Local Watering Holes

It's been under new ownership for the last four years and before that, the place was called Stan's, AJ's, and probably others. The building is old. We walked in the side door and it did not seem like a bar. It felt more like family diner, complete with carpet, and a soup and salad bar. But we rounded the corner and found a seat in room with the bar. Much better 😊 A rounded portion of the bar ties the two rooms together. Tap handles decorate part of the old tin ceiling and sports decor fills the rest of the place. A pool table was down at the end of the bar, and a juke box was playing most of the time but at a reasonable volume. Beers on tap and the specials were listed. Hamms in a can for $1.00 had to be ordered, along with Guinness on tap and a black and tan Yuengling. We shared the Loaded Tots as our appetizer: lots of cheese, bacon, and chives. A dipping sauce of our choice was offered, and we asked for Ranch and Sour Cream. Our bill reflected a charge of 25 cents for t...

We've driven past this Westside place so many times and finally visited it this month. Their website provides some great historic information. It was established in the 1940s as El Dorado. Father and son, Marvin and Ed Sienkiewicz, bought it in 1970. They changed its name to Eldo, Nite Cap, and finally settled on the current one. In 2004, they built a new building behind it, demolished the original structure, and used the old space for an outdoor patio. The new building included a full kitchen. The building is divided into two spaces, the second being reserved for karaoke nights (happening every Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays nights for 20 years). We sat near the long bar, next to the pinball machines. Here's the second section of the place. And take your best guess when choosing a restroom 😕 We started with a Three Floyd's Gumball head and Northern Hawk Owl Ambers. According to old reviews, before 2022 the menu included lots of vegan choices which vegans loved, obviously...

We had a great night at The Pickle Back! The place is huge but other than a dozen people at the bar, the place was nearly empty (we were told the entire place fills up on the weekends). The main dining area is really big. There is a small eating area on the other side of the bar along with some miscellany. We started with a couple of Oberons and a Tangerine Space Machine. Our appetizer was fried pickle wraps, which we all loved (pickle spear, ham, and swiss cheese wrapped in a wonton). Various types of hot dogs are featured (see their facebook page for the ever-changing offerings) and although we were tempted, three of us went for the Pickle Back Burger (with house made pickle slaw and tomato). Here are all three, one with chips, one with onion rings, and the other with curly fries. The pickle slaw added a nice textural crunch to each juicy bite and overall the burger was well constructed and presented in their pickle theme, on a fresh bun. The Guinness battered cod basket was a favori...