Scooter's Bar Journal » Sports bar

Edge On 7

scooterj — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 18:10:00 +0000

(Blue Springs, MO)
Formerly Joe’s Standard Bar

Scooter’s 1874th bar, first visited in 2026.

There are two halves of this bar. The south half used to be the Class Reunion Lounge and was hosting bingo the night I was here. The north half used to be Joe’s Standard Bar and has pool tables. This is the half I was in for a birthday party. I did not see any obvious indoor connection between the two halves, but I also didn’t try looking very hard.

I had Guinness.

1204 SW State Rte 7
Blue Springs, MO 64014
US
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+18165988339
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Brewhaus

scooterj — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 18:12:00 +0000

(Downtown, Springfield, IL)

Scooter’s 1871st bar, first visited in 2026.

We arrived in Springfield too late to visit out hotel’s bar, so after getting settled in we headed out into the downtown square for a couple of drinks.

Our first of two stops was a long, skinny building with a rather beautiful bar along the front half and ornate vintage ceiling work. The back half had pinball machines and shuffleboard, and a small separate room of electronic casino games. While we didn’t notice it and it’s not in my photo, Google Street View shows a small area of sidewalk seating — it looks temporary though so may be seasonal.

I had two glasses of Moose Drool (brown ale) by Big Sky Brewing, a reliable favorite of mine.

617 E Washington St
Springfield, IL 62701
US
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+12179705117
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Block 15 Tavern & Exchange

scooterj — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 18:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 1861st bar, first visited in 2025.

This was a last-second impulse stop after riding the streetcar around to various Christmas destinations. It was exactly halfway between where we got off the streetcar and where the car was parked.

This is a basement bar, albeit a walk-out basement if you enter from the alley side. Good to see more basement bars in KC, we don’t have as many as other cities. (I later learned there’s another newer one a few days earlier whose main entrance is also in the alley.) There is foot in the form of a taco truck on the patio.

We arrived to a nearly-empty bar just after a group left, but by the time we left ourselves it was starting to fill back up. The bartender said it’s busiest after 10pm.

I only had a few minutes to stay so had a Guinness. I’ll have to come back another time to spend more time here.

This is a bar that actuallypours Guinness correctly, so it took several minutes.

The shower curtain is an interesting design choice.

311 Delaware St, Suite 102 A
Kansas City, MO 64105
US
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+18164378873
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Republic Bar

scooterj — Sun, 25 Aug 2024 17:11:00 +0000

(MSP Airport, St. Paul, MN)

Scooter’s 1806th bar, first visited in 2024.

Though I had another long layover at MSP, this time I decided to not leave the airport and instead wandered around until I found a bar that wasn’t too busy. Though I’d just eaten a shrimp basket at the Sioux Falls airport less than 2 hours earlier, I was already hungry again and got myself some fish & chips. I washed it down with a Mudpuppy Porter by Central Waters Brewing Company.

4300 Glumack Dr
St. Paul, MN 55111
US
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+ (612) 554-4180
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Wiley’s

scooterj — Sat, 24 Aug 2024 17:14:00 +0000

(Downtown, Sioux Falls, SD)

Scooter’s 1798th bar, first visited in 2024.

Wiley’s was not on my itinerary, but when I returned to my AirBNB for a mid-afternoon break I got to thinking that some lunch would do me good — and Wiley’s was literally right behind my AirBNB so I might as well pay it a visit.

Wiley’s is a very large sports bar with a good beer selection, and has both covered and uncovered outdoor seating in the back. I had Chislic for lunch, adong with a Guiness.

330 N Main Ave
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
US
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+1 (605) 336-0054
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Dempsey’s Public House

scooterj — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 17:19:00 +0000

(Downtown, Fargo, ND)

Scooter’s 1769th bar, first visited in 2024.

After striking out at two places that were closed for various reasons, I swapped in another place from my “if there’s time” list.

Dempsey’s (as well as many of the downtown Fargo bars) was still in mourning due to the unexpected death of a beloved Dempsey’s employee several days earlier, so it seemed a bit somber in here.

I debated getting something to eat here (and it’s possible I did and simply forgot I did), but I am pretty sure since I had a big day planned for tomorrow I just had my Guinness and returned to the hotel.

226 Broadway N
Fargo, ND 58102
US
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+1 (701) 235-5913
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Rooters Bar

scooterj — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 17:18:00 +0000

(Downtown, Fargo, ND)

Scooter’s 1768th bar, first visited in 2024.

This cash-only expansive sports dive has multiple rooms and multiple bar counters. There’s darts, at least one pool table, and various casino games. It was also karaoke night.

I had a Lagunitas IPA.

107 Broadway N
Fargo, ND 58102
US
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+1 (701) 235-4082
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Sports Bar

scooterj — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 17:16:00 +0000

(Downtown, Fargo, ND)

Scooter’s 1766th bar, first visited in 2024.

Resuming my originally-scheduled programming, my next stop was a sports bar named… Sports Bar.

This sports dive is bigger than it looks from the outside, with a separate seating area / game room located behind the main bar.

There’s a reasonably decent beer selection here for a dive bar, but I opted for Guinness since I’d had a few more “big beers” already than I’d planned.

619 Northern Pacific Ave
Fargo, ND 58102
US
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+1 (701) 293-2085
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Char Bar – Parkville

scooterj — Sun, 17 Mar 2024 17:10:00 +0000

(Old Town at Creekside, Parkville, MO)

Scooter’s 1746th bar, first visited in 2024.

A new additional location for the original Char Bar (the original located in Westport). In addition to the wide variety of drinks and BBQ, his iteration includes covered and uncovered outdoor seating, pickleball courts, various outdoor games, a large outdoor fireplace, and even dog park of sorts.

15348 Old Town Dr
Parkville, MO 64152
US
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+18166229600

Fat Boyz Grill & Bar

scooterj — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 18:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kearney, MO)

Scooter’s 1729th bar, first visited in 2023.

We came up here for a big cannabis sale at a nearby dispensary, then decided to check out the local downtown dive bar for a quick drink.

There are two rooms, and the main entrance is through the pool table room that awkwardly opens right up against one of the seating tables. We weren’t really sure why the door that goes straight into the main bar room isn’t being used.

I had Guinness.

129 E Washington St
Kearney, MO 64060
US
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+18169032699
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21 Taps

scooterj — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 18:15:00 +0000

(Downtown, Cape Girardeau, MO)

Scooter’s 1727th bar, first visited in 2023.

This is one of those self-service beer wall establishments. I wasn’t 100% sure it was still in business because it had a realtor sign out front and was dark and locked each time I walked by throughout the afternoon, but I happened to notice the lights on when I walked by again trying to find one more place to go.

Unfortunately, at least on this day, several of the taps were out, Of those that were left, a couple were duplicates and a couple more were boring standard mass-produced domestics. So for all practically purposes it was really more like “10 Taps” for my visit. (They do have food, though.)

I had a Cinnamon Maple Stout by Six Mile Bridge Brewing, and a Vanilla Porter by Breckenridge Brewery.

36 N Spanish St
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
US
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+15738032777
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The Sociable Inn

scooterj — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 17:15:00 +0000

(Millard, Omaha, NE)

Scooter’s 1719th bar, first visited in 2023.

We decided our next bar was close enough to walk to, so we set out on foot passing a new fancier places along the way. But this was still dive bar time.

The Sociable is a bit, uh, unusual. A very interesting décor. Honestly, it’s easier to just say “look at the pictures” rather than try to describe it.

I had a Bud bottle.

When we left here it was brewery time again. We decided that the next stop was too far to try to walk so we got the second worst Uber driver I’ve ever had to take us. I’m honestly not sure how she didn’t crash the car getting us there.

