Small Business Spotlight: Louie’s of Ashland

For over 15 years, Louie’s Bar & Grill has been one of Ashland’s favorite gathering places for locals, visitors, families, and friends. Open everyday from 11 am – 8 pm, Louie’s has created the most welcoming environment and atmosphere we at The Siskiyou have ever experienced!

Admirably, they have done incredible things to keep the doors open during the Covid-19 pandemic. With a two-car delivery system already in place, restaurant owners Melissa Jensen and Tom DuBois say the transition to a completely “contact-free” ordering process was “seamless”. Louie’s continues to do their part in keeping the Ashland community safe by expanding table spacing on Calle Guanajuato for “beautiful, safe, and relaxing” creekside patio dining year-round! With QR codes on every table on the patio, guests are able to safely order their meals online and have them brought to their table for a low-contact, in-person dining experience that everyone can enjoy. With a variety of hot and cold drinks and cocktails, guests are able to sip on a delicious beverage no matter the unpredictable weather.

Like many locals, Melissa and Tom moved to Ashland from the California Bay Area after falling “head-over-heels in love” with the town during a visit nearly 20 years ago. Originally starting out as a sports bar, “it took many years and a lot of love to get Louie’s to where she is now”. They take pride in their work as well as the work of their staff, and say that Louie’s has allowed them to work alongside some “really wonderful people while playing a positive role in the community”. 

One of these positive impacts is the Louie’s “Big Give”, which donates over $20,000 to local charities and nonprofits across Jackson County each year. When asked more about this awesome program, they used The Siskiyou, SOU’s own student run paper, as an example of their community support. With no up-front cost, Louie’s has given a 50% discount on Louie’s gift cards valued at $20. Siskiyou staff, friends, and supporters will be selling the Louie’s Gift Cards at their full $20 value, and The Siskiyou keeps the $10 difference for every card sold. If 50 Louie’s Gift Cards were sold, The Siskiyou would make $500, allowing the hiring of more staff writers, the buying of essential teaching materials, and maintaining the platform! If students are interested in buying gift cards to Louie’s to support their student paper, please contact the official email at siskiyounews@gmail.com, or contact the editors directly. Thank you, Louie’s!

Their charitable actions aside, when asked about the most challenging and rewarding aspects of their job as restaurant owners, Melissa and Tom had this to say: while economic, supply, and labor challenges presented by Covid as well as the recessions that have come and gone are challenging, the long-term rewards of working with Louie’s “consistently amazing” staff, who “deliver magic” day-in and day-out, far outweighs any temporary external challenges.

According to the owners, the beloved staff at Louie’s are “so grateful for the opportunity to serve our guests — their lives, stories, joys, heartbreaks, and milestones are threads of the marvelous tapestry called Louie’s. We are humbled, enriched, and honored to offer our community a welcoming space.”

The team at Louie’s pride themselves on being mindful and accommodating to patrons with dietary restrictions. They have the largest gluten-free menu in Ashland and make every conceivable effort to provide a variety of delicious meals prepared with 100% gluten-free ingredients. Louie’s also has a vegetarian menu, vegan menu, kids menu, and dog (i.e., “fur-baby”) menu!

Louie’s has seen many changes over the last 20 years as it has evolved from a local sports bar, to one of Ashland’s most popular restaurants, and onward into a growing community presence. Staff is especially proud of the role Louie’s was able to play in response to the Almeda fire. When asked about that role, Louie’s owners said the generosity of our community enabled Louie’s to distribute “over 7,000 hot meals to affected families while raising over $23,000 for local charities!” 

With everything considered, it’s evident students and Ashland community members should come on down to Louie’s, located downtown between Oberon’s and Brickroom on the Plaza. The Siskiyou recommends the Oregonzola Burger paired with a side of truffle fries, and for those 21+, one of Louie’s “6 tap handles,” featuring Oregon-sourced microbrews from the lightest of pilsners to the richest porters. Happy eating!


(541) 482-9701

Open everyday 11 am – 8 pm

41 North Main St, Ashland, OR 97520

Delivery

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