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The Palace Restaurant and Saloon will come back from COVID 'with a swing'

Employees look forward to National Margarita Day on Tuesday, Feb. 22
2022-02-10 the palace
Server and apprentice bartender Tyler Currie offers up a beef taco salad and a 7-ounce bacon cheeseburger deluxe for lunch on Feb. 9 at the Palace Saloon. The downtown Soo, Mich., eatery has just introduced a 17-item lunch menu ready in minutes for $6-8. For after-work exploration, the Palace features more than 120 different tequilas for sipping from distillers all over the world.

A 119-year-old mahogany Brunswick bar and the three intricately carved lion heads that watch over The Palace Restaurant and Saloon’s roughly 120 Tequila options. 

“Normally, we have about 150 but we haven’t lately,” said bartender Tyler Currie. That’s one of the impacts of COVID.. 

Known for its rich history and welcoming atmosphere, families, friends, business colleagues and out-of-towners come inside to enjoy a unique blend of fresh Mexican dishes. 

The family of employees, led by owner Tammy Cook, have not allowed the pandemic to change that feeling.

Eventually, COVID will go down as another challenge in the establishment’s long, proud history.

Sam Kokka purchased the property in 1903. He hired The Brunswick Company to transform what was a simple paint shop into the Northwest Hotel. 

“In the beginning, it was a hotel with a bar and housing,” said Cook. “There were rooms and a bathroom on each floor. Workers would come here and go back to work on the Soo Locks.” 

But the Kokko family eventually sold the business to Delmar and Diane Newman, who changed its name from Brunswick to The Palace Saloon. The Newmans attached a Mexican kitchen to the west-side of the building in 1974. 

William Kammers purchased the property from Newman in 1977. Only a couple short years later, the fire of 1979 destroyed its upper level and severely damaged its lower levels. 

Krammers wasted no time in restoring and renovating the building, reopening later that same year. He eventually sold the business to Bonnie Kemple in 1981, who could not part with its uniquely spicy menu. 

Cook’s father, Robert Goetz, bought the establishment from Krempel in 1999. She and her family worked hard to keep their family-owned businesses up and running. 

“My dad was a very hard worker," she said.

Cook and her staff rely on that same spirited tradition today, working through COVID. 

“We would like to see business back to pre-pandemic levels when it was a full, noisy restaurant,” said Cook, who has managed to keep a low-priced, fully stocked restaurant and bar. 

“Table service is what we are known for. That is who we are. I am fighting to keep it that way for as long as I can.” 

Ordering all the menu items you would find inside can easily be done online. 

Its smothered Monterey chicken dish is a plate of charbroiled chicken breast, covered in grilled peppers and Monterey Jack Cheese Sauce. Spicy food lovers may order hot jalapenos as a topper, because there is something for every diet. 

“We make it all as fresh as possible,” said Manager Cory Odbert. “We have fruit cups for kids, so parents can offer healthier choices. If you tell your server that you are a vegetarian, order what you do want. We are flexible!” 

The Palace’s queso chimichanga includes your choice of warm meat, wrapped in a flour tortilla, deep fried and served over a green bed of lettuce. Customers may choose to cover their chimichangas with Famous Chili Con Queso or Monterey jack cheese sauce. 

The Famous Chili Con Queso is made with the same secret ingredients that have won over taste pallets for more than 40 years. It can now be found at five Eastern Upper Peninsula business locations, including Pat’s Foods. 

“Most of my staff have stayed with me through these hard times,” said Cook. “I lost some staff due to shutdowns. Kelly Watson and Bill Ogston have been here since we bought the place, from day one. It’s like a little family. We all help each other. When they come to work, they know they are going to be supported.” 

Employees like manager Cory Odbert feel fortunate to be working at The Palace. 

“I am going on nine years and three months,” said Odbert, who started on the job at the age of 18. “I never planned on doing this. My goal was to be here for three months and leave. I started from the bottom up. As positions opened, Tammy trusted me. She took a gamble with me, because I had limited experience. She has treated me well, even in my personal life. She has always had my back.” 

“I have been here for three years,” Currie added. “It’s because of the work environment. Tammy is the best boss I have ever had. She appreciates every little thing you do. This is the reason I stay. It’s because of the amazing people.” 

In its manager’s own words: “You can only go as far as your team.”

The bar benefited from the International 500 pub crawl last Thursday. Employees look forward to National Margarita Day on Tuesday, Feb. 22. 

“We are doing prizes every half-hour, with a grand prize at 8 p.m.,” said Cook. “There will be margarita specials and half-off on select taps. We are working on music.” 

Margaritas, like the caramel apple, have been big sellers. It is a glass of Granny Smith Apple mixed with Tequila, sweet and sour, and triple sec. A couple squirts of lime juice add a bite, calmed by light caramel drizzle. 

Not many forget the Palace’s legendary House Margarita. It’s a blend of Blanco Tequila, triple sec, sweet and sour, and lime juice. 

There are daily lunch and dinner specials available as well. Thursday’s $7.99 burger basket and $1 draft beers still bring in the crowds. 

A full list of lunch menu options is available once again. 

Customers may order bone-in and bone-out wings, firecrackers and other appetizers. Lunch items include a seven-ounce cheeseburger, steak and cheese, chicken fajita quesadilla, taco salad and more. 

If looking for dinner ideas, one of Cook’s personal favorites is the queso chimichanga. Odbert and staff have used the past couple years to improve and perfect. 

"We use raw, fresh meats,” said Odbert. “We make our own traditional burrito sauce. We have our own seasonings and sauces. We will come back from COVID with a swing!” 

The same goes for the community. Cook is a member of the Sault Area Chamber of Commerce and helps when able. 

“We’ve always been a huge supporter of local projects,” said Cook. “The pandemic hit, and I haven’t been able to be as generous.” 

Nonetheless, she and her staff are determined to see through this pandemic to continue serving the community and its customers.

The Palace is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 11:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. All are welcome inside the 20th century atmospheric establishment, but ordering online or by phone to pick-up lunch is always an option. 

The Palace Restaurant & Saloon is located at 200 West Portage Ave., Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783 906-632-7721.