4917 S 136th St
Omaha, NE 68137
US
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+14028956933
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St. Andrew’s Pub

scooterj — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 17:12:00 +0000

(Benson, Omaha, NE)

Scooter’s 1711th bar, first visited in 2023.

This is a separate sports bar attached to and affiliated with Beercade is Beercade. Though both bars share the same POS (so you can open or close your tab in either bar), the tap lists and it appears even the hours differ.

We played Tetris here, and I had a Shake Chocolate Porter by Boulder Beer.

6102 Maple St.
Omaha, NE 68104
US
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+14029323392
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DJ’s Dugout

scooterj — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 17:13:00 +0000

(Downtown, Omaha, NE)

Scooter’s 1705th bar, first visited in 2023.

The place we had originally planned as a possible dinner spot (Gate 10 Sports Bar) turned out to be closed, but someone at T. Henery’s mentioned three options a few blocks to the north. After wandering to all three and peeking in the windows, this is the one we chose and backtracked to. Since it’s a sports bar and there was a Chiefs game on, this was our first relatively busy bar on this trip.

I had a chicken tenders platter, but I completely forgot to check in my beer on UnTappd so I have no idea what I had to drink. I am pretty sure I did not have Guinness. I had something local, either an IPA or a brown ale. It annoys me that I didn’t keep track. The only thing I am certain of is that it was NOT a Fairy Nectar IPA by Kros Strain Brewing because that’s what my friend ordered.

1003 Capitol Ave
Omaha, NE 68102
US
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+14027639974
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Nemo’s Bar

scooterj — Sun, 27 Aug 2023 17:12:00 +0000

(Corktown, Detroit, MI)

Scooter’s 1697th bar, first visited in 2023.

And another great historic dive bar!

As we approached we were worried we wouldn’t be able to get in because there was a big crowd of people standing outside the door, but as we turned the corner a shuttle bus showed up to take them all to the baseball game. Inside we found a much quieter bar than it had been just a few minutes earlier.

There are two rooms, the back more suited for eating. There’s also a covered patio in the form of a canopy in a parking lot.

I had Guinness and whatever shot my group ordered a round of.

1384 Michigan Ave
Detroit, MI 48226
US
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+13139653180
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The Blue Note

scooterj — Sat, 26 Aug 2023 17:10:00 +0000

(St. Louis Lambert International Airport, St. Louis, MO)

Scooter’s 1692nd bar, first visited in 2023.

Stopped in here for breakfast and a couple of drinks during a layover. I had pancakes and a couple rounds of Coffee & Bailey’s.

10701 Lambert International Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63145
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Johnny’s Tavern – Parkville

scooterj — Sat, 29 Jul 2023 17:12:00 +0000

(Old Town at Creekside, Parkville, MO)

Scooter’s 1671st bar, first visited in 2023.

Popped in here on my friend’s birthday for a quick Guinness, simply because I hadn’t been here before. Actually ran into someone else I knew while I was there.

15249 Brinkmeyer Rd
Parkville, MO 64152
United States
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+18163017979
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The Island Pub

scooterj — Fri, 12 May 2023 17:15:00 +0000

(Douglas, Juneau, AK)

Scooter’s 1652nd bar, first visited in 2023.

After we got back to our rental house we quickly determined that we didn’t have quite enough food to make dinner for all of us. We decided to supplement with a pizza and a few salads, so a couple of us drove over to Douglas Island to grab some take-out.

While we waited for our order I had a Black Fang (imperial stout) and a DMMDI (Devil Made Me Do It) IPA, both by Haines Brewing.

1102 2nd St
Juneau, AK 99824
United States
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+19073641595
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McGiviney’s Sports Bar and Grill

scooterj — Wed, 10 May 2023 17:13:00 +0000

(Mendenhall Valley, Juneau, AK)

Scooter’s 1645th bar, first visited in 2023.

We came here first thing after deplaning because it was the closest place we found to the airport where the adults could get drinks and we could all still get some food.

In addition to some fried shrimp, I had the Junrau Juice (IPA) by Alaskan Brewing.

9105 Mendenhall Rd
Juneau, AK
United States
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+19077890501
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Checker Bar

scooterj — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 18:19:00 +0000

(Downtown, Detroit, MI)

Scooter’s 1601st bar, first visited in 2022.

We had almost stopped in here earlier in the evening while walking back to our hotel from Grand Trunk Pub, but we saw lots of kids in the front windows so decided at the time to pass.

Now it was late, we had not had dinner, and this was the closest spot we could find to the hotel that still had an open kitchen. So we dropped the car off at the hotel and walked back over here.

Everybody ordered food for themselves, we also ordered a few appetizers for us to all share. I ordered what I thought was going to be an individual-sized pizza. Then we all got our drinks. I had a Mayan Mocha Stout by Odd Side Ales.

After a while the appetizers came out. Then, a bit later, the food. Except not mine. So I waited. And waited. I was stick in the middle of a round booth and couldn’t get out without making everyone else get out, so my wife went to go check on my food. They assured her the pizza was coming. So I wanted some more. But hunger finally took over and I started eating appetizers. Before long I was full.

We gave up on the pizza, and just as we were about to go ask for it to be removed from the tab so we could leave, it was suddenly plopped down on the table before us.

It looked amazing, so I couldn’t pass it up, and forced myself to eat a few pieces. It was much larger than I was expecting, and with no practical way for us to save the leftovers, half of it got wasted. Which is criminal.

124 Cadillac Square
Detroit, MI 48226
United States
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+13139619249
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Applebee’s

scooterj — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 18:15:00 +0000

(Downtown, Detroit, MI)

Scooter’s 1597th bar, first visited in 2022.

It’s always an embarrassment to list an Applebees on this site, but that’s what our hotel bar happened to be and we were waiting their for our friends to come back downstairs (which took a while because the fire alarm went off, forcing them to take he stairs) and for the valet to bring the car around.

I had The G.O.A.T. (Greatest Oatmeal Stout Of All Time) by Saugatuck Brewing Company.

333 E Jefferson
Detroit, MI 48226
United States
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+13138795141
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Detroiter Bar

scooterj — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 18:13:00 +0000

(Downtown, Detroit, MI)

Scooter’s 1595th bar, first visited in 2022.

We decided to make one more quick stop before checking to see if our companion back at the hotel had had a long enough nap. This p[articular sports bar felt like the kind of place true locals hang out at.

Unfortunately it was rather crowded and we had to stand, so we just had one drink and left. I had a Guinness.

I did manage to move around inside enough to see that there was another room behind where we were standing. I also remember there being "something odd" about the men's room but because I wasn't alone in there I couldn't get a picture so that I would remember later what it was.

655 Beaubien Blvd
Detroit, MI 48226
United States
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+13139633355
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Sweetwater Tavern

scooterj — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 18:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Detroit, MI)

Scooter’s 1593rd bar, first visited in 2022.

One member of our traveling group was exhausted, so the rest of us set out on foot from our hotel while she got a couple hours of napping in. This long-established wing dive was the closest spot to the hotel.

We had a couple of rounds of drinks while watching the second half of the US-England World Cup game.

I had a Ghettoblaster Ale by Motor City Brewing Works and a Guinness Original Extra Stout.

400 E Congress St
Detroit, MI 48226
United States
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+13139622210
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Too-Ra-Loo

scooterj — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 18:11:00 +0000

(Downtown, Rochester, MI)

Scooter’s 1591st bar, first visited in 2022.

A sports bar with pizza, Italian food, and 80 beers on tap. I had two cocktails (one was a chocolate martini, I forget what the other was) and a Coffee Donut Porter by One Well Brewing.

It should be noted that the outside of the building doesn’t usually look like this picture. The downtown Christmas lights had just been turned on for the season.

139 S. Main
Rochester, MI 48307
United States
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+12484535291
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Callahan’s

scooterj — Sat, 19 Nov 2022 18:14:00 +0000

(Downtown, Columbus, OH)

Scooter’s 1586th bar, first visited in 2022.

