Carson City’s The White House features a historic bar and live local bands.
While there is no sign out front, it’s not difficult to find The White House cocktail bar in Carson City. If you need an extra hint, look for the statue of Lady Godiva astride a white horse.
“I named it The White House because it’s located in Carson City,” says owner Travis Legatzke. “Carson City is the capital of Nevada, and we have the legislature and the capitol building, but the one thing we didn’t have was The White House.”
The original building was constructed in 1898 and sits at the corner of Stewart and East Telegraph streets. Legatzke, who was born in the capital and sits on the board of the Carson City Historical Society, always wanted to find a historic home in the city and work to preserve it.
He bought the building in 2018 and lived in it while restoring and converting it into what he calls a “vintage Americana cocktail lounge with a beer garden patio.” The new version opened on Nevada Day 2023, and more than 4,000 people came through its doors.
“Opening on Nevada Day was very important to me,” Legatzke says. “To open a bar on any other day felt sacrilegious.”
Legatzke painted the exterior Whisper White, the actual color of the White House in Washington, D.C. The interior is painted black on some walls and a muted red and blue on other walls to match the colors on the 1700s American flags. The walls are covered with historical photos, portraits of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln, and eclectic antiques that Legatzke curated from estate sales and shops.
There are many details to take in, but the main focus of the establishment is the bar. The black-and-gold piece originally came from the beloved Adele’s Restaurant and Lounge in Carson City. Owned by chef Charlie Abowd, the restaurant closed in 2019 after a fire destroyed much of the building, and Abowd gave the bar to Legatzke.
“I’m so grateful to Charlie Abowd for gifting us a portion of his legacy to live on in The White House,” Legatzke says. “In Nevada history, there have been so many political deals done at this bar. People come in and tell me stories, and I get to reminisce with them. It’s added a beautiful dynamic to what this place is.”
Along with creative cocktails made with local spirits from Tahoe Blue Vodka (based in South Lake Tahoe) and Minden Mill Distilling (in Minden), The White House serves local drafts and a revolving selection of West Coast IPAs. Some favorite cocktails are the hibiscus jalapeño margarita and the lovely lady cocktail with 10 Torr (based in Reno) gin and pomegranate syrup.
In the winter, the bar is a cozy lounge with board games and live music. During the summer, the music moves outside with patio games and local food trucks. The building also is available for private events.
“The White House is my love letter to Carson City,” Legatzke says.
The White House
402 E. Telegraph St., Carson City
775-883-1981 · Find WhiteHouse Nv (The White House) on Facebook and Whitehousenv on Instagram
