This cash-only dive bar in Savannah was once a favorite of Jimmy Carter
You’ll find history around every corner in Savannah. It’s Georgia’s oldest city, and beyond its cameo in Forrest Gump, Savannah is home to institutions that have shaped generations. Ask a local for recommendations and you’ll likely get a mix of buzzy newcomers and fixtures that have been around for decades, if not centuries. That’s part of the city’s appeal. Downtown is an easy place to explore on foot, and when I spent a sunny afternoon wandering the streets, I knew there was one place I couldn’t skip: The Original Pinkie Masters.
One of the city’s oldest continuously operating bars, it’s easy to miss if you don’t know where to look. I followed Drayton Street until I laid eyes on the unassuming Pabst Blue Ribbon sign hanging above the door. There are many places to grab a cocktail in the city. This isn’t one of them. Instead, grab a beer and stay for the story.
A Bar With a Presidential Past
From Pinkie Masters Lounge to the Grand Master of Pink, the bar has answered to many names since opening its doors in 1951. The local haunt was originally known as Rainbow Grill, but regulars soon renamed it for its owner, Luis Chris Masterpolis, a son of Greek immigrants who went by Pinkie and later shortened his last name to Masters during his professional boxing days.
Pinkie was a devoted student of three things: politics, tobacco, and Pabst Blue Ribbon. Under his ownership, the small, horseshoe-shaped bar became a gathering place for people who loved the same. Despite its size, Pinkie’s has been visited by a handful of household names, including Al Gore and Jimmy Carter. In fact, Masters was one of Carter’s earliest and most enthusiastic supporters, and the two developed a genuine friendship. Carter would later credit Pinkie with helping him win both the governorship and the presidency, thanks in part to the hand-painted campaign signs Pinkie hung from customers’ car bumpers. When Pinkie died in 1977, Carter slipped into the bar while in town for Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration, climbed onto the counter, and delivered an impromptu tribute to his friend. A plaque behind the bar claims that Carter first announced his presidential run from that very spot.
The bar weathered its fair share of uncertainty after Pinkie’s passing, changing hands and even closing entirely in 2015. Today, now under the care of longtime regulars Matt Garoppolo and Mike Warren, Pinkie’s has been restored to its original charm, a charm that can most easily be described as “old-school.”
Just The Way It’s Always Been
It’s true that some things never change. When it comes to Pinkie’s, that means still serving $3 beers and only accepting cash. The same eclectic energy that radiates from vintage photographs of the place is still intact. The only difference now is that you can no longer smoke inside, and you’ll find more than PBR on tap. While I’m not a drinker myself, half the fun is listening to the jukebox in the corner and staring up at the layers of framed photos, neon beer lights, and memorabilia crowding the walls.
The bar is a walk-in relic, and I happily wandered around like a tourist while a group of regulars chatted and laughed over ice-cold beers. People love this place, and proof hangs on the wall behind the bar in the form a framed letter from Jimmy Carter, written after Pinkie’s death. In Carter’s letter, he wrote, “I will always remember the times I had in your establishment,” and I’m sure many feel the same.