Because it was so cold/windy and everyplace we had tried while walking back was way too crowded, we had decided to return to the hotel early. But just as we reached the east entrance, we noticed that one of the bars across the street seemed pretty quiet so we decided to go check it out. Turned out we got lucky, a large party had recently left leaving behind a mostly-empty bar. Score!

I had a Murphy’s Irish Stout, a Pioneer Ohio Pilsner by Homestead Beer Company, some shots, and a cocktail.

There was a second level but neither of us bothered to go up the stairs to look around.

520 Park St.
Columbus, OH 43215
United States
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+16142231200
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The Other Place – Shawnee

scooterj — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 18:14:00 +0000

(Shawnee, KS)

Scooter’s 1582nd bar, first visited in 2022.

This is a massive sports bar/restaurant, a relatively newer location for the Iowa chain.

It was extremely crowded and noisy, so I just had a Guinness and we didn’t stay long. We probably would have sat outside if it hadn’t been so cold that day.

22730 Midland Dr
Shawnee, KS 66226
United States
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+19134410094
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Knub’s Pub

scooterj — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 18:12:00 +0000

(Shawnee, KS)

Scooter’s 1581st bar, first visited in 2022.

Given that this was a suburban strip mall bar I wasn’t expecting anything noteworthy, but this turned out to be a genuine-feeling sports dive with a lot of character.

Food is served, there’s lots of nostalgia, and there’s a row of pinball machines along one wall. There’s a small patio outside the south door.

I had Elvis Juice (American IPA) by BrewDog Deutschland.

5386 Roberts St
Shawnee, KS 66226
United States
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+19134415682
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Stagger Lee

scooterj — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 17:16:00 +0000

(Downtown, Austin, TX)

Scooter’s 1563rd bar, first visited in 2022.

We had decided to get out of this neighborhood and walk back toward out hotel, but then we staggered across a spot that seemed a little calmer and more our speed. And I wish we’d taken some time to explore because I found out later that here were other cool areas in here besides the main bar where we sat.

I had a Disco in the Panic Room (IPA) by Meanwhile Brewing, a brewery we had meant to visit right after Pinthouse but completely forgot to do so.

87 Rainey St.
Austin, TX 78701
United States
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+15122209007
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Friends Bar

scooterj — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 17:12:00 +0000

(Downtown, Austin, TX)

Scooter’s 1559th bar, first visited in 2022.

After a while we got antsy and wanted a change of scenery, but it only took a couple of doors down for us to find another spot we liked.

The guy doing the live music was a hoot, and definitely had to be on something (which he alluded to multiple times). He was entertaining enough that we ended up deciding to stay here until it was time for us to leave for our afternoon tour.

I had a couple of rounds of Austin Amber by Independence Brewing.

208 E, 6th St.
Austin, TX 78701
United States
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+15123208193
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BBG’s Bar, Kitchen, Sports

scooterj — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Austin, TX)

Scooter’s 1558th bar, first visited in 2022.

We began the day with lunch at Iron Works BBQ, then walked back north to 6th Street in search of a quiet spot to kill a couple hours of time before a planned afternoon tour.

We were looking specifically for a place called Bikini’s Sports Bar Grill that Google said was open, but we could not find it anywhere. The address took us to BBG’s instead. Then I noticed that all the reviews for Bikini’s were rather old so surmised that Bikini’s must have gone tits-up and been replaced by BBG’s.

BBG’s is physically connected to the adjacent Happy Chicks bar next door via a common restroom area, and it kind of looked like both were served by the same kitchen. BBG’s had a more divey feel, however, so we were happy with out selection.

I had a Noisy Cricket (session IPA) by Friends & Allies Brewing.

214 E. 6th St
Austin, TX 78701
United States
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+15124692934
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The Jackalope

scooterj — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 17:14:00 +0000

(Downtown, Austin, TX)

Scooter’s 1552nd bar, first visited in 2022.

After our meal we took an Uber almost back almost to where we left off walking and chose this bar specifically to climb up on the jackalope.

We both had Miller Lights. This looked like it could be a fun place, but my friend was annoyed that his 12oz Miller Light bottle was $6 and that was comparable to the price of the much better beers at the breweries. Also, the music wasn’t a style either of us liked and was being played really loud, so we snapped out photos, chugged the beer, and left.

404 E. 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
United States
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Sinkers Lounge

scooterj — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 17:12:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 1543rd bar, first visited in 2022.

Mini golf themes bar that I came to as part of a birthday party. I had an old fashioned and was almost tricked into an illicit pickle vodka shot.

53 W. 13th St.
Kansas City, MO 64105
United States
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+19133740105
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Blade & Timber

scooterj — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 1542nd bar, first visited in 2022.

Axe throwing bar that I visited for a birthday party. I had two Guinness, lots and lots of misses, and one bullseye.

1303 Baltimore
Kansas City, MO 64105
United States
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+18163438489
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Budweiser Brew House

scooterj — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 17:10:00 +0000

(Kansas City International Airport, Kansas City, MO)
Formerly Also listed as “Budweiser Stadium Club”

Scooter’s 1518th bar, first visited in 2022.

Inside security, near gate G77. Had a Guinness and some snacks while waiting for a slightly delayed flight.

601 Brasilia Ave
Kansas City, MO 64153
United States
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St. John’s Catholic Club

scooterj — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 17:10:00 +0000

(Strawberry Hill, Kansas City, KS)

Scooter’s 1495th bar, first visited in 2021.

This bar is located in the basement of the St. John’s Catholic Club, attached to the six-lane bowling alley. The club is located behind the big red church that dominates the Strawberry Hill skyline.

414 Barnett
Kansas City, KS 66101
United States
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+19133719690
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V’s Arcade Bar

scooterj — Sat, 19 Jun 2021 17:25:00 +0000

(Downtown, Lincoln, NE)

Scooter’s 1482nd bar, first visited in 2021.

I tried to come here twice earlier on this trip. Both times the door was locked even though I was well within posted business hours. Come to find out I was using the north door that my GPS led me to. Apparently they don’t use that entrance even though it’s well-signed and well-lit. But after a few hours of recovery at my hotel room, I was ready for one more spot while I waited for a pizza I’d ordered to be ready. Eventually I stumbled across the unlocked eastern entrance to this basement arcade bar.

I didn’t really have any time for games, just a quick drink. I at the Flat Roofin’(porter) from White Elm Brewing.

247 N 8th St
Lincoln, NE 68508
United States
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+15315005599
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Bing’s Sports Bar

scooterj — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Nebraska City, NE)

Scooter’s 1463rd bar, first visited in 2021.

Sports Bar serving pizza that I’ve somehow managed to miss despite passing through Nebraska City numerous times in the past 15+ years.

I had Guinness…

704 Central Ave
Nebraska City, NE 68410
United States
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+14027135063
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River Bluff Brewing

scooterj — Sat, 07 Nov 2020 18:11:00 +0000

(St. Joseph, MO)

Scooter’s 1447th bar, first visited in 2020.

This place is enormous. Multiple rooms and seating areas. All sorts of interesting decor. Pinball machines, arcade games, and a covered outdoor deck in the back. The section we sat in had old bowling lane wood as the flooring.

I had a flight of Goldlion (golden stout), Arrowhead Red (Amber Lager), Jerry’s Porter, and Tee Time Mild (English mild ale). I also got a half pour of the Piper on the Bluff (Scotch ale).

1224 Frederick Ave
St. Joseph, MO 64501
United States
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+18162595339
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Old Chicago

scooterj — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 17:10:00 +0000

(One North, North Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 1443rd bar, first visited in 2020.

It occurred to me that as many times as I’ve sat at the bar waiting for a to-go order, I ought to count this one. For the date on this I picked the first time it occurred to me to take a picture, though technically I’d been coming here since June.

