THE BUILDING THAT houses the Silver Peso opened in 1905 as a blacksmith shop. It wasn’t until the 1930s, after another incarnation as a market, that a bar was born. The Silver Peso came into being after World War II when a former GI bought the building with — wait for it — silver pesos. The pesos were “recovered from Manila Bay after the GI learned the Philippine government had sunk its bank reserves to prevent them from falling into Japanese hands,” according to the Marin History Museum. The bar has been one of Marin’s premier blue-collar institutions ever since, drawing a wide variety of patrons either coming from or going to or simply pulling up a stool and staying put for the night.
Learn more about the Silver Peso.
WHAT THEY SAY
Rick Adams, owner
Is Silver Peso a dive bar? Yes.
Your definition of a dive bar? It’s the ultimate equalizer — the kind of place where everybody is the same, from your tech guy to your construction guy, and everyone in between. You can have a shot and a beer, or two shots and two beers, and no one is going to look at you funny.
Describe the Peso. Old, rickety, cluttered, cozy, comfy. This building is more than a century old; fortunately we have lots of ventilation.
DIVE BAR CHECKLIST
Games? Shuffleboard, three pool tables, pinball machine and Buck Hunter.
Celebrity photos? No.
TV is always on? Yes, all seven of them.
PBR available? In cans and on tap.
Muddled cocktails? Nope.
Fake fireplace? No.
Food served in bags? Yes.
Silver Peso T-shirts? Yes.
