Merchants Cafe & Saloon

Pioneer Square has no shortage of ghoulish old bars, but Merchants Café & Saloon may be its most historic. Dating back to 1890, the dive leans into its allegedly haunted past with a dusty padlocked bar downstairs that looks like a dungeon, a 19th-century portrait of a lady that may as well have eye holes cut out, and even a creepy doll. For scaredy cats, the best time to visit may be during the day, when the mellow street-level bar is usually filled with tourists and a few friendly regulars watching a game on the big screen. While the snacks are generally forgettable (skip the under-salted fries), it’s still not a bad place to sip on a local draft or stiff bourbon and ponder what spirits may be haunting the backrooms.