Best Dive Bars

[dennismenace]

Two strip clubs, seedy dives definitely. The Venus Club on Main St. East Hartford, and Teasers which was on Capitol Ave in Hartford. B.C,s Pub on Saybrook Rd in Middletown CT which was formerly the strip club Reflections. @mauconnfan , in Meriden, West Main St, heading west, just past Lewis Ave, also just past a little one way on the right called Morgan St which cut thru to Pine St where I used to live, I digress, back to West Main, right in this area there was a real dump on the left hand side across from the old Shop Rite that was tucked in there on the right. Do you remember the name of this place? It was there in the late 80s, it's probably still there.

I remember a very seedy East Hartford joint called (the infamous) "Johnny B's". I used to stop in after fishing and had my boat in the back end of an old station wagon. I used to park it backed up against a wall so no one would steal the boat.

 

[HCCForever]

I remember a very seedy East Hartford joint called (the infamous) "Johnny B's". I used to stop in after fishing and had my boat in the back end of an old station wagon. I used to park it backed up against a wall so no one would steal the boat.

Yes, Johnny B's Encounter Cafe on Main Street. We used to go there in the afternoon after our morning classes at CPI on Ash Street.

 

[Waquoit]

Apparently a good dive bar is closed for good, the Maple Cafe in Hartford. The longtime owner recently sold to the First and Last crew. The bakery next door is closed as well.

 

[Dogdeacon]

The Loft or Tom's Loft in the back of the main parking lot at Okemo is a good dive, though also a typical VT bar.
Ted's was definitely a dive in the 80's.
Caught the tail end of Ft Lauderdale spring break heyday in late 80's and the Elbow Room there felt familiar to Ted's with sticky floor & god awful smelling bathrooms.

 

[8893]

Caught the tail end of Ft Lauderdale spring break heyday in late 80's and the Elbow Room there felt familiar to Ted's with sticky floor & god awful smelling bathrooms.

Five of us drove down in a Chevy Impala and had no place to stay, so we slept underneath Catamarans on the beach most nights and were awakened at sunrise by the police. With nowhere to go, we would start drinking at the Elbo Room, which had something ridiculous like ten cent screwdrivers or bloody marys for their morning happy hour, and you got to keep the plastic mug.

I remember drinking enough of them stack the glasses to the ceiling, and then getting my ear pierced.

That lasted around six months.

 

[uconnfan68]

Five of us drove down in a Chevy Impala and had no place to stay, so we slept underneath Catamarans on the beach most nights and were awakened at sunrise by the police. With nowhere to go, we would start drinking at the Elbo Room, which had something ridiculous like ten cent screwdrivers or bloody marys for their morning happy hour, and you got to keep the plastic mug.

I remember drinking enough of them stack the glasses to the ceiling, and then getting my ear pieced.

That lasted around six months.

6 months is a long break.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Last time I was in New Orleans I was at Sneaky Pete's, the female bartender was drunk and asleep and I walk in the bathroom where a young drug dealer is bagging up little baggies of cocaine.

One of my best friends went to college in New Orleans and Miss Mae's was his dive bar of choice.

$1 beers/single drinks, $2 double drinks and after winning video poker I ended up leaving the bar at a profit.

 

[alexd]

6 months is a long break.

Remote learning.

 

[8893]

6 months is a long break.

The earring.

And six months is probably too generous. I think it was more like three.

 

[alexd]

Santos Bar on Decatur St in New Orleans. We had dinner 3 doors up at Coops Place, and the six of us ducked in there during a torrential rain storm in 2017. We did finally get home somehow, to our rental cottage a half mile away.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Five of us drove down in a Chevy Impala and had no place to stay, so we slept underneath Catamarans on the beach most nights and were awakened at sunrise by the police. With nowhere to go, we would start drinking at the Elbo Room, which had something ridiculous like ten cent screwdrivers or bloody marys for their morning happy hour, and you got to keep the plastic mug.

I remember drinking enough of them stack the glasses to the ceiling, and then getting my ear pierced.

That lasted around six months.

That's really funny. Six of us rented a van & drove down to Ft Lauderdale for Spring Break, we slept in the van with the eldest of the group moving us from the strip to a nearby parking lot from 2-7AM. Finally broke down one of the last nights & got a hotel room with 2 beds, so I slept in the van anyway. This was March 84 I think. Similar showered on the beach & Elbow Room was across the street from the showers.

