I’ve noticed that there is not much discussion here about WHERE Onions drink our beer. Before we removed from Seattle, we had one tiny tavern as a regular, and a couple small satellites. Strangely, all these places were not brewpubs, nor did they offer much (good) in the way of food. We went there for their taplists, and–after awhile–the conviviality of the other regulars. Potlucks, sports pools, dogs… all added to good beer experiences.
We did try a bunch of brewpubs, but always found them too large and impersonal. And though Seattle is rich in brewers who pull handles, and many who make pretty good beer, almost none were making the number of great beers that we found on our regulars’ well-curated lists.
Since moving, we DO find ourselves going to brewpubs and microbreweries regularly. Four local micros do a broad spectrum of great beers, so good we don’t mind that they don’t offer real food. Sadly, the brewpubs that have real food tend to fall short on quality beer choices.
Our small-town present is also rich in taverns with very good food and rewarding taplists. Crowds are small, friendly, prices reasonable, and the servers become friends. Overall and on balance, we think we have more and better choices for enjoyable beerage than we did in the big city.
Yup. It’s the local gay bar. It’s downtown, easy to get to, great staff. Been going for well over a decade. It’s one of the few places not overrun with undergrads (we live in a college town), and the drinks & small plates are reliably good. Great holiday decorations, too.
I have around 4 favourite coffee shops and 2 pubs that I visit a lot more frequently than anywhere else.
At one of the coffee shops, I’ve gotten to know the staff. It’s almost a ritual for me to visit on Mondays.
With the pubs, one has a patio I like that is heated into the fall, and it was located a block from my old apartment. It also has food that’s pretty good and affordable, so it’s a place that isn’t going to be out of reach for friends on a tighter budget.
The other pub has a vibe I like. It’s more of a splurge, and I often get take-out from them.
My wife has a local bar that she and her best friend hang out in sometimes during the afternoon. She’s gotten to know the dayshift bartender fairly well at this point. It’s the only decent cocktail bar in our immediate vicinity; they also have a good beer selection, and in the mornings and early afternoon it’s a coffee bar (albeit one where you can also get boozy coffee drinks).
Maybe long ago . Whats cool is the back of the bar is original. Great service . Where everybody knows your name . Privately owned . Chris used to be a bartender now owns the place .
When B and I were younger and pre-kid, our local meant something within walking distance. When I lived in Providence RI (as a single lady, on the West Side), I had several such places in my rotation. When B and I lived in Somerville MA (near Tufts University), our local was PJ Ryan’s. Now we usually drive to PJ’s with Spring Onion in tow but the bartenders still know us and treat us well. Interesting beers on tap and we like their food that comes out of a tiny kitchen. It was the first place we went to once the pandemic restrictions were lifted and we shared a hearty hug with our favorite bartender. We don’t go as often as we used to, but we still consider it as our local.
We do have a pub within walking distance, but it’s just adequate.
I like Guinness very much, and I’m fortunate enough to live near several good Irish pubs.
My local place is owned by friends of ours, and my SO works a shift now and again there when it’s busy. It has an older crowd, mostly retired cops/firefighters/tradesmen and their wives and girlfriends (many of them friends of ours too) so I feel safe if I want to go alone.
Guinness is they only stout at this place. They’re big on ciders like Magners and Angry Orchard.
I’ve never had Smithwick’s, but Murphy’s is pretty good to my taste buds.
