Western Bar Pistolero Pulls the Trigger Downtown With Former Moonshine BBQ Chef

A new downtown bar will combine cocktails, a vast bourbon menu, barbecue, and live music in the former Gery's dive bar on Bishop. Pistolero, from principal Troy Lourensse, recently soft opened with plans to unveil its full ambitions in stages in the weeks to come. First up, cocktails, sometime in the next week or two. Next, the bar's kitchen, a few weeks away from completion, where former Moonshine BBQ chef Fred Bouchard will whip up Southern barbecue fare. Spoiler: look for cocktail pairings with all that cornbread and brisket. There will be live bluegrass, folk, country, and rock at Pistolero as well, says manager and head bartender Jay Lawson.

Pistolero is part of a vast revamp by Lourensse at 1238 Bishop, a multi-level space that also holds the landmark Comedyworks club and the defunct Jimbo’s Pub (now John Doe bar and lounge). "I was always looking to have an upscale bar with an entertainment aspect to it, and I am confident this will do the job," Lourensse told the Gazette in February. "I also think the future is bright for comedy in this town, and what better place to get it going than in a place with this kind of history."

Status: Pistolero, 1238 Bishop, (514) 876-8777. In soft launch mode, open Thursday, Friday, Saturday for now as of 7 p.m. Soon seven days a week as of 3 p.m.