Increasingly encompassed by the growing Nebraska Medical Center, the small building that Barrett’s Barleycorn calls home dates back to 1952. It was at that time that bar owner William (Bill) Growney relocated his Classic Bar from 4312 Leavenworth St. He opened the Classic Bar just five years earlier in a space that had been a Piggly Wiggly and later the Harmonica Bar.
Business was so good that Bill decided to build a brand new home for his bar at 4322 Leavenworth St. Being one of the main arteries to get to and from downtown, business owners along the strip looked for ways to draw the attention of commuters. Many like La Casa and Bronco’s installed neon sights. Bill opted to let the actual building do the work with its mid century modern design. It stood out amongst its older peers with its aluminum trimmed marquee, offset entrance and planter box.
Always a favorite among those in the neighborhood, the Classic Bar was also a favorite of the horse racing crowd. Bill embraced that fact by prominently displaying pictures of horses behind the bar. The bumper pool table was also a favorite of its patrons. When Nebraska instituted a sales tax in 1967, it was the Classic Bar that earned the state its first penny when a customer bought a pint just after midnight.
It continued to operate as the Classic Bar even after its owner passed away in 1972 at the age of 61. I believe that it was at this time that its new owner, Bob Price, would install the grill. The bar was sold again 10 years later when it became the New Classic Bar. That proved to be a placeholder until Frank Barrett finally realized his dream of opening a bar of his own.
Frank was nearing the end of an illustrious career when he opened the bar that would become the gathering place for his friends, family and neighbors. In addition to being the president and chief executive officer for Central National Insurance Company, he was also heavily involved in local politics and often used his bar for political rallies and fundraisers.
Frank was proudly Irish and even hailed from one of the state’s Irish capitals in Greeley so I suspect he may have named his bar after the Irish band called The Barleycorn. Perhaps he instead named it after the Jack London novel. Either way, the bar that he started alongside his daughter Mary earned a reputation for throwing one of the best St. Patrick’s Day parties in town. The party didn’t stop in March though as the lively fans that follow the Louisiana State Tigers baseball team made Barrett’s their unofficial bar whenever they arrived in Omaha for the College World Series.
By 2008, word spread that the tiny kitchen that sits in a corner at the front of the bar was slinging some of the best bar food in town. Its philly sandwich had a devoted following as did its reuben sandwich, which was often named the best in Omaha. Perhaps we’ll dive into the history of the reuben in the future.
The Barrett family have made multiple improvements to the bar in the 46 years since they opened Barrett’s Barleycorn. First, they added a sand volleyball court in the 1980’s. When they bought an old warehouse to the west of the bar, they had every intention of demolishing it for parking but instead converted it into a reception hall called Castle Barrett. With the Barleycorn developing a reputation as a restaurant that had a bar, they converted the basement of the warehouse to the B Bar. The patio which offers a respite along busy Leavenworth was added in the 2000’s. Finally they added the Irish-themed mural on its east wall in 2013.
While Frank passed away in 2019, his namesake bar remains the “friendliest pub and grill around”. In recent years the family owned bar has been run by Karen Barrett and Tiger. It continues to be a destination not just on March 17 but year round. In the best of lists local publications have mention its burger, reuben sandwich and sand volleyball.
I also want to point out that while the Med Center razed three houses to the west of Barrett’s and also owns vacant buildings on either side, the long-time bar and grill does not appear to be at risk. The Med Center also stated that they plan to improve the vacant buildings and return them to use.
Please feel free to comment to share your thoughts and memories.
Until next time, keep exploring!
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