Favorite Wisconsin Bar or Tavern?

dgridley · 07-18-2010, 09:44 AM

We've talked about restaurants quite a bit.. anyone have a favorite bar or tavern they would suggest visiting?

I'm a big fan of sports bars and Irish pubs myself.. how about you?

pk · 07-18-2010, 09:48 AM

Only reason I would go into a bar is if it served food as well. We have several bar/food places around here that has excellent food. One comes to mind that has a really good fish fry on Fridays.

CindyLouWho · 07-19-2010, 12:06 AM

I don't really have a favorite one since we don't frequent bars too much. Back in my younger days (the 1970s) I used to hang out at The Village Pump in Ithaca, Wisconsin. I stopped in there last year when my sister was here for a visit and found that it hadn't changed a bit...and some of the same people are still regulars there. LOL

Blue Baboon · 07-19-2010, 03:56 PM

I have many places I go or have gone. The hot spot is always changing every couple of years. Too many to list. I like to see live music and am a big supporter of the live music scene. I like to be where the action is, plus I like to dance.

Bars with no entertainment are ok for a short period of time but that gets boring if there is no entertainment and I have to move on. I find the live music crowd to be much more lively and having a lot more fun. I guess music just makes people feel good.

My husband was into karaoke for many years. He has a really good voice, but he's cut back on his karaoke nights at the bar. It also means suffering through bad singers or those that do the same darn song every week.

I also like brew pubs that make their own beers. Usually the ones I prefer also offer food. Wisconsin has a number of micro breweries like this. It's a nice change from the major brands of bottled beers. If we find these kind of places on our vacations we often like to stop for a burger and a beer.

Do people still call them taverns? Everyone I know says bar.

pk · 07-19-2010, 09:19 PM

Quote:

I stopped in there last year when my sister was here for a visit and found that it hadn't changed a bit...and some of the same people are still regulars there. LOL

Bet they each come in about the same time of day, sit in the same seats as if they 'owned' it, they drink out of 'their' beer mugs, most likely with funny nick names on each and rarely leave a tip if they do it maybe a dollar. lol

Blue Baboon · 07-19-2010, 10:24 PM

Can I just add that the bars are so much better since the smoking ban. I don't reek when I come home. No stinky hair or clothes. My eyes don't get irritated, my nose isn't stuffed and my throat doesn't get phlegmy. I love it. I can have my drink without the stink. Why didn't we do this sooner?

Now I can go to bars that have food to eat without smelling cigs when I eat. We didn't go to those places often for that reason. Smelling cigs while you eat is nasty.

pk · 07-19-2010, 10:31 PM

Right after it passed we would go down the street and see people all standing outside of the bars with cigarettes in hand, smoking and talking. I wondered which was worse, smoking in the bars, or having the people stand outside (some may be on their way to becoming drunk) and kids walking past everyone.

But since I hate the smell of nasty smoke I am glad the law passed.

Blue Baboon · 07-19-2010, 10:37 PM

Wait until winter. I'll bet soon many of them will quit. I know some that want to quit, so this may help them quit. I talked to a number of bartenders that wanted the ban and some of them are smokers. Isn't that funny?

I doubt kids are going to be standing outside bars after 9 pm at night when most of the people are there. That's the least of my worries. I can see it being a problem with the noise outside like if the bar is located in a more residential area instead of a downtown. But I'm sure when you live by a bar you expect noise anyway.