1920 Diamond Pkwy
North Kansas City, MO 64116
United States
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+18169979900
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RJ’s Pub

scooterj — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 17:11:00 +0000

(Rochester Hills, MI)

Scooter’s 1435th bar, first visited in 2020.

My wife has been here a few times and always had a blast. This was my first visit, and because of COVID sat out on the patio so didn’t really get to see much of the bar.

I had a Guinness.

Update: Visited again in 2022 and got to be inside the bar. New pic added.

288 W Tienken Rd
Rochester Hills, MI 48306
United States
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(248) 652-9550
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Hard Rock Cafe Anchorage

scooterj — Sun, 01 Dec 2019 18:14:00 +0000

(Downtown, Anchorage, AK)

Scooter’s 1425th bar, first visited in 2019.

I came in here specifically just to get my brother a hat, but decided to have a beer to make it official. I had a Twister Creek IPA by Denali Brewing.

BTW this place felt more like a neighborhood sports bar than other Hard Rocks I have been familiar with.

415 E St
Anchorage, AK 99501
United States
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(907) 274-7625
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Gaslight Lounge

scooterj — Sun, 01 Dec 2019 18:13:00 +0000

(Downtown, Anchorage, AK)

Scooter’s 1424th bar, first visited in 2019.

This wasn’t a bar we were planning to visit. But we were revisiting a bar around the corner (Darwin’s Theory) and we ended up parking in front of The Gaslight so decided to check it out too. I didn’t realize until later that this became by new Westernmost bar by about 100 feet.

This is like a country-sports dive bar. There’s a pool table, multiple bar games, lots of TVs, a mechanical bull, ping-pong, and a really ornate mid-20th-century style lounge booth in the front corner.

I had a King Street IPA and maybe a shot, I can’t remember for sure.

All that’s missing is a bucket of ice to make this the pinnacle of the dive bar peeing experience…

721 W 4th Ave
Anchorage, AK 99501
United States
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(907) 277-0722
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49th State Brewing

scooterj — Sun, 01 Dec 2019 18:12:00 +0000

(Downtown, Anchorage, AK)

Scooter’s 1423rd bar, first visited in 2019.

Any unexpected long layover in Anchorage, combined with a tip from someone that they have really god pizza, led to us visiting 49th State Brewing’s other location. (We had visited the Denali location in 2018, and coincidentally driven by that one again yesterday.)

In addition to fantastic food and beer this location features lots of TVs, multiple levels of seating including a large rooftop deck, and a big fireplace in the main dining area.

I had their Whiskey Barrel Aged Cabin Fever with my pizza.

717 W 3rd Ave
Anchorage, AK 99501
United States
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(907) 277-7727
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Core Brewing Company

scooterj — Sun, 13 Oct 2019 17:13:00 +0000

(Springdale, AR)

Scooter’s 1406th bar, first visited in 2019.

This dog-loving brewery with a dachshund mascot is easy to find, not so easy is noticing which door is the main entrance. A least not when you arrive 15 minutes before opening. The bartender arrived about 5 minutes after I did, I have her until a few minutes after official opening before I came in and started pestering her for beer.

I didn’t want a full flight, but I also didn’t want pints, and she seemed confused by my request for 5oz tasters. So I decided to just go with half-pours and call it a day. I later wound up with a third half-pour due to a mis-pour.

This is a sprawling facility with all sorts of activities. There’s a patio in the front and another on the east end between two of the buildings, and outside the west end before the next building on the other side is a fenced dog play area.

I had the Hazelnut Brown, the Arkansas Red Ale, and the Toasted Coconut brown ale.

They were having a pet adoption event at 1:00 and I really wanted to stay to see the pups, but I had a ticket for a special exhibit at Crystal Bridges for 1:30 up in Bentonville so I had to miss out on the doggies.

2470 Lowell Rd
Springdale, AR 72764
United States
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(479) 372-4300
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Social BTB

scooterj — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 17:14:00 +0000

(Downtown, Joplin, MO)

Scooter’s 1388th bar, first visited in 2019.

This was my planned dinner stop, and I hoped that since it was getting a little late it wouldn’t be busy. No such luck. Still I was able to squeeze in at the far end of the bar, against the wall.

I had been really looking forward to a burger, as they looked awesome in the photos online, but their only cheese offering was American so that nixed that. (Come on, burger places should offer one or more of Swiss, Pepper Jack, or Provolone as an alternative to that disgusting orange kiddie crap.) Luckily they also had chicken tenders that hit the spot, along with a side of vinegar fries.

I had a Deschutes Black Butte Porter with my meal.

By the way, this place is a little off because it is inside a large building and doesn’t have a direct outdoor entrance. I found it easiest to park on the south side and enter through the back.

By the time I was done I needed to use the restroom something awful, so I paid my check and got up to find it. Turned out there are no restrooms inside the place, they are out in the building’s main lobby. I followed the signs and found them. Locked, with a keypad access code required to use them. That’s pretty annoying. I decided to hold it until I got to my next place. Which ended up being my hotel, as I decided it was time to switch to Uber. Longest 3 mile drive of my life!

1027 S Main St
Joplin, MO 64801
US
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(417) 553-0862
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The Clubhouse Experience

scooterj — Sat, 28 Sep 2019 17:12:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 1383rd bar, first visited in 2019.

After more than a decade of dormancy, the basement courtyard of the Wallstreet Tower is alive again! This new sports bar & restaurant features a nonsmoking patio (the first I’ve heard of in KC) and several virtual Top Golf suites. The dining area is much larger than I first realized, apparently wrapping around at least part of the courtyard.

I had an O’Bar House Amber Ale by O’Fallon Brewery, which is rebranded here as “Wallstreet Amber”.

1101 Walnut
Kansas City, MO 64106
US
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(816) 216-7978
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Streetcar Grille & Tavern

scooterj — Sat, 28 Sep 2019 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 1382nd bar, first visited in 2019.

Another new place that also opened very recently in the ground floor retail area of a parking garage.

My first visit was for lunch with my family, and I had a Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro.

1580 Main St
Kansas City, MO 64108
US
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(816) 216-6187
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Sully’s Pub

scooterj — Sat, 24 Aug 2019 17:10:00 +0000

(Mission, KS)

Scooter’s 1366th bar, first visited in 2019.

In all my years of trying to visit every dive bar in the KC area, I do’t know how I’ve managed to overlook this one until now. We picked this as a good spot for people coming from different directions to meet up for a mini brewery crawl down Johnson Drive. Though, to be fair, it’s iffy whether or not this can be considered a dive. Sports bar, though? Definitely.

I didn’t go to the back room to check out what all was here, but apart from tons of TVs there are also quite a few bar games (sports bar games).

Pretty decent beer selection, too. I had a Left Hand Milk Stout.

I liked how most of the TVs had wood frames, like they were paintings.

5436 Johnson Dr
Mission, KS 66205
US
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(913) 999-8014
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Mullets

scooterj — Fri, 05 Jul 2019 17:14:00 +0000

(McKinley School/ Columbus Park, Des Moines, IA)

Scooter’s 1340th bar, first visited in 2019.

Since Exile Brewing was closed we contoinued our attempt to go to Iowa Taproom a day ahead of schedule in order to get some lunch. But as we were about to cross a bridge, this place called out to us. And, as it turned out, it had food.

This place wants to be a dive bar but I just can’t classify it as that… it’s too clean and has too many good beer options.

It was packed and the kitchen was really backed up, but pizzas were at least quick so we went with that. In addition to pizza I had a 1939 Red Ale by Big Grove Brewery

1300 SE 1st S
Des Moines, IA 50315
US
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(515) 244-1443
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County Road Ice House

scooterj — Sat, 11 May 2019 17:14:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)
Formerly Gordon Biersch

Scooter’s 1335th bar, first visited in 2019.

