Entry No. 35 — the Spokane file — filed under: speakeasy
Cease & Desist Book Club
A plain downtown storefront in the historic Legion Building hides a working bar behind a wall of bookshelves — find the right marked book and the bookcase swings open into a dim, intimate cocktail room lined with portraits of Hemingway and Bukowski. It was meant to open as Scofflaw's Book Club but got renamed after a real cease-and-desist letter from a Chicago bar called Scofflaw, which became its identity. First-come, first-served with no reservations, so finding it is half the game.
The story
When owner Bryan set out to open a hidden cocktail lounge inside downtown Spokane's historic Legion Building, the original plan was to call it Scofflaw's Book Club. Then came the mail: an official cease-and-desist letter sent by a cocktail bar in Chicago that already owned the name. Rather than backing down or picking a timid substitute, the team embraced the legal threat, printed it into their identity, and opened as Cease & Desist Book Club instead.
From the corridor at 108 North Washington Street, you won't see a bar counter, a liquor gantry, or a hostess stand. You get a plain storefront frame housing a wall of wooden bookshelves. To step inside, you have to find the specific marked book resting on the shelf and tug it to release the latch. The entire bookcase swings inward on hidden hinges, opening directly into a low-lit, intimate parlor.
Inside, the literary gimmick recedes in favor of a serious drink program. Portraits of notoriously thirsty writers like Ernest Hemingway and Charles Bukowski stare down from the walls, keeping watch over leather seating and heavy glassware. Drinks lean toward classic and stiff—creations like the Riverside Old Fashioned, Bloody Verde, and Rattlesnake Shake anchor a rotation of whiskey-heavy cocktails.
What it's like
There is no neon sign out front and no hostess taking reservations—finding the entrance is strictly on you, and getting inside is first-come, first-served. On Friday and Saturday nights, the small room fills fast, creating a line in the Legion Building hallway while patrons wait for seats to open up. Beat the rush by showing up right when doors open on a weeknight. Once you pull the trigger book and step through, grab a seat near the author portraits and settle in for a slow-sipping cocktail.
The move: Test whether your date can find the right book to trigger the bookcase door, then settle into the hidden room over a slow cocktail.
📍 Before you go No sign and no reservations; can be genuinely hard to locate from the street.
- 📍 Spokane (downtown)
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 108 N Washington St, Suite 100, Spokane, WA 99201
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Durkin's Liquor Bar — Keep the speakeasy hunt going just a block away by slipping past the diner-style main floor at Durkin's into their subterranean basement lounge.
- Hogwash Whiskey Den — For another unmarked hideout, head two blocks south to descend the basement stairwell inside the historic Washington Cracker Building.
- Baby Bar — If you want a contrast to literary leather and polished wood, head west to squeeze into this tiny, red-lit dive hidden behind the Neato Burrito counter.
- Volstead Act — Pair a bar born out of a legal battle with a cocktail spot named after the 1919 federal act that launched nationwide Prohibition.
Good to know
How do you get past the secret door?
Locate the wall of bookshelves inside Suite 100 in the Legion Building, find the specific marked book on the shelf, and pull it to trigger the catch mechanism that swings the bookcase open.
Do I need to make a reservation?
No, Cease & Desist operates strictly on a first-come, first-served basis. If the room is at capacity, you will have to wait in the hallway until other guests leave.
Why is it named Cease & Desist?
It was originally slated to open as Scofflaw's Book Club, but after receiving an actual legal cease-and-desist notice from a Chicago bar named Scofflaw, the owners adopted the legal demand as the bar's official name.
Where is it located in downtown Spokane?
It sits on the ground floor of the historic Legion Building at 108 N Washington St, Suite 100, near Riverside Avenue.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: inlander.com · Yelp · visitspokane.com · krem.com · spokanejournal.com
last checked: 2026-06-24