The Huntridge Tavern appeared in season 3 of Anthony Bourdain’s food and travel show Parts Unknown. The late, eminently quotable author and chef loved the windowless, 24/7 Downtown dive bar and package liquor joint, calling the HT “the side of Vegas I like … [the place] where those who have to live it, see it, the things that men do day after day, night after night, in a town where people are encouraged to do their worst … can drink the stain away.”

That was 11 years ago. In that time, the Huntridge Tavern has changed little. The first time I visited the now 63-year-old HT was in 1994, when I first moved into the Huntridge neighborhood; it hasn’t changed much since then, either. Huntridge Center, now owned by local Vegas developer J Dapper, has evolved all around the HT: new restaurants including Yukon Pizza and Winnie & Ethel’s diner, a new roller disco rink from Branden Powers soon to open next door, even a Roberto’s drive-thru. But my beloved, earthy neighborhood bar is trapped in martini time, preserved in amber ale. And Larsh Kellogg keeps it that way.

The owner of the Huntridge Tavern for two decades, Kellogg is a mysterious figure. Until this interview, in fact, I don’t believe I’ve ever sat down with him in his own bar. We grabbed one of the booths along the wood-paneled east wall and struck up a conversation about what keeps a dive alive.

The HT is practically a Vegas UN. I’ve seen all walks of life in here: crisp young professionals, old crusty gamblers, local politicians, OnlyFans models, a dude who dresses like a pirate and another who dresses as a clown. And everybody gets along.

Yeah, we do our best to keep the riffraff out [chuckles].

But not the celebrities. Have there been other luminaries here, aside from Bourdain?

I’m sure. I bought the bar in 2004, and before I owned it, there were a lot of celebrities in and out of here. When I was growing up at Eighth and Oakey, there were quite a few prominent Las Vegans that lived in the neighborhood.

And still do. Is that why it was important to you to keep this place as original as possible? Did you need to make that case when J Dapper bought this shopping plaza in 2016?

It was my dad [Paul] who negotiated with J Dapper when he officially took over. Very nice guy. Dapper came in and said, “I want to get rid of the Huntridge Drugstore. And your space is too big.” We used to go all the way to the back of the building; there was a big workshop area in the back [for repairing coin machines]. He goes, “I want to cut your space down. I’m gonna move your bathrooms.” And we were like, “Great.”

This place does well. It’s got an old school dive feel to it, and it’s never been a thought of mine to come in and gut the place and make it new and fancy.

In the rapidly gentrifying times we live in, is it a challenge to keep this place divey?

It’s not really hard at all, with the Huntridge being here for so long and having the reputation that it does. I don’t have a kitchen, which helps; kitchens are not fun. I have a low overhead and minimal staff.

I think it’s the only bar in Vegas I’d feel comfortable walking into and yelling “A round for everybody,” without first needing to check my balance.

[Laughs.] Right? Obviously, we have to increase prices once in a while, but I try to do it little by little. I think we do a good job of keeping prices down… I know a lot of guys in the bar business. We talk about the Strip laying off so many people. … Recently, it’s been a little bit of a struggle. People aren’t spending as much money; they’re not gambling as much. When times are tough, people are still going to drink, but they’re going to cut back on their gambling. That’s been a challenge, as COVID was a challenge, but we do okay. We hold our own.

When do you get your biggest crowds?

To be honest with you, there’s people in here all the time. I don’t think I’ve ever walked in where nobody’s been in here.

Do you know the regulars?

I used to. I don’t know a lot of them now. At first, I liked to spend a lot of time around the bar. But then what I started finding out was, when the owner walks in, everybody wants to do a shot with them. I don’t drink at the places that I own. It’s just bad business.

Finally: Will this eventually be one of the last smoking bars in Las Vegas? I feel like it could be.

Yeah. I think alcohol and gambling and cigarettes go together. I know a lot of bars that have gone smokeless, but I don’t have any plans here to do that, especially since I don’t have a kitchen.

Thanks for talking, Larsh. This place means a lot to a lot of people. And they may not realize that somebody’s hand is on the wheel.

I’m trying to keep it going straight as I can.

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