I wasn’t originally planning to even count this as a new bar since I had already been here when it was Gordon Biersch. But it is so completely transformed that it’s impossible to call the the same place. The bar itself isn’t even in the same part of the building anymore.

The menu includes much of the same BBQ from Joe’s KC, so the food is automatically good given that alone.

The beer list is pretty standard, so I had Guinness.

100 E 14th
Kansas City, MO 64106
US
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(816) 399-4967
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Side Pockets

scooterj — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 17:10:00 +0000

(Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 1331st bar, first visited in 2019.

Gigantic strip mall sports bar. Mostly centered on pool but also has darts, several video games, cornhole tournaments, and lots of TVs. The food’s pretty decent. This is the Northland location of this small regional chain. Came here to watch a friend compete in a tournament.

I stuck with Guinness.

600 NW Englewood Rd
Kansas City, MO 64118
US
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(816) 455-9900
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Wolski’s Tavern

scooterj — Sat, 06 Apr 2019 17:19:00 +0000

(Lower East Side, Milwaukee, WI)

Scooter’s 1326th bar, first visited in 2019.

We had been having such a good time at At Random that we were in serious danger of NOT making it to Wolski’s in time to close it! However our Lyft managed to get us here about 15 minutes before last call. And the whole reason for the urgency? This is one of the last bars to close in Milwaukee each night, and you get a sticker if you’re still there then it’s time to kick everyone out.

Next time I’m in Milwaukee I’m going to have to get here earlier in the day when when it’s not so packed with sticker hunters, because this looks like a great dive bar but I wasn’t able to move around much. From where I was trapped I could see that there were at least 3 old-school (as in, real) dart boards and at least one pool table. There was also a patio but I was unable to see how to access it.

One thing I failed to mention is that our group was celebrating a birthday, and we all had face masks of the birthday girl that we had been wearing at each bar during our second round tonight, freaking people out. But by the time we got to Wolski’s we were tired of wearing them so were just carrying them in our hands. One of us unknowingly dropped one outside, and later out the window her husband noticed various people outside taking turns wearing, humping, and making out with his wife’s face. Sadly none of the photos turned out (too dark / too far away) but it still made for some good laughs.

I started with a Guinness just to make the first round ordering easy, then grabbed a Fixed Gear (amber ale) by Lakefront Brewery at last call.

1836 N Pulaski St
Milwaukee, WI 53202
US
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(414) 276-8130
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Who’s On Third

scooterj — Sat, 06 Apr 2019 17:12:00 +0000

(Downtown, Milwaukee, WI)

Scooter’s 1319th bar, first visited in 2019.

After Pabst we went to find the Bronze Fonz statue. It took a bit to get to it, a marathon was wrapping up so several streets were closed and most of the parking garages had jacked their rates up. But we finally found a cheap lot and visited the Fonz. After we all got our photos in we were parched, so took off walking looking for a drink. Initially all we were finding was national chains, and we were starting to get fussy. We finally got to a corner where we could see two bars about half a block away: one straight ahead and one to the right. The neighborhood to the right looked a little more interesting, so that’s what we chose. It turned out there were several bars on this block, we picked this one because we liked the name. (We had only paid for 1 hour of parking so could only choose one.)

The bar is made up of two adjoining buildings, a fact I didn’t initially notice until I went to find the restroom. There’s a full bar in each building. There’s also a small sidewalk seating area.

It was really crowded, we considered ourselves lucky to find a few places to sit just inside the front window that were together. Some of us still had to stand.

I had an Eastside Dark (dark lager) by Lakefront Brewery

1007 N Old World 3rd St
Milwaukee, WI 53203
US
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(414) 897-8373
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Red Lion Pub

scooterj — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 17:10:00 +0000

(Lower East Side, Milwaukee, WI)

Scooter’s 1315th bar, first visited in 2019.

We had prepared well in advance a list of all the bars we wanted to visit in Milwaukee. On our first evening here, we visited exactly zero that were on our list.

We were hungry and had two people from England in out group, so we chose to start off at the Red Lion Pub. Modeled after the traditional English pub, with a food and drink menu matching the theme.

It was rather busy, they put us on the second floor. There are bars on both levels. There’s a fairly large deck behind the second level (the building is constructed adjacent to a bluff) with some outdoor games.

After dinner and drinks karaoke started, so a few members of our group did some songs before he headed out.

I had a Snake Hollow (IPA) and a Gandy Dancer (porter), both by Potosi Brewing Company.

1850 N Water St
Milwaukee, WI 53202
US
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(414) 431-9009
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Firelight Lounge

scooterj — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 18:17:00 +0000

(Quindaro, Kansas City, KS)

Scooter’s 1310th bar, first visited in 2018.

We tried to visit this place in 2007, but it was closed.

We tried to visit again today and again it was closed.

But this time we circled around back to turn our car around, and discovered the entrance is actually in the rear!

This dive bar pours very strong drinks! There are pool tables, nice bathrooms, and a friendly bartender. Since the lights were off except at the bar we didn’t get a very good look around, though.

It’s technically a private club, but there is a sign-in book for non-members in the entryway. Be advised you also pass through a metal detector when entering, a first for me at any bar that wasn’t at an arena or airport.

2046 N. 18th
Kansas City, KS 66104
US
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(913) 371-8473
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Big D’s On The Hill

scooterj — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 18:15:00 +0000

(Argentine, Kansas City, KS)

Scooter’s 1308th bar, first visited in 2018.

Despite the outward appearance, this is a genuine sports dive. There’s pool and a patio. I didn’t notice if they had food, but if they do no one was eating at the time we visited. It’s a little smokey but not too bad.

2139 S 34th St
Kansas City, KS 66106
US
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(913) 671-7542
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The Dotte Spot

scooterj — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 18:14:00 +0000

(Victory Hills, Kansas City, KS)

Scooter’s 1307th bar, first visited in 2018.

Nice strip-mall dive-ish bar with great staff. Serves food and has a separate party room that can be reserved at no charge. We got too caught up talking to the bartender to notice if there was a pool table or any other games besides video poker, but there is a small patio off the east side.

8123 Parallel Parkway
Kansas City, KS 66112
US
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(913) 299-0022
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Larimer Beer Hall

scooterj — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 17:20:00 +0000

(Five Points, Denver, CO)

Scooter’s 1290th bar, first visited in 2018.

We walked over here next and ran into a friend of ours from KC inside! We knew he was visiting Denver at the same time, but still… what are the odds?

I had the Sad Panda Coffee Stout by Horse & Dragon Brewing Company.

2012 Larimer St
Denver, CO 80205
US
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(720) 550-7610
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Burnout Grill

scooterj — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 17:10:00 +0000

(Milliken, CO)

Scooter’s 1272nd bar, first visited in 2018.

We were heading to Fort Collins and I had found nice little family diner to stop for breakfast along the way. “Do they have Bloody Mary’s?” my friend asked. “Oh,” I said, and began a new search for breakfast AND booze available in the morning. That led us to this place.

I was disappointed at first when we pulled up and discovered it was a new looking place in a modern suburban strip mall. But that disappointment turned into relief when we stepped inside and discovered it to be a genuine dive bar.

While we drank and ate, we watched some sort of “Life Hacks” reality show on what I think was TLC.

In addition to my breakfast I had a 1554 by New Belgium Brewing Company, which if I had remembered sooner that that was a New Belgium beer I would have ordered something else as the New Belgium Brewery was going to be our next stop.

220 Alice Ave
Milliken, CO 80543
US
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(970) 587-9997
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Christine’s Firehouse

scooterj — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, North Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 1264th bar, first visited in 2018.

New location! Right around the corner from the old place. It’s only been open a few days so they’re still working on the finishing touches. Modern new digs but the food and drinks are all the same as before.

Patio is still being worked on but is usable as long as you watch your step!

