best bars in america

McGarvey's and Riordan's in downtown Annapolis, Md. Good times a'plenty have been had there. Washington Street Pub in Easton, Md. Falling Rock in Denver's LoDo (too many beers to even fathom), Ben's in Dallas and the Library in Austin. I'll second the Crown in Fort Collins. The Albany in Cheyenne, Wyo., is up there for down-home bars. Bub's Dive in Pacific Beach, Calif., Duke Mack's in Atlantic City, and the Black Marlin Tavern in South Padre Island are also among my favorites.

 

The Other Place in Overland Park, Kan. My favorite place to watch an NFL Sunday. Great food, drink specials and TVs galore, all at reasonable prices with souvenir cups to bring home. And free refills on pop, which is important for non-drinkers like me.

 

I think they rebuilt the 'berg, but I've not been there since then. No word on whether it has the same . . . ambience.

 

Damn, how could I forget the Heidelberg. Was last there about six years ago. Was exactly as I remembered it in the mid-1980s. Simon needs to tell us what the ambiance of the post-fire version is.

 

Can't quite figure out why.

Is there a point where a bar becomes too much a favorite where it's verboten to still consider it YOUR favorite? I don't think so. I'd still rather grab a bar stool at Sloppy Joe's than anywhere else I know. Any reason why I wouldn't?

 

Doyle's Cafe -- Boston
Rocky Sullivan's -- NYC
The Yacht Club -- Lawrence, Kansas

 

It's way too touristy, even for KW. Next time, try Capt. Tony's across the street. It's the original Sloppy Joe's and it has a lot more character. You might even find yourself talking to the owner. Particularly if you're with a good looking female.

 

I'm a big fan of the Spotted Cat and F&M's in New Orleans.

 

Let the record reflect that Bullfeathers was the second choice. The first choice was Tortilla Coast, but those clowns were closed.

Seconds for Hawk 'n Dove. I like Brickskeller's beer, but I always feel way too cramped when I'm in there. Maybe it's because I'm overly pudgy, I don't know.

My favorite bar in DC is Shelly's Back Room, a cigar bar downtown. Also, Lounge 201 on the Hill is pretty sweet, if a bit too upscale for me.

Back home in Pa., nothing could ever top my favorite college bar, J.P. McGillicuddy's on Bethlehem's North Side. RIP. Of course, death comes quickly when you 1) go loose on checking IDs, 2) don't pay taxes and 3) some combination of 1 and 2. (For any of you going to Eagles' camp, the owner re-opened on the south side by the river; it's now called P.J. McGrady's.)

 

I second Riordan's in Annapolis.

One of the best scenes in America is to see the Mids in uniform drink their faces off...then all shuffle out of the bar at about 9:50 p.m. in order to make it back for curfew.

 

Nick's English Pub in Bloomington is very good.

I will always have a special place in my heart for The Joynt in Eau Claire, Wis. It is basically a big rolling contradiction: it is a shells-on-the-floor hippie bar. I generally don't like bars because if I'm going out with friends, I want to be able to BS with friends without shouting over people and being constantly jostled....that bar has been one of the few where I was actually able to hold a normal conversation in a crowded bar.

 

Your Holiness --
Is Nick's the joint where they serve the beer in mason jars or something?
If so, I heartily second the nomination.