From Pappio Bar to Winchester Bar and Grill

March 6, 2026

Nestled between 72nd Street and the Big Papio Creek, Winchester’s Bar and Grill is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. While the bar is well known for its burgers and volleyball, the story of the building it calls home pre-dates the notable neighbor to the south, Fun-Plex, by decades.

1976 photo of the Calico Cat after it was purchased by Joe Mislivec Jr. He turned it into Winchester Saloon. Photo courtesy of Christine Olson.

The Pappio Bar appears to have been operating from 7002 Q Street as far back as 1949. The original bar was founded by South Omaha meatpacker Steve Kawecki and his wife Gladys. Sitting just outside the city limits, it became known for its dancing and barbecued ribs.

1976 photo of the Calico Cat as it was being transformed into Winchester Saloon. Photo courtesy of Christine Olson.

The bar continued to operate as the Pappio under various owners until Roy Suiter Jr. bought it in 1959 and changed the name to the Royal Robin Tavern. By then, its menu expanded and featured chicken, spaghetti and steak, though dancing remained the primary draw.

1976 photo of the Winchester Saloon as it was being expanded and renovated. Photo courtesy of Christine Olson.

Its brief run as the Royal Robin came to an end when Wanda and Don Jones opened the Don Wan Tavern in 1963. The bar whose name was a play on its owners names had earned a reputation for rowdiness dating back to its days as the Pappio. When the new owners applied for a dance hall permit, Chief Deputy Sheriff Jack Knudtson asked the county to deny it, citing it as a continual policing problem. He said that taverns located outside the city limits often got out of hand and that he didn’t have enough officers to handle it. The permit was ultimately approved.

2026 OE photo of the Winchester Bar & Grill at 70th and Q Streets.

The bar’s name and ownership continued to change through the 1960s, cycling through the Lucky Seven Bar and Grill and the D and D Bar and Grill among others. It continued operating in a largely vacant area east of 72nd Street until it was annexed by the City of Omaha in 1966. By that point, its liquor license was rejected due to a new ordinance requiring a population of 1,000 residents per new license issued. The license was finally approved in 1967, and the bar reopened as the Calico Cat Cocktail Lounge.

It finally found some stability when Joe Mislivec Jr. took a risk and opened the Winchester Saloon in 1976. The name was inspired by the rifle, as Joe had a fondness for old-time, lever-action guns. Joe took a deteriorating building with no sewer or gas, renovated it and expanded it by adding onto the east and north sides, enlarging the kitchen in the process.

2026 OE photo of the Winchester Bar & Grill at 70th and Q Streets. The rifle that inspired its name still hangs above the bar.

The gamble paid off. Just three years later, Kart Ranch, now known as Fun-Plex, opened next door and provided a steady stream of business. Joe and his brother Tom managed the bar together for the next 41 years before retiring in 2017. The Mislivec family legacy lives on, as Winchester was sold to the same group that bought O’Leaver’s along Saddle Creek in midtown. Following a similar path as their O’Leaver’s, the new owners leaned into the outdoor spaces, emphasizing its volleyball courts, outdoor patio and a bar.

Despite being surrounded by a largely industrial area, Winchester holds onto its small-town dive bar appeal, right down to that Winchester rifle still hanging above the bar. Fifty years later, the bar and grill whose motto is “A legend of good times and great food” continues to serve up its famous burgers while offering entertainment in the form of live music, karaoke, volleyball, pool and darts to anyone that walks through the front door.

Special thanks to Christine Olson who provided much of the information for this article.

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