Future “indoor” patio area

North Kansas City, MO 64116
US
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(816) 255-2343
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Mo Brew

scooterj — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 17:10:00 +0000

(West 39th, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 1263rd bar, first visited in 2018.

Craft beer bar that borders on both sports bar and five bar. Great staff. Open and airy with seating on both the indoor and outdoor side of the northern half-wall.

I had a a Split Shot by Elysian Brewing, and a Brother Thelonious and an Old Stock Ale (both by North Coast Brewing).

1403 W 39th St
Kansas City, MO 64111
US
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816-492-6183
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The Peanut on 64th

scooterj — Sat, 04 Aug 2018 17:10:00 +0000

(North, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 1262nd bar, first visited in 2018.

Stopped in for a beer and a bite to eat after a long afternoon of programming. I had a Guinness.

6409 N Cosby Ave
Kansas City, MO 64151
US
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(816) 859-5005
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Brewer’s Sports Bar

scooterj — Sat, 30 Jun 2018 17:13:00 +0000

(Downtown, Blue Springs, MO)

Scooter’s 1259th bar, first visited in 2018.

While visiting East Forty I noticed a new place across the street, so we went over to check it out.

I had a Whiskey Barrel Stout by Boulevard.

1120 W. Main
Blue Springs, MO 64015
US
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(816) 295-1802
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Johnny White’s Corner Pub

scooterj — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 17:15:00 +0000

(French Quarter, New Orleans, LA)

Scooter’s 1230th bar, first visited in 2018.

After we split off from the rest of the group that had kids with them, we had time for exactly one Bourbon Street joint before we would need to head back to our car. We wealked a few blocks perusing our options, and were drawn here.

Associated with Johnny White’s Hole In The Wall and Johnny White’s Pub and Grill (all in the same building), this was the perfect find for us. This is a tiny little dive bar right on the corner. You can reach the restaurant from inside via a door at the top of a staircase, but (at least at the time we visited) you could not order directly from the bar.

It seems to be a bit of a locals hangout (at least during the day) based on the conversation we had with one of the regulars.

I had a Blonde by NOLA Brewing.

720 Bourbon Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
US
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(504) 371-5411
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Pepperoni Pub

scooterj — Sat, 30 Dec 2017 18:10:00 +0000

(Gladstone Plaza, Gladstone, MO)
Formerly Rent-a-Center

Scooter’s 1220th bar, first visited in 2017.

I’d heard about this for a month or so and we finaly got a chance to stop in.

The “pub” aspect was a bit of a letdown, just a small corner bar with only a few of the basic domestic beers available in cans. But I drank one, so it counts!

The pizza is pretty great though, and I’m told even more games are coming than what I show here. They have lots of room to grow.

I had to laugh when I saw the ridiculously-oversized single-occupancy restroom…

6591-A North Oak
Gladstone, MO 64118
US
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(816) 436-0650
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The Red Zone Sports Bar and Grill

scooterj — Mon, 29 May 2017 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Powell, WY)

Scooter’s 1189th bar, first visited in 2017.

Sports bar with a cool feature all bars should have these days: charging ports at each bar stool.

I had a Speed Goat by Ten Sleep Brewing Company and a Bomber Mountain by Black Tooth Brewing Company.

124 N Bent St
Powell, WY 82435
US
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(307) 250-3410
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Chicken N Pickle

scooterj — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 18:10:00 +0000

(North Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 1183rd bar, first visited in 2017.

Rotisserie chicken restaurant and bar with indoor and outdoor pickleball courts, other outdoor games in its courtyard, an outdoor bar, and a rooftop deck in the works.

1761 Burlington
North Kansas City, MO 64116
US
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(816) 537-1400
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Shark Bite Bar & Grill @ Runaway II Resort

scooterj — Sat, 03 Sep 2016 17:10:00 +0000

(Mile Marker 45, Climax Springs, MO)

Scooter’s 1170th bar, first visited in 2016.

Sat out on the patio and our little group was half the audience for a little band from Jefferson City. Pool tables were on an upper level inside, and the restaurant was in another area altogether.

I drank Black Butte Porter by Deschutes until the keg blew.

267 Runaway Dr
Climax Springs, MO 65324
US
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573-345-4116
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Come Back In

scooterj — Sat, 13 Aug 2016 17:14:00 +0000

(Downtown, Madison, WI)

Scooter’s 1158th bar, first visited in 2016.

A dive-ish bar that shares the same kitchen (and I believe owners) as Eseen Haus but has a different menu. I think it had outdoor seating but it was hard to tell for certain since its extryway blends in with Essen Haus’s. The entrance is through the back parking lot under several trees so it was hard to get a picture, the main photo above is a Google Street view of the unused “front” side.

80s music was playing, there was a good selection of local craft beer, and it wasn’t super loud or busy. I enjoyed this place. We had planned to “come back in” the next morning for breakfast but decided to skip it and get on the road.

There were impressive displays of various knick-knacks, including a rather extensive collection of salt-and-pepper shakers.

I had the Satin Solitude Imperial Stout by Central Waters Brewing Company.

508 E Wilson St
Madison, WI 53703
US
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(608) 258-8619
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James Ballentine VFW Post #246

scooterj — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 17:20:00 +0000

(Lyn-Lake, Minneapolis, MN)

Scooter’s 1154th bar, first visited in 2016.

(Also known as “Uptown VFW”)

It’s not often that a VFW shows up on nearly every list of must-see bars in a major city, so we had to make the side trip over there (walking down from CC Club) to see what the fuss was about.

This is definitely not like any VFW I have ever been to. It was huge, and I understand it had recently doubled in size.

We counted three rooms: the north end of the building had a band playing, the front of the south end was the main bar area (featuring a centralized island bar), and in back of that was another room up a ramp where karaoke was underway.

Most VFWs also don’t feature a beer list of their craft brews. I had a Farro Buckwheat Lager by Fulton Beer.

2916 Lyndale Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55408
US
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(612) 823-6233
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Nomad World Pub

scooterj — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 17:15:00 +0000

(West Bank, Minneapolis, MN)

Scooter’s 1150th bar, first visited in 2016.

This wasn’t originally on our list but the bartender at The Local (who also works here) recommended it. In addition to a stage in the back, I noticed a bank of pinball machines and a chandelier make of Heineken bottles. They had just opened for the day and I think we might have been the day’s first customers.

They had quite a bit of craft beer to I mark this as a dive with a little bit of hesitation.

I had Sweet Child of Vine (English IPA) by Fulton Beer, and Furious (American IPA) by Surly.

501 Cedar Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55454
US
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(612) 338-6424
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The Corner Bar

scooterj — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 17:16:00 +0000

(Downtown, Minneapolis, MN)

44.972875, -93.247651

Scooter’s 1143rd bar, first visited in 2016.

Spacious sorts bar with an attached comedy club. Large rectangular central bar island. I had the Bent Paddle Black Ale.

The daytime picture was taken from our hotel room.

1501 Washington Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55418
US
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(612) 339 4333
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Donerick’s Pub & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 07 Nov 2015 18:12:00 +0000

(Grove City, OH)

Scooter’s 1122nd bar, first visited in 2015.

Hung out here with male relatives while the women we were all with were enduring a nearby baby shower.

Though it’s your basic suburban strip mall bar, it’s actually pretty decent. Not too expensive, a good beer selection, and not bro-obnoxious like a lot of sports bars can be.

5919 Hoover Rd
Grove City, OH 43123
US
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(614) 801-1055
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Oscar’s Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 22 Aug 2015 17:19:00 +0000

(College Hill, Topeka, KS)

Scooter’s 1117th bar, first visited in 2015.

Oscar’s is located in a rather nondescript building, a building shared with a hair salon, in what appears to be a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood.

