The Bent Elbow, located in the historic gold and silver mining town of Silverton, Colorado, takes you back in time to the Wild West era when Silverton was a brawling, rowdy, round-the-clock gambling and drinking town, with the loveliest dancehall girls around.
The original Bent Elbow was built in 1907 and opened as Fattor's Tremount Saloon. It was home to a Bordello upstairs with 14 beds. It was owned by Celeste and Matilda "Big Tillie" Fattor.
After "Big Tillie's" death from pneumonia in 1918, the Saloon changed hands numerous times until it was bought by Fred Bostock in 1956. He opened it as a restaurant and bar, filled it with priceless antiques, and he named it the Bent Elbow. He had live music every day and staged melodramas and gunfights to attract and entertain the tourists.
In 1968, after the building was bought by Effie and her husband R.M. "Snarky" Andreatta, it was completely destroyed by fire.
Effie was a resourceful and enterprising woman and she had the building rebuilt and up and running before the first train of the following season, all the while making meals in a temporary kitchen at a neighboring mercantile.
Effie Andreatta was known to close the bar late after live music and be back first thing in the morning to welcome patrons for breakfast at dawn. When Snarky died in 1972, her son Mike Andreatta, joined the business and continued to run it until it was sold to the current owners, Pete and LeAnn Maisel.
Notorious Blair Street has changed little in appearance over the years and it has become a favorite location for film companies shooting Western Movies, such as "Night Passage" (1957 James Stewart), "Maverick Queen" (1966 Barbara Stanwyck), "Great Day In The Morning" (1956 Virginia Mayo). "Run For Cover" (1955 James Cagney) and "Ticket To Tomahawk" (1950 Dan Daily, Anne Baxter and Marilyn Monroe in one of her first roles).
The Bent Elbow has done more than survive the passage of many years since its original "heyday", with the loving help and restorative care of owners Pete and LeAnn, the Restaurant and Saloon is more authentic and pleasing than ever before.
The Bent Elbow Victorian Hotel has six rooms for you to choose from. They include the Presidential Suite, three Deluxe Suites, and two Balcony Suites. The Presidential Suite is your home away from home, with a complete kitchen and dining area. All the rooms feature private baths, cable TV, telephones, and wireless high-speed Internet.
The Bent Elbow's fully-restored Restaurant and Saloon is a few steps away from the historic Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Train terminus, but many steps back through time. Come on in, relax, and enjoy a delicious meal or a drink served by the friendly staff in a turn-of-the-century atmosphere. There' nothing else like it!