[Spareribs]

Sure, I enjoy the cool bars where there are great micro brews, trendy mixed cocktails, high quality burgers and good looking female bartenders but lately I have been enjoying the mellow old man bars too.
 
Yes, the selection is pretty much Budweiser, Coors Light, maybe Colt 45 if I'm in the hood and Papst Blue Ribbon. If there is food, it's usually a pickled egg, maybe some stale pretzels, etc... There's usually no good looking girls, just old worn down women and maybe some fat old biker chick in her 50s or 60s. However, these bars seem to be the most enjoyable with the most home like vibe. The people who frequent these old man bars have been there for years and even decades. They are like family to each other in a way and the old bartenders know their customers very well. I may be a stranger when I stop by for a drink but they are so welcoming and show a type of warmth that I usually don't get at the more chic bars. Mind you, some of these old man bars are a bit too seedy and smelly in somewhat dangerous neighborhoods so I will avoid them but if you find a good old man bar, it can feel like home.

 

[Ultrainferno]

You are absolutely right. I prefer the old man bars as well, much cooler and real

 

[mbriant]

Three cheers for "old man bars".  This thread cracks me up.
 

 

[pooslice]

I was thinking "Why would anyone post about loving old man bars in headfi?" when i opened the thread. I saw the text and i realized i need to get my head out of the gutter.
 
When I still drank I preferred old man bars to over "hipper" places.

 

[JamesMcProgger]

Where is UE? and why hasnt he post in this thread? 

 

[elrod-tom]

LOL...don't forget that some of these so-called old man bars have a grill and can cook up a pretty mean burger.  Some even do a pretty nice Friday fish fry.

 

[JamesMcProgger]

Quote:

LOL...don't forget that some of these so-called old man bars have a grill and can cook up a pretty mean burger.  Some even do a pretty nice Friday fish fry.

Once I visited this bar where they had some delicious home-made pizza

 

[Confispect]

I agree on old man bars.
 
Lots of good convo.

 

[elrod-tom]

Oh...and a pool table too.  These bars ALWAYS have a pool table.

 

[warubozu]

A good friend of mines owns one of those old man bars. His place is old and has none of those fancy lights or interiors like they have in those upper end bars. There's only a few flat screen tvs, 2 dart machines, a karaoke system, a pool table, and furniture that has seen better days. There's no fancy micro brew beers served in his place, just the standard bud, bud light, coors, etc. This place is one of my regular watering holes as I enjoy the company there and it's almost like a second home. The food there is great and is reasonably priced, so I don't have to spend a whole lot of money to have a good time.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I'm here.

These are the only kinds of bars to visit. The "upscale" ones are too expensive and not nearly as much fun.

I'm seriously missing my home-away-from-home in LA. There are several dives down in the desert, but only one has a slightly decent beer on tap. Old place (been there about 100 years), but doesn't quite have the cast of regulars and the beer isn't my favorite. Sadly, I mostly hang around an "entertainment center" on the reservation. It has $3.25 22 oz. micros and I've been enjoying the company of one of the waitresses. (The rest of the staff is really nice, too.) Nice enough place, but nowhere near a dive. The other place has $2.50 pints, but is almost new. Fun place with a swimming pool (!) and an old jet engine turned into a fireplace.

Anyhow, my place is LA is in an old building, built around 1896 and has been a bar since the '40s. Two micros on tap, imperial pints are $4. Half the place is a bar, and the other half is sort of a junk shop. There are glass cases with tchotchkies and lots of bookshelves full of books. You can go back there to read and the owner will either give you books or sell them to you cheap. Free popcorn is always available and they often have free food laid out. On holidays, there's always a full spread. Thanksgivings have turkey and all the trimmings. Monday Night Football comes with free hot dogs, too.

There are bullet holes in the walls. Off duty cops hang out in there. Some years back, three robbers held the place up and decided to rob the customers, too. Two off duty cops were in there and fought back. Two of the robbers died inside, the third staggered outside and died on the sidewalk. The owner decided to leave the bulletholes in the walls.

Then there are the cats. There are two long-haired torties and a short-haired black cat in residence. The black cat is friendly and shows up when I go to the back patio. Both torties like me, but one of them always sits next to my stool when I'm inside. Sweet girl - I always give her treats from the free food and pet her. Good kitty. Also, really good for picking up women. Everyone notices the cat and wants to pet her. Great opportunity to start conversations when they come over.

The regulars are lots of fun, too. About 50 people who come in regularly (ranging from twenties to seventies) and I like all of them. Some are quite colorful. The stories and experiences are something else.

But you'll never meet them unless you get out to these places. You'll also learn not to be judgmental - good people turn up where you might not expect them to.

 

[wje]

Quote:

LOL...don't forget that some of these so-called old man bars have a grill and can cook up a pretty mean burger. 

Yes.  There's one in our metro area (not close to where I live, though) that is great to just stop by for lunch.  They'll make you a hamburger with jalapeno peppers on it and they serve hash browns on the side - no fries.  How much better can it get than that?
 
However, I do need my tasty beer.  For that reason, I prefer the micro brew spot.  I like a black 'n tan made by Dogfish Head.  They have a few locations in my area.  There's just something about that beer that I like.  Also, their 60-minute IPA is very good.
 
But, as a fact, I grew up in "old man bars".  Being that my father was an alcoholic, we'd always be stopping by the local watering holes.  I'd get an orange Crush.  Back in the 70s, the orange Crush had some serious food coloring in it as my father would get out his hanky to desperately wipe off the orange color from my lips before heading home where my mother would see my orange lips and know where we've been.  I remember all the old bartenders and bars, too.  Gooche's place comes to mind at the moment.  Of course, this also meant that my father only lived to 63 years old.  However, I'm quite a different parent.  I don't drink as much as my father did and we usually just have drinks on our deck.  However, my 17 y.o. daughter has taken a liking to the lime version of Mike's Hard Lemonade.  Oh, what to do?  

 

[JamesMcProgger]

Quote:

Three cheers for "old man bars".  This thread cracks me up.
 

Hip Hip...

 

[Spareribs]

An evening of Old Milwaukee and  Pabst Blue Ribbon with stale Goldfish crackers and old men is much more fun than an over crowded bar with hot chicks, micro brews and trendy sushi menu. Ok, maybe on some nights I may change my mind.

 

[wje]

On one of my business trips to Charleston, WV, I found a club that played some great live jazz.  They sold PBR by the long-neck bottles for $1.99 all evening long.  I was drinking Sam Adams for about $3.50 a bottle.  Those prices are about half what typical bars usually charge.  They had Jagermeister, too - I don't know how much those shots were, though.