The bar counter is a tiny, angled bar in the front corner. We were lucky to find a table nearby large enough for our group, as it was rather crowded in here tonight. I saw one pool table for sure, I couldn’t tell if there were more due to too many people standing about. Meanwhile, darts were whizzing past the back of my head.

1424 SW Lane St
Topeka, KS 66604
US
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785-234-9294
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The Dutch Goose

scooterj — Sat, 22 Aug 2015 17:13:00 +0000

(Randolph, Topeka, KS)

Scooter’s 1111th bar, first visited in 2015.

We had a mini pseudo-toast in here to celebrate my 1111th bar.

There’s a long bar along one wall, and parallel rows of booths & bar tables along the other wall. A single pool table fills the space in the back.

3203 S.W. 10th
Topeka, KS 66604
US
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(785) 357-8474
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64 Tavern & Grille

scooterj — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 17:10:00 +0000

(Tremont Square, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 1104th bar, first visited in 2015.

Sports bar with a good size patio, lots of video screens, and some pretty good burgers. We came for the burgers and stayed for a few rounds of beer.

6312 N. Chatham Ave.
Kansas City, MO 64151
US
[launch map]
816-741-6444
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Stevie Rae’s

scooterj — Sat, 11 Apr 2015 17:13:00 +0000

(Likins Foster, Topeka, KS)

Scooter’s 1093rd bar, first visited in 2015.

This rather-hard-to-get-to bar just recently opened and was prepping for a birthday party. It’s more of a pool hall, but serves food and hosts live music. It appeared that a patio was under construction at the time of our visit.

555 SW 39th Street
Topeka, KS 66609
US
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(785) 783-2115
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Bruff’s

scooterj — Sat, 11 Apr 2015 17:12:00 +0000

(Emporia, KS)

Scooter’s 1092nd bar, first visited in 2015.

More of a restaurant, but there’s an island bar in the center and a back room with pool tables. We snacked on some popcorn shrimp with our beers.

2640 W. 18th Ave
Emporia, KS 66801
US
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(620) 342-1223
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The Scoreboard Sports Bar & Grill

scooterj — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 17:20:00 +0000

(Downtown, Emporia, KS)

Scooter’s 1087th bar, first visited in 2015.

We expected this to be the busiest bar of the night, instead it was the quietest at this particular time. No matter, we had good conversation with the bartender and deep-fried bacon-wrapped bratwurst. Score!

We didn’t check it out, but there’s a patio in the back.

23 E. 6th Ave
Emporia, KS 66801
US
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(620) 208-4444
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Coach’s

scooterj — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 17:13:00 +0000

(Emporia, KS)

Scooter’s 1080th bar, first visited in 2015.

This place is quite a bit nicer than I expected. It’s really more of a restaurant than a bar, the bar is just one small corner.

2702 W 15th Avenue
Emporia, KS 66801
US
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(620) 343-6362
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The Garage Burgers & Brews

scooterj — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 18:11:00 +0000

(Harrisonville, MO)
Formerly an auto repair shop

Scooter’s 1070th bar, first visited in 2015.

This former service center is now a nice little burger joint with a racing/garage theme. It’s divey, but the food is good. The bar is in a separate room in the back, while up front is a more family-friendly restaurant area. (The size of the building from outside is deceptive, there’s a lot more space than it looks.) They serve a few more beers than just the usual domestics.

1400 S Commercial St
Harrisonville, MO 64701
US
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(816) 884-5556
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The Fishing Dock

scooterj — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 18:12:00 +0000

(Archie, MO)

Scooter’s 1059th bar, first visited in 2014.

We stopped by here not really knowing what to expect, and immediately enjoyed the large shark over the entrance. Inside is a completely fishing-themed restaurant/bar, down to boat seats as bar stools and the “Worms / No Worms” restroom signs. We enjoyed our stop here.

101 S. West Outer Road
Archie, MO 64725
US
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(816) 293-6062
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All Star Pizza & Pub

scooterj — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 17:10:00 +0000

(Northland, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 1057th bar, first visited in 2014.

Sports bar / pizza joint in a suburban shopping center. I’d known about it for a couple of years and hadn’t stopped in. I was surprised to find a great and constantly rotating selection of craft beers.

Though this is a pizza place, I am more impressed by their pizza rolls and by their bacon-bacon-bacon burger.

6100 NW 63rd Terr
Kansas City, MO 64151
US
[launch map]
816-587-6000
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Sundeckers

scooterj — Sun, 31 Aug 2014 17:12:00 +0000

(Downtown, St. Louis, MO)

Scooter’s 1053rd bar, first visited in 2014.

Since today was supposed to be about breweries we hadn’t planned on stopping here, but due to a festival the closest parking we could find to Morgan Street Brewery was directly in front of this bar. It’s well-known that it is rude to park in front of a bar and not go in, so we came in for what was going to be a very brief visit. Instead we enjoyed it so much we stuck around for a while chatting with an awesome bartender and enjoying unfamiliar (to us back home) brews.

900 N 1st St.
St. Louis, MO 63102
US
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314-241-5915
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Touchdown Sports Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 17:17:00 +0000

(Dyersburg, TN)

Scooter’s 1049th bar, first visited in 2014.

AKA Touchdown Bar AKA Touchdown Club. This was stop #7 on our 9-states-in-1-day pub crawl, representing Tennessee. We picked this bar because it was an easy-off (but not quite as easy-on) to pick up along the highway.

There’s a small rectangular bar (about 6-8 seats if I remember right) as well as some booths and tables. Music memorabilia lines one of the walls. The place seems a lot smaller inside than it looks outside — the outdoor area almost seems like it might be half of the space.

We ended up getting some to-go appetizers here, all of which turned out to be way too large of portions for us to finish eating.

2695 Lake Rd
Dyersburg, TN 38024
US
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(731) 286-4700
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No. 9 Saloon

scooterj — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 17:12:00 +0000

(Gladstone, MO)

Scooter’s 1036th bar, first visited in 2014.

A biker bar in a former Harley Davidson dealership, apparently it’s been there for a year and I never noticed it until this week despite driving by it a few times each month.

We were in here on an off night — they had had an event the previous night and had another scheduled for the next night — so having a DJ for the half dozen or so people in the places seemed a little odd.

I was really impressed by this bar. The vast open space is decorated in a very cool and inviting way, and the front garage doors — that open to a patio looking down over North Oak — are a great touch. The bar itself is a swooping oblong loop in the center of the building. Beer prices were surprisingly cheap, $3 each for premium draughts.

6609 N Oak Trafficway
Gladstone, MO 64118
US
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(816) 420-0161
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Al’s Bar & Grill

scooterj — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 17:11:00 +0000

(Crestridge Center, Parkville, MO)

Scooter’s 1034th bar, first visited in 2014.

This place was a lot cleaner and brighter than I was expecting from the outside.

There’s an L-shaped bar and a dual-sided bar down the center. Several tables and lots of TVs. I didn’t see any mentions of live music but food is served.

10911 NW Highway 45
Parkville, MO 64152
US
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(816) 741-6500
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The Huddle

scooterj — Sat, 19 Jul 2014 17:14:00 +0000

(South Sioux City, NE)

Scooter’s 1024th bar, first visited in 2014.

I wasn’t originally planning a stop here, but when I noticed it was 2 blocks from my hotel I decided to drop in.

There is a great deal of seating at the double-sided rectangular bar, plus lots of tables throughout the space. I saw darts, shuffleboard, and several video games. I didn’t notice any pool tables but it’s possible some were around back by the stage.

Since I didn’t go all the way around to the back room, I missed noticing the big partially-covered beer garden out back.

I’ve seen bars go to great lengths to prevent pooping (among other nefarious activities) in the men’s room — such as removing toilet seats and/or stall doors. But this was a first for me — the toilet out in the open while the urinal gets the private stall. (Bonus — note the tiny sink in the corner.)

