About Our
History
🍻 Ruski’s Tavern 🍻
Good Food. Good Drink. Good Times Since 1900.
Built in the 1860s, Ruski’s was originally established as a residence in what was then one of the most exclusive areas in the city. It then became a beer parlor around 1900 under the ownership of Jesse McLinchy, a wealthy Irishman who also owned a brewery on the site that later became the Catholic School for St. Dominic’s Church.
During Prohibition, it became Spiller’s Bakery & Lunch, still providing illegal spirits to the neighborhood. In 1935 it became the Elsmac Cafe, then Shane’s Cafe & Lunch from 1936-1940. In the late 1940s, it became The White Eagle, a beer parlor.
In the early 1950s, Mary Mancini purchased the building and leased it out to a revolving cast who ran it as The White Eagle, The Red Eye, Beacon II, Ruski’s, and briefly The Green & Gold before it resumed the Ruski’s mantle in 1981.
Frank Navarro purchased the building in 1981, and ownership operated Ruski’s until selling it to Steve and Rose Harris, who operated it until 2005.
Josh and Monica Whaley, the current owners, carry on Rose and Steve’s tradition of good food and good times in a comfortable neighborhood hangout while maintaining a strong community involvement.
133 years Later
after Jesse McLinchy first turned this corner of Portland into a beer parlor, Ruski’s Tavern is still doing what it does best—serving up strong drinks, hearty meals, and a place for the neighborhood to call home.
Through Prohibition, changing hands, and the evolution of Portland’s West End, Ruski’s has remained a staple—a bar where time slows down, the food hits the spot, and the conversation flows as freely as the beer.
What started as a quiet watering hole for locals has transformed into a beloved institution, where generations of Mainers and visitors alike pull up a stool and become part of the story. The neon “OPEN” sign has welcomed everyone from longshoremen to artists, young professionals to old-timers who’ve been coming here for decades. Some things have changed—new faces, new beers on tap—but at its core, Ruski’s is still the same. It’s a place where your drink is poured before you sit down, where the breakfast crowd mixes with the night shift, and where regulars are as much a part of the atmosphere as the vintage signs on the walls.
As Portland grows and evolves, Ruski’s remains a constant, a connection to the city’s past and a reminder that some things are just too good to change. Whether you’re stopping in for a cold pint, a classic burger, or a late-night conversation, you’re always welcome at Ruski’s—just as it’s been since 1892, and just as it will be for years to come.