,” said majority owner Craig Johnson.
The Howlin Wolf is a cocktail bar, yes (and we’ll get to those cocktails in a moment), but it’s also the baby of a general contractor turned bar owner.
Johnson owns the bar, along with Gazebo Gardens owner Scott Miller, commercial real estate guy Jeff Wolpert and dentist Scott Schapansky.
They opened The Howlin Wolf last week, in a portion of the former Fulton’s Folly Antique Collective on Olive Avenue at Fulton Street, behind Deli Delicious.
The same group also owns Goldstein’s Mortuary & Delicatessen, the whimsical craft beer bar on nearby Wishon Avenue.
Most of Johnson’s business is remodeling kitchens and bathrooms, but when he works on his own projects, he gets the freedom to run wild (and has no client to rein him in), he said.
“I just kinda fell down the art deco rabbit hole,” he said of the two years of work he put into the space.
The Howlin Wolf and its drinks
A big horseshoe bar sits in the center of the The Howlin Wolf. Bartenders wear maroon blazers, inspired by Lloyd the bartender in “The Shining”.
There are five signature cocktails and 10 classics on the menu (including Tower favorite Stockholm Royale), along with beer on tap and wine.
One popular option: the American Gothic, made with whiskey, apple cider, lemon and maple, with cinnamon and nutmeg grated on top.
Most cocktails range from $10 to $13.
The bar’s menu was designed by Quail State owner Josh Isla-Wolf.
A special top-down freezing method means the ice cubes in the drinks are perfectly clear.
More fun things are in the works too. Soon people can order a crystal punch bowl for the table full of various alcoholic drinks.
It has a stage ideal for live music, but they don’t plan to sell tickets to concerts.
The name The Howlin Wolf is a nod to the blues artist of the same name (Chester Arthur Burnett), perhaps best known for his 1956 song “Smokestack Lightning”. You can find his posters and albums throughout the bar.
At 3,500 square feet, the bar seats almost 200 people. It does not take reservations.
The whole place has an open design, ideal for that time-honored Tower practice of recognizing someone you know and stopping to chat.
There’s also a long skinny communal table for people who want to talk to strangers.
You can dress up or come in your work clothes, Johnson said.
“I want this place to feel like it’s very upscale and very classy – that’s why the bartenders wear the maroon blazers – but we don’t want it to feel stuffy.”
Details: The Howlin Wolf is at 920 E. Olive Ave. Hours: 3 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. daily. Find the bar online at Facebook or Instagram.
This story was originally published December 14, 2021 3:42 PM.
Bethany Clough covers restaurants and retail for The Fresno Bee. A reporter for 20 years, she now works to answer readers’ questions about business openings, closings and other business news. She has a degree in journalism from Syracuse University and her last name is pronounced Cluff.
