Jake's Famous Crawfish

Jake's Famous Crawfish is a seafood restaurant in downtown Portland, Oregon, founded in 1892 by Jacob "Jake" Lewis Freiman. The building currently housing the restaurant was completed in 1910.HistorySince the opening of the building, the lower level has housed Portland's landmark restaurant, Jake's Famous Crawfish Restaurant. The current Jake's Restaurant and its predecessor establishments date back to 1892, establishing it as Portland's second oldest continuously operating restaurant. The original restaurant was called Mueller and Meier, a saloon established in 1892 at 18th and Washington Streets. This restaurant was one of two crawfish houses in Portland at the turn of the century. Mueller and Meier moved to the Whitney & Gray Building in 1911, where it operated as a saloon until 1913, when it became Mueller and Meier Cafe. In 1916 statewide prohibition took effect in Oregon and the restaurant began a soft drink service, a focus that continued throughout Prohibition.In 1920, Mueller and Meier sold their interests to Jacob J. Freiman and J. Rometsch. Jake Freiman, the original "Jake", had been a waiter at the Quelle Restaurant, a crawfish house established by Fritz Sichtem and Baron Schlenk in 1893. Freiman, a popular waiter and local character, brought with him the crawfish expertise, a large customer following, and popularity which established the reputation that has continued to the current day.In 1921, or 1922, Rometsch left or was bought out by Clem Hackman, and the latter association continued until 1933 when Jake died. The operation was then sold to Joseph Kaffesieder. Joe Kaffesieder, an outgoing personality himself, maintained the traditions and character of the restaurant and, in fact, also was known to many patrons as "Jake". The restaurant was later operated by Max Kaffesieder, Joe's son. Walter E. Holman, Sr., acquired the restaurant in 1946 and operated it until 1958, when he sold the establishment to his son Walter, Jr., who operated in until 1960. It was then sold to three investors, Orton Hall, a dentist, Glen Westfall, a contractor, and a third party. In 1961, Howard Wilson, a former manager under Walter Holman, acquired the facility. The current owner, William McCormick, acquired the restaurant in 1971.