Couple reopens old Oasis Tavern as the Roadkill Saloon

It wasn't just a sense of humor that gave the Roadkill Saloon its name. You might find stuffed possum or a skunk skin on the wall, but you will never see it on your plate. The name hearkens back to a slower time and a rural attitude of using what you have, of making do.

April Murdock, who owns the saloon along with her husband Ric, grew up with that kind of philosophy. She remembers seeing her father, who lives just up the road, grab a stick or a branch to make a handle when he needed one.

"We don't pride ourselves on a lot of money or things that are bought," April said. "I serve food on antique dishes. All of our salt and pepper shakers are different and came from antique stores. A lot of things around here are old and worn out, like the saddles. But they still have a purpose. And they are still beautiful."

According to Ric, the wood on the walls came from a barn that was built in 1896, which is 22 years before the bar was erected.

There are a couple couches and tables, as well as a bar and a pool table. There is one TV but it's not a sports bar.

"This is a place to come and feel like you are home," Ric said.

They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is no menu. For dinner, April makes one special and serves it until it is gone. If it runs out, you can always have a meatloaf sandwich which has quickly become a staple. They make meatloaf every other day.

"It's just me in the kitchen" April said, "and it's a tiny kitchen."

It works out just fine with their philosophy.

"Everybody is digging the home cooked food," Ric said. "That's what we wanted to do anyway. We like to eat good, so why not make what we like for everybody else?"

"It's kind of like Grandma's house," April said. "Everything is made from scratch, every single day. Nothing comes from a food service truck, nothing is frozen."

"I think the only thing that comes out of the bag is pre-shredded cheese," Ric laughed.

People will call and ask what's for dinner and sometimes April posts the special on their Facebook page.

They don't have a hard liquor license, but they serve beer and wine.

"People will stop by and have a beer before heading over to the Duck for a cocktail," April said. "Everyone has been so nice."

This is their first restaurant. The couple have only been married for a few years, and separately they have interesting resumes. April was a hair dresser, owned a Christmas tree farm for nearly 15 years and ran her own construction company for 15 years before she hurt her back. Ric spent his life building hot rods and motorcycles until his painful hips told him it was time to do something else.

The Murdocks moved here in April from Fairview, Ore. April grew up in Rochester. Her father would hunt in this area over the years and came to love it, so he moved to Skamokawa. Her brother, Shane Pfenniger, and his family followed.

"I always loved this little tavern," April said. "My dad lives down the road and every time we drove by, the tavern looked so lonely and cold and it's so cute, so I wrote the old owner a letter and made her an offer."

They sold their motorcycles and purchased the tavern.

"I needed to get away from town, the airplanes and the traffic," April said. "This was just perfect. It's so beautiful here. Other people might just drive down the road, but we're still looking."

They've seen a cougar chasing deer down a hill nearby. Ric saw a bear near the high school in Cathlamet. They found prints outside their home that belonged to something bigger than their dog, a mastiff.

Ric admitted that he doesn't miss the crime in his old neighborhood. He's glad that the only gunfire he hears is from hunting.

"We love it here," April said. "It's really nice. I love the people. The people are amazing."

The Murdocks are working at the tavern seven days a week right now, but they still have time and the hearts to give. They have been involved in coat drives, Make a Wish, and a toy run for Shriners. That's why they're ready to do that here, now.

For the month of November, they are having a coat drive. If you would like to get involved, take your clean, gently used coats, sweatshirts, blankets, mittens and hats to the Roadkill Saloon.

"It would be nice to do something in the new community we are in," April said.

"We like doing that kind of stuff because we like to see people living happier, more comfortable, their bellies full," Ric said. "We just want to keep doing what we've always done. The best thing is seeing other people happy."

They are currently open to ideas about where the coats should go.

The Roadkill Saloon is located in Skamokawa next to the fairgrounds where the Oasis used to be. It will be open seven days a week until elk hunting season ends on November 17. They open at 8 a.m. each day and close at 8 p.m., except for Friday and Saturday night when they are open until 10 p.m.

After the 17th they will be open five days a week and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

According to April, breakfasts are not usually over $5.50, lunch is usually around $6 and dinner is $7.50.

There is free wi-fi, and pool is 25 cents a game or free on Sundays.