“THE TUX IS A LEGEND!”

PRESCOTT - The Tuxedo Bar & Grill might be located in Prescott, but according to one Waitburg resident, if you stop in on Wednesday's taco night, half the tables will be filled with Waitsburgers.

Owner Pam Steuckle says that not only Waitsburgers, but diners from across region - Walla Walla, Waitsburg, Dayton, Tri-Cities and Lewiston -- make a point of dropping by. "We're a few minutes from everywhere, and the Tux is kind of a legend." she said.

Pam and her husband, Larry, bought The Tux on July 16, 2005 from Don and Carol Hollenbaugh, who had operated the restaurant for 27 years. (Pam says a big10-year anniversary celebration is planned for next summer.)

The Steuckles began farming wheat five miles northwest of Clyde in 1984 and were actively involved in the community prior to purchasing the Tux. Pam was a self-proclaimed sports mom and Larry refereed football and baseball for 18 years; both held positions in several civic organizations.

Pam says buying the restaurant was Larry's idea. She worked at the Bon Marche for several years, but once she left there and her kids had grown, he decided she needed something more to keep her busy. The Tux came up for sale and he insisted they buy it.

Pam said the couple tried to work the restaurant together at first but that didn't work out so well. "Larry was too much of a schmoozer. I had to tell him to get out and farm!" she said with a laugh.

"I had no idea how to run a restaurant -- I was clueless," said Pam. "Running a small-town restaurant is different than working for corporate America at the Bon Marche." Pam said the early months were difficult and filled with trials and tribulations.

Sadly, her biggest trial was yet to come. On Oct. 31, 2006 - just a year and a half after purchasing the Tux - Larry Steuckle was killed in a car accident. "Everyone thought I would sell the restaurant but I hung in there," Pam said. Instead, she sold the farm, moved closer to town, and continued operating The Tux.

"There really is a legacy and sense of history here," said Pam. When the Steuckles purchased the business, Land Title found a "common wall agreement" with the owners of the building that once stood where the Prescott Plaza is today, dated 1907, making the building at least 107 years old.

Steuckle says she has no intention of changing the restaurant from the traditional burger joint that it is and has always been. "It's the restaurant's history that keeps us afloat. It has an ambiance all its own; one that people don't always see anymore. Sometimes I think I should get rid of stuff, but then I realize the 'junk' is a part of it. You've got to go with what works," she said.

And work it does. The bar and grill keep uncharacteristically busy for a town with a population of only 300, and the building is filled to capacity nearly every Wednesday for taco night.

"Wednesdays are like a big get-together at your house with your friends - a big social event where you can see people you haven't seen in awhile," said Steuckle.

In addition to taco night ($2.50 soft tacos, 99¢ margaritas and 99¢ small Coors Lights) the restaurant hosts karaoke nights every second and fourth Saturday night from 8 to 12 p.m. Fish is on the menu daily, but on Fridays Steukle makes it extra special by adding homemade clam chowder and coleslaw.

Live bands perform in the bar "every so often," and Stueckle said the whole staff recently came in on their day off to help shoot The FrogHollow Band's new "Hillbilly Hell" music video. "That was a lot of fun!" (The video can be seen at www.thefroghollowband.com) The band is slated to perform live at the Tux on Nov. 22.

Pam said the most popular menu item is the World Famous Jason Burger. "We call it 'world famous' because all the people who come back from Iraq and Iran come in and have one," she said.

Pam explained that the Jason Burger was originally named after the Hollenbaugh's grandson, but she was pretty excited when her oldest son, Jacob, named his son Jason as well, providing her with her own namesake. Both of Steuckle's sons live in Prescott and younger son Nathan joins her in cooking at the Tux.

Stueckle takes obvious pride in "earning the trust of the community" and making her customers happy. "I think consistency is really important and I take pride in what I put out," she said. "I really thank the community for all their support and for all the fun they've brought to the business."