Ratskeller

The rathskeller in Olten, Switzerland

Ratskeller (German: "council's cellar", historically Rathskeller) is a name in German-speaking countries for a bar below street level. The term originally referred specifically to restaurants that were located in the basement of city hall (Rathaus). As a proper noun, many taverns, nightclubs and similar establishments throughout the world now use this as a name.

The word had been used in English since the mid-19th century.

At least one New York restaurant called itself a "rathskeller" in the 19th century.

Notable Ratskellers

The Boston, Massachusetts, Rathskeller (nicknamed The Rat) was a Kenmore Square live music venue that opened in 1974. It is notable for being one of Greater Boston's premier music venues for three decades and the starting point for the WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble.

The Ram's Head Rathskeller in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was opened in 1948 by an Austrian Jew by the last name of Danziger, who came to Chapel Hill as a refugee from the Holocaust. "The Rat" was the first restaurant in the area to employ an entirely African-American staff. Long a popular spot with students and alumni, the restaurant, which extends over a catacomb-like basement with many different rooms, was filled with UNC memorabilia and history. "The Rat" was one of the oldest continuously operating businesses in Chapel Hill, but was closed down in 2008 due to non-payment of taxes. Its decor and memorabilia was auctioned off leaving just the bones of the structure. The future of its unique location is unknown.

Read House in New Castle, Delaware served as a speakeasy during Prohibition, using the underground location to hide the covert activity.

The Athenaeum Building in Indianapolis

Das Deutsche Hause ratskeller restaurant in Indianapolis, Indiana received historic landmark status. Now called Athenaeum, it has served Bavarian fare since 1894.

The Aztec Brewing Company in San Diego, California included a ratskeller as the tasting room at the brewery. Murals on the wall depicted various scenes of Aztecs painted by renowned Spanish artist Jose Moya del Piño. When the city tore down the structure, the murals were preserved for future use.

James Lawrence Kernan operated an upscale ratskeller in the basement of the Maryland Theater (Baltimore) in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Seelbach Hilton in Louisville, KY has a Ratskeller decorated with rare Rookwood Pottery. Today, the Seelbach Ratskeller remains the only surviving ensemble of its kind.

Another notable Ratskeller is located on the campus of St. Bonaventure University. It was founded in 1963.

The Ratskeller in Southbury, CT is a very popular area restaurant known for its seafood specials and is a popular Friday night hot spot. It was awarded the title "Best Wings In Town" by The Brew Crew Social Club.

The Ratskeller in the Memorial Union (Wisconsin) is a German-style beer hall. It holds many social events such as an open mic event, and outdoors there is often free live music, weather permitting. It was the first union to serve beer at a public university.

Popular culture

Ratskellers occasionally show up in popular culture. Quentin Tarantino's Emmy-nominated film Inglourious Basterds features a major scene and gun battle taking place in a ratskeller. In The Naked Brothers TV shows and movies, the father character plays the accordion at a fictional restaurant called The Hoboken Rathskeller. Child actress Adele De Garde starred in a 1918 silent movie called The Rathskeller and the Rose.

Campus dining

Many universities have pubs or student center dining facilities located in re-purposed basements. To market these untraditional eating locations to students, many of these are termed "ratskellers" including:

• Boston College ("The Rat")[2]
• California Institute of Technology
• Colorado State University ("The Ramskeller" website
• Cornell College

The Rathskeller in State College, Pennsylvania

• Florida Institute of Technology
• Florida International University
• Fordham University "The Ramskeller"
• George Mason University
• Hofstra University
• Kent State University
• McMaster University (Converted into a vegetarian restaurant.)
• Montclair State University
• Oberlin College
• Pennsylvania State University
• Quinnipiac University
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Rochester Institute of Technology
• Rutgers University-Camden
• St. Bonaventure University
• The College of New Jersey
• Transylvania University ("The Rafskellar", a nod to 19th Century professor Constantine Samuel Rafinesque)
• Tulane University ("Der Rathskeller" or "The Rat" operates a branch of the Wow Cafe and Wingery restaurant chain).
• Union College (Opened on December 2, 1949 as the Dutchmen's Rathskeller)
• University of Cincinnati ("The Catskeller")
• University of Dallas
• University of Göttingen
• University of Illinois at Chicago (Now converted for use by the Muslim Student Association.)
• University of Miami
• University of Tampa
• University of West Florida
• University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Washington University in St. Louis
• West Chester-PA University
• Wheeling Jesuit University
• Wright State University
• Kansas State University ("The Catskellar", in the Student Union)

See also

• The Rathskeller in Boston
• Athenæum (Das Deutsche Haus) in Indianapolis
• Beer garden
• Beer hall

External links

• History of the Indianapolis Rathskeller
• Restoration of Minnesota State Rathskeller