Long before Sam’s Cellar existed, this building on the Neosho Square was already a gathering place.

One of the earliest known businesses here was Sam Dunaway’s Palace Bar, which operated on the square in the early 1900s. Historical advertisements show the bar welcoming guests as early as 1902, inviting locals to “Smoke Up” and enjoy the hospitality of the Palace Bar.

For more than a century, this building has been a place where people gather for drinks, conversation, and community.

In the 1940s, another Sam carried on the tradition.

Sam Wolfinbarger operated a basement bar in the same building while running Wolfinbarger’s Luncheonette and other businesses on the street level above.

During World War II, the cellar bar was known to serve soldiers stationed at nearby Camp Crowder, making the building a lively meeting place for both locals and servicemen.

After Wolfinbarger’s time, the cellar space eventually went quiet and remained largely unused for decades.

In 2006, John and Suzi Howsmon saw potential in a forgotten cellar beneath the Neosho Square. The space had sat empty for decades, but they believed it could become something special for the community.

Renovating the underground space was no small task. During the process, the couple literally hauled buckets of dirt out of the cellar as they uncovered the historic stone walls that define Sam’s Cellar today.

What began as a labor of love soon became one of the most unique dining destinations in Southwest Missouri.

After the passing of John Howsmon, the future of Sam’s Cellar reached an important moment.

Rather than see the restaurant leave the family, Suzi’s son Dusty Altman stepped forward to carry on the legacy and continue what John and Suzi had built for the Neosho community.

Dusty had been part of Sam’s Cellar from the beginning, helping during the early development of the restaurant and working in several roles after it first opened.

Today, Dusty and his wife Stephanie Altman proudly own and operate Sam’s Cellar, continuing the tradition of great food, hospitality, and community that has made the restaurant a favorite destination beneath the historic Neosho Square.

Today Sam’s Cellar is known throughout the region for its:

• Wood-fired pizzas

• Burgers, sharables, and salads

• Signature Cocktails

• One-of-a-kind underground atmosphere

Nearly 20 years after opening, Sam’s Cellar remains one of the most unique dining destinations in Southwest Missouri.

The restaurant has been honored as:

• Neosho Area Chamber Business of the Year (2023)

• Voted Neosho’s Best Restaurant three years in a row

• Best Pizza in the 4-States

But more than anything, Sam’s Cellar is proud to remain what it has always been — a place for friends, family, and community beneath the historic Neosho Square.

1902 — Sam Dunaway’s Palace Bar

1940s — Sam Wolfinbarger basement bar

1960s–2000s — Cellar sits largely dormant

2006 — John & Suzi Howsmon open Sam’s Cellar

2021 — Dusty and Stephanie Altman carry on the legacy