Welcome!
Some people collect autographs, some collect antiques, others collect stamps. My hobby is a little different, I collect bars. This site represents my collection, documenting each bar I visit.
This is not a review site, there's plenty of those already. Most posts in this bar diary are slice-of-life recaps of the half hour or so I spent having a beer. I hope you enjoy browsing through my collection!
--ScooterJA Few Random Favorites
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Holler House
07 April 2019(Forest Home Hills, Milwaukee, WI) Scooter’s 1327th bar, first visited in 2019. I have been to a ton of dive bars. Up to the point of this writing, I had...
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Abick’s Bar
25 November 2022(Michigan-Martin, Detroit, MI) Scooter’s 1598th bar, first visited in 2022. Now THIS is what looking for good neighborhood dive bars is all about. Easily in my top 5 of all...
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Illinois Archive
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#824: Stumble In
Posted on November 2010 | No Comments(Hindsboro, IL) Scooter’s 824th bar, first visited in 2010. We plopped down near the corner of the L-shaped bar that wrapped along 2 sides of the building. Our beers were... -
#823: Daddy-O’s
Posted on November 2010 | No Comments(Downtown, Paris, IL) Scooter’s 823rd bar, first visited in 2010. We walked into this bar at 10:00am to find about half a dozen customers already seated. We ordered Bud Lights,... -
#822: Rosebud Saloon
Posted on November 2010 | No Comments(Downtown, Paris, IL) Scooter’s 822nd bar, first visited in 2010. After a breakfast of delicious Hardee’s biscuits, we popped in to Rosebud Saloon at 9:35am for our first Illinois beer... -
#772: Mandy’s East State Bar
Posted on November 2010 | No Comments(Downtown, O Fallon, IL) Scooter’s 772nd bar, first visited in 2010. Since we’d already stayed in O’Fallon longer than we planned, we figured there was no way we could leave... -
#771: Haney’s Place
Posted on November 2010 | No Comments(Downtown, O Fallon, IL) Scooter’s 771st bar, first visited in 2010. We had planned to visit only 3 bars in O’Fallon, but this place just looked too tempting and we... -
#770: The Outdoorsman
Posted on November 2010 | No Comments(Downtown, O Fallon, IL) Scooter’s 770th bar, first visited in 2010. This was our third stop in O’Fallon as we walked around the downtown area. A laid-back, neighborhood dive bar... -
#769: Towne Lounge
Posted on November 2010 | No Comments(Downtown, O Fallon, IL) Scooter’s 769th bar, first visited in 2010. We popped in here after our first visit to the local VFW and were greeted by an enthusiastic young... -
#768: VFW Post 805
Posted on November 2010 | No Comments(Downtown, O Fallon, IL) Scooter’s 768th bar, first visited in 2010. We pulled into O’Fallon a little after 11am on Veterans Day, looking for some veterans to honor. Unfortunately, when... -
#519: Full Moon Bar & Grill
Posted on November 2008 | No Comments(Vandalia, IL) Scooter’s 519th bar, first visited in 2008. Been in business since 1988. Friendly local dive with pool table, jukebox, and an aquarium behind the bar. 120 S 6th...








