I was inspired to ask this question by rbm’s post, where he said he’d be spending part of St. Patrick’s at a pub called “The Crossed Keys.” What a great name.
It’s my impression that British Isles drinking establishments have, hands-down, the best monikers. Some of the local bars in my American town are “The Union,” “Southtown,” “Corner Bar.” BOH-ring!
What are some of your favorite bar or pub names? Beyond that, do you have a place to go where “everybody knows your name?” (Doesn’t have to be a bar).
Mine would be a place called “Arie’s Singapore,” where Arie is the Dutch owner and Singapore refers to the mix of British and Asian pub fare.
I just came back from a week in the Carribean and hit some of the bars on the US and British Virgin Islands. The simple ones were Foxy’s (a big raggae hangout) and Ivans, to the more fun Billy Bones and the classic Soggy Dollar Bar. Named such because to get there you moor your boat off shore and swim in so, everyones money comes over the bar wet. Then there is Duffy’s Love Shack.
Locally, as in Long Island New York, alot of bars call themselves by Irish names but have no relation to anything Irish except the name. The closest is the Irish Coffee Pub which is owned, operated and bartended by Irish. And the fellow who plays guitar on weekends has a real brough.
In Minneapolis on Washington avenue is Grumpy’s, a bar into which I have not yet stumbled. Annoyingly amusing TV ads, too, with three odd rubbery geezer lush puppets rasping at each other and leering about the premises to the strains of something tremulous and edgy that passes for music. The ads alone make me feel as if I’d already had too much for one night.
Then there’s Café Wyrd (now closed, I believe), a hangout for the Gothic set, the selfconsciously bookish, and those of confused sexual orientation. Rumor has it that black attire, at least, was de rigueur. I haven’t been there either.
There is a cafe/restaruant at the edge of Cleveland called the Borderline Cafe. The name ostensibly refers to the near-by border between Cleveland and a suburb but it could also easily refer to the customers who frequent the place. Open 24 hours/day.
Mike
There is the “Dew Drop Inn” about 30 miles from here out in the boonies. I haven’t got a clue as to where their name came from but it always makes me think of the Whitetail deer that are plentiful around here!
Used to go to a bar in Bloomington, IL called “The Office”. I was young and single then, so I never had reason to call home and say “I’m staying late at “The Office” tonight.”
Where I did my undergraduate work, there was a pub called the College Inn. Boring, I know. Everyone refered to it as the “C-I”, which led to its nickname amongst the philosophy geeks: the Categorical Imperative. I heard that it burned down years ago – I don’t know if they rebuilt it. (Bloomfield might know – it’s in the “Groovy Pioneer Valley” )
A favorite bar of field biologists in Ogallala Nebraska was the “Sip and Sizzle”. The town has about 1000 people and the owner would often close whenever he got tired unless students and\or researchers at the biology field station 10 miles away called in and let him know we were coming.
In the town I grew up (Columbus, NE.) had “Ted’s Tea Room” which dated back to prohibition times. It also had the oldest bar west of the Missouri, Glur’s Tavern. The town was infamous in it’s early days due to the high ratio of bars to people. Even now with around 20,000 people there are 90 bars. Back when there were less than half that number of people the number was still close to 90.
Bars in Puerto Rico are a different world compared on what you can find in Ireland or the US, although you may find live music and food (but always booze). You have to be careful where you go though, some of the places are not that friendly.
Some of my favorites or interesting ones are…
There was this joint near campus called “La Oficina”, which means “The Office” some of the people there were, of course, workers that hung out there so they would say “the truth” when asked where they were. (at the office). There is also a bar in New Jersey called “The Office” as well, no relation but I’ll bet that the purpose is the same.
Red Baron Pub and El Garabato (the scrible) are very popular joints near UPR@Mayaguez (my alma mater). Near UPR@Cayey (my wife’s alma mater) there is one called Fefe’s. Students joints are fun to go, but you have to be careful sometimes though.
Cornell Bar is a decaying joint near the Arecibo RadioTelescope. The Arecibo Radio Telescope is funded by Cornell University, no relation to the Bar.
In Old San Juan, two of my favorites are El Batey (Taino name for yard) and Violetas. In Mayaguez, Siglo XX (20th Century) is pretty good.
