Folsom has a long, rich history of which it is proud. Its Sutter Street historical district has remained largely unchanged for more than a century, and there is a story behind just about everything.

One such case is Yager's 727, Historic Folsom's newest addition. In 1872, a man named Peter Yager built a brewery to serve the new town of Folsom. His name lives on in this new bar and grill, which held its grand opening over Halloween weekend.

This bar is not the first to occupy this space, nor is it the first to take on the Yager moniker, though the previous owners closed up shop in late 2008. Not long after the space went up for sale, brothers Brian and Michael McKeown, along with friends Josh Irwin and Rolland Williams, decided to buy it and reopen as Yager's 727, a reflection of the bar's address on Traders Lane as well as a way to differentiate this incarnation from the Yager's of yore.

My cohorts and I arrived just after 9 p.m. on Thursday. We squeezed through the already-crowded room, full of three dozen or so 20-somethings. After a rather long wait, we placed our order for a pitcher – Newcastle, from the 23 beers offered on tap – and asked bartender Kimberly Davidson to whip up her specialty cocktail.

The very large, vodka-based drink ($6) with a name sassy enough to be inappropriate to print in a family newspaper, plus the pitcher of beer, came to a mere $16, something we all appreciated.

The building is divided into four levels by wooden staircases. The bar top itself is from the original Yager's of three decades ago, but the owners and family have worked very hard to revamp and update most other areas.

"We took down the tiki bar and … spent 16 hours just power-washing the floor," said Brian McKeown.

Once we received our drinks, we headed up the back stairs, which lead to an area entirely separate from the rest of the bar – quiet and well-lit but completely empty. The only furniture in the room was a small marble-topped wet bar and a pool table.

I walked up the next flight of stairs and poked my head outside. Brian Meredith, bouncer and cousin of the McKeowns, sat perched atop a bar stool, watching business trickle in through the back.

"We're pretty close out here," Meredith said of the community of other businesses along the road, pointing out a wine bar across the way, then a restaurant down the block. Even though many store fronts have similar offerings, "we're not at each others' throats."

Those close community ties are something Brian McKeown values deeply.

"The Chamber of Commerce was instrumental in helping us open, as well as the Folsom P.D. and Folsom Fire," said McKeown.

That community closeness has affected the customer base as well.

"We've definitely accrued some regulars, and we've gotten some old regulars back," said Davidson.

"We've been coming here through three owners," said longtime patron DeNae Martin.

My friends and I returned the next night to a notably different vibe. The patrons were older and less gregarious, and for as frantic and disorganized as the staff seemed to be on Thursday, Friday was a great improvement. We were served much more quickly and told about drink specials. Some of us ordered food ($6.95 for hot wings, $7.95 for a BLT and fries), which everyone agreed was excellent.

There was live music, which McKeown plans to offer every weekend.

"There will be more Americana and blues on Thursday and Friday, and rock on Saturday," he said.

The owners and staff are still trying to work out some kinks at this fledgling bar, and at times it is noticeable.

This is a place that could easily become an everyday watering hole, and the welcoming attitude is what will make Yager's 727 a part of Folsom's history not soon forgotten.

Yager's 727 is at 727 Traders Lane, Folsom. More information: (916) 293-8945 or www.yagers727.com.