Historic building reopens as Dryden Roadhouse

DRYDEN – The Dryden Roadhouse, located in Duffy’s former space, opened its doors to the public on Oct. 4. 

Owned and operated by Terri Morris and John Bryant, the restaurant and bar offers both a bar for ages 21 and up, and a family friendly area.

“I want people to be able to come here, have a good time, relax…[It’s] a place for community,” said Bryant.

Dryden Roadhouse, located in a historic 1928 building, intends to revive the spirit of a town tavern that was well-loved by the community for decades.

“I have an affinity for the building. I have an affinity for the people who live here,” said Bryant. “There are individuals in the Upper Valley that were coming into this bar 50 years ago, when George Valeson, a.k.a. Duffy, had it back in the day.”

According to previous Cashmere Valley Record reporting, the building was built by John Valeson, a Greek man who had left gold mining in Alaska to experience the “merits of the Valley” told to him by his nephew and owner of Cashmere Cafe, Gus Valissarakos. 

Valeson settled in Dryden, and in 1924 built a two-story building that housed the Golden Gate Cafe on the first floor, and apartments on the second. Four years later, he built the tavern next door, where his son George “Duffy” Valeson would later take over, the Record reported.

Duffy operated the tavern from 1940 until his passing in 1980, creating a reputation of a generous and trusting personality throughout the town. 

“Duffy would actually just go to sleep next to the wood stove…Everybody would help themselves to beer. And some of the old timers tell stories about, you know, ‘I didn't have the quarter for the beer, so I'd go up and I would shake the cigar box as if I was putting a quarter in, and I'd catch it next time,’” said Bryant. 

Since then, the building has hosted a number of different owners and businesses over the years, such as a Mexican cantina, an Irish pub, and even a cannabis retailer, said Bryant. 

Bryant found his way to the building in 2005, where he leased the space for a number of years, followed by Morris’s short stint with it around 2009. Together, the two moved on, opening and operating a number of pubs and catering services throughout the valley. Eventually, Bryant returned to the space to open Duffy’s in 2018, but the tavern closed shortly before the pandemic.

“I've been promising people for the last year we're going to get this place open, and that probably is my biggest motivation, is delivering stuff in the community that I said I would do,” said Bryant.

The restaurant and bar currently offers sandwiches, salads, smoked meats, and pizzas. For entertainment, the space includes foosball, pool, and darts, with plans for occasional live music. As the business grows, Morris and Bryant plan to expand the menu options and add an outdoor beer garden.

“[We] really want to turn this into a steak [and] seafood house,” said Morris. “We're doing this just on our dime…So the more we can generate in here, the quicker we can get the big kitchen in.”

Dryden Roadhouse is located at 8459 Main St., and is open Thursday through Monday, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media