The Barrel House was originally built in 1906 as a classic saloon and hotel. Over the years, the name and clientele of the establishment has changed, most recently known as the "notorious" Blue Banjo.

   In the fall of 2001 the Blue Banjo was closed for good. In April 2002 the Barrel House was born as  Yakima's premier wine bar and restaurant. However, there are still bits and pieces of history left within the building. Some of the historical treasures include the original tin pressed ceiling, the large safe used by the cowboys of the time to keep their guns and money in while they had a visit from the ladies upstairs, and we believe the largest urinal in the State of Washington.

   The Barrel House initally looked like an instant success; however, like many other restaurants it was failing financially (Washington State being very competitive in the restaurant arena). Many small business entrepreneurs fail in this service oriented business for many different reasons. One of the Barrel House's initial LLC members (partners) fleed the scene almost immediatly as a result of the devastating losses. The remaining initial members, (Stoffers of Yakima), held on and kept the doors open when many others would have simply locked up and suffered the losses.