 

[HCCForever]

That's really funny. Six of us rented a van & drove down to Ft Lauderdale for Spring Break, we slept in the van with the eldest of the group moving us from the strip to a nearby parking lot from 2-7AM. Finally broke down one of the last nights & got a hotel room with 2 beds, so I slept in the van anyway. This was March 84 I think. Similar showered on the beach & Elbow Room was across the street from the showers.

Ft Lauderdale was much different in the 80's with The Button, Penrods, Candy Store and others. I remember the smell of vomit and stale beer every morning and big cops walking the beach. All those clubs are gone except for The Elbo Room opened since 1938. I always visit when I go to Ft. Lauderdale, I was just there a few months ago with mask on of course.

 

[Deepster]

Apparently a good dive bar is closed for good, the Maple Cafe in Hartford. The longtime owner recently sold to the First and Last crew. The bakery next door is closed as well.

Yeah, F&L committed to just leaving it as a bar, no food with the original neighborhood bar feel but that was pre-COVID. Not sure what will happen to that little cluster of F&L, bakery, Maple. I'm sure Stairway Thru Heaven is doing fine though....

 

[Son of Robert]

Couple more as my memory jogs them to the surface. The Ashley Cafe on Ashley St in Hartford, and one of the greats, Mac's Safari Cafe, on the corner of Flower St. and I believe DeKoven Drive in Middletown CT. Oh, one more, The Three Amigos on Park St. in Hartford back in the 80s.

 

[mauconnfan]

This is a subject that I am familiar with. The Culinary is probably what you are thinking of. There was also a very small place called Mario's near the overpass of Wells Road.

Culinary Cafe, bingo! Thanks

 

[uconnfan68]

The earring.

And six months is probably too generous. I think it was more like three.

I knew that...

 

[Deepster]

Uncle Dave's on Cap Ave in Hartford.

Out of college, I got a temp job in Hartford and lived with a couple high school friends, one who worked in the same building with me. Uncle Dave's had a "free executive lunch" on weekdays. We lived check to check and decided to see what this was all about.

There were a couple really disinterested dancers hanging around and, on the pool table, there was Oscar Mayer bologna, individual Kraft slices, french's mustard and Wonder bread. That was the "executive" lunch.

Needless to say, we went there 2-3 times a week and made friends with all of them. Then had dinner at Bourbon St's happy hour buffet Thurs and Fri.

 

[TyroneShoo]

Popular was a restaurant with famous pizza

 

[Huskybass]

The Loft or Tom's Loft in the back of the main parking lot at Okemo is a good dive, though also a typical VT bar.
Ted's was definitely a dive in the 80's.
Caught the tail end of Ft Lauderdale spring break heyday in late 80's and the Elbow Room there felt familiar to Ted's with sticky floor & god awful smelling bathrooms.

Ted's was indeed a dive, but also an amazing college bar. Social! was the order of the day, and those sure were good times.

Ted's actually served a pretty decent breakfast on weekends believe it or not. Nothing fancy but something like bacon and eggs and a side of home fries. It was cheap and very good.

 

[tdrink]

Growing up but gone now: Marty's Bag in Amston

Went once in college, amazed it’s still around: American Eagle in Willington

National contender: Murio's Trophy Room in San Francisco

 

[8893]

Went once in college, amazed it’s still around: American Eagle in Willington

IIRC that was home away from home for Dean who used to work at Ted's Giant Grinders, for those of us here of that era.

 

[mauconnfan]

Popular was a restaurant with famous pizza

Bingo was a pretty solid pizza place besides a bar. Kind of rivaled Verdolinis of Meriden in the pizza world but was not as good or that close. Better bar though!

 

[8893]

Bingo was a pretty solid pizza place besides a bar. Kind of rivaled Verdolinis of Meriden in the pizza world but was not as good or that close. Better bar though!

But did Bingo make a Spooker?

 

[Ewekon]

Popular was a restaurant with famous pizza

Famous pizza in BPT was a popular parlor with a bar.

 

[husky8273]

IIRC that was home away from home for Dean who used to work at Ted's Giant Grinders, for those of us here of that era.

Dean is the D in Ted's.