110 E 8th St.
South Sioux City, NE 68776
US
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(402) 494-5903
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Firehouse Bar

scooterj — Sat, 19 Jul 2014 17:11:00 +0000

(Downtown, Sioux City, IA)

Scooter’s 1021st bar, first visited in 2014.

The aptly named Firehouse Bar is located in a former fire station on the east edge of downtown Sioux City.

The bar is spacious with very high ceilings and packed with firefighting decor. There are pool tables, dart boards, and several TVs, as well as several video games, a boxing game, and free popcorn.

While I didn’t venture out back, there is a large patio with several covered areas that are heated in cold weather.

As I drank my Guinness, a man came in and asked the bartender for duct tape so he could tape the sole back onto one of his shoes. As a man who wears all of his shoes until their complete destruction, I was completely sympathetic.

1211 5th St.
Sioux City, IA 51101
US
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(712) 224-1020
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Cheers Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 17:17:00 +0000

(Sikeston, MO)

Scooter’s 1020th bar, first visited in 2014.

I was reallyt confused by the large size of the building compared to the relatively small size of the bar. I’ve since learned that there is a catering hall here as well, which explains all of the missing space.

This place was pretty busy when I arrived. I sat at the U-shaped bar. Lots of people were eating, and catfish appears to be what they are known for. Unfortunately my notes for this bar have been lost, so that’s about all I remember.

1212 Linn St
Sikeston, MO 63801
US
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573-471-2006
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The Well

scooterj — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 18:11:00 +0000

(Waldo, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 1013th bar, first visited in 2014.

I have to admit I was a little worried about coming here because I’ve heard horror stories from those who have been here late on Fridays and Saturdays. But I found that — at least in the evening on a Thursday — it’s my kind of place after all.

This is very big establishment, with multiple rooms and bars. There’s a patio on the main level, and a rooftop deck surrounds the second level.

Drink prices are slightly high but not terrible. I didn’t try the food but it looked & smelled good enough that I may have to next time.

7421 Broadway
Kansas City, MO 64114
US
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816-361-1700
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Wildhorse Saloon

scooterj — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 17:11:00 +0000

(Downtown, Tarkio, MO)

Scooter’s 986th bar, first visited in 2013.

We pulled in here just after opening as the first stop on a four-state pub crawl for my youngest brother’s 30th birthday.

Wildhorse Saloon has been open for about a year, at the center of downtown in a prominent 1877 building that formerly housed a NAPA auto parts store.

The building is divided into a cafe side and a bar side. We, of course, chose the bar side and never saw anything of the cafe.

We sat at the relatively small (compared to the rest of the space) L-shaped bar and ordered drinks and lunch. The menu is largely centered around burgers, sandwiches, nachos, and fried appetizers. Plus rotating off-menu specials.

There’s a huge TV screen over the bar, plus several TVs scattered throughout the main area. A shuffleboard and a piano are also found on this level. The upstairs level has a good deal of additional seating and a pool table.

401 Main
Tarkio, MO 64491
US
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(660) 736-5258
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The End Zone II

scooterj — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 17:10:00 +0000

(Gladstone Plaza, Gladstone, MO)

Scooter’s 985th bar, first visited in 2013.

A small neighborhood sports bar located in a corner of a once-dying strip mall that appears to be trying to make a comeback.

There’s a pool table in the front, two dart boards, and a jukebox. A large toaster oven behind the bar implied that they may serve appetizers.

Since I was there in the daytime it was an older crowd of about 10 or so scattered around the L-shaped bar. The bartender was friendly and charming and knew everyone by name.

Because this is Gladstone, smoking is permitted. It’s been a while since I’ve been in a bar as smoky as this was.

6583 North Oak Trafficway
Gladstone, MO 64118
US
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(816) 468-5100

Bar Louie

scooterj — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)
Formerly Famous Dave’s BBQ

Scooter’s 982nd bar, first visited in 2013.

I stopped in here to take advantage of the Tuesday $1 burger special and stuck around for a few beers as well. The burgers were delicious.

The bar area is a central island, with booths around the outer walls. There’s a small outdoor seating area on the sidewalk, and some of the windows are garage doors that open up when the weather is nice. With lots of TVs this has a sports bar feel. It was quite busy for a non-event Tuesday night, but it wasn’t terribly noisy and drinks/food came quickly.

101 E. 14th St.
Kansas City, MO 64106
US
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(816) 841-9100
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The Garage Sports Bar/Grill

scooterj — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 17:11:00 +0000

(Lincoln, NE)

Scooter’s 980th bar, first visited in 2013.

Spacious sports bar were we stopped in for some lunch. The menu has a good variety of traditional bar food options, and we were both happy with our meals and appetizers.

The bar itself is an island in the center of the building, and a pool table and foosball table are tucked away behind it. In the bar back a separate room has a dart board and a large projection screen. Along the west side of the building is partially-covered outdoor seating.

Apart from good food and lots of TVs, they host live music regularly.

5551 S. 48th St.
Lincoln, NE 68516
US
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(402) 423-2996
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WC’s South Lounge

scooterj — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 17:10:00 +0000

(Lincoln, NE)

Scooter’s 979th bar, first visited in 2013.

I picked this place out because of a Google review griping that this bar doesn’t cater to customers in their early 20s. Which means this is the kind of bar I love.

This does seem to be a bar more for grown-ups, but it looks like a fun bar nonetheless. There’s 3 pool tables, lots of TVs, and a good sound system. The convoluted bar, covered in vintage regional newspapers, resembles a crooked fish hook.

They do not serve food, at least not regularly, though there was a BBQ grill out front and their Facebook page has mentioned food in the past.

The bartender was really nice and the locals seem friendly. By the way this place has Guinness on tap, kind of unusual for a non-Irish-themed dive bar.

2109 Hwy 2
Lincoln, NE 68502
US
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(402) 421-2186
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Woody’s Watering Hole

scooterj — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 17:22:00 +0000

(Downtown, Leavenworth, KS)
Formerly Potter’s Pub

Scooter’s 978th bar, first visited in 2013.

Woody’s is owned by an Army officer who wanted to create a fun place to hang out.

The bartender told us that on the weekend Woody’s stays quiet until around 8pm, then quickly fills up to a couple hundred people until closing time.

There’s a stage, darts, and a single pool table in a separate room in the far back.

Sadly the Office who owns the bar is being transferred, so he is currently seeking a new owner.

507 Cherokee
Leavenworth, KS 66048
US
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(913) 682-5709
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Mueller’s Locker Room

scooterj — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 17:12:00 +0000

(Downtown, Atchison, KS)

Scooter’s 968th bar, first visited in 2013.

We were the first customers of the day. They were training a new employee and trying really hard to get us to create more situations to help train her, but since all we ordered was one round of beer we weren’t of much use.

We spotted Pop-a-Shot in the back corner, but I didn’t notice any pool tables. There’s a big deck out back overlooking the Missouri River.

The menu consists of fried food, burgers, wings, and hot sandwiches.

Note: Most maps and GPS devices try to direct you to someone’s house on a dead end street a couple of miles away. It’s actually located on the edge of downtown, just 1 block north of the bridge over the Missouri River.

120 S 2nd St
Atchison, KS 66002
US
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(913) 367-2727
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Johnny’s Tavern

scooterj — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 18:10:00 +0000

(Corinth Square, Prairie Village, KS)

Scooter’s 966th bar, first visited in 2012.

Dropped in to the Prairie Village of this location for a quick bite and a couple of beers in a New Years Eve snowstorm. We were surrounded by a large group of middle-aged Oklahoma (I think) fans.

8262 Mission Road
Prairie Village, KS 66208
US
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913-901-0322
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Buzzard Billy’s

scooterj — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 18:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Lincoln, NE)

Scooter’s 965th bar, first visited in 2012.

Lincoln location of a small midwest cajun restaurant/bar chain. I thought the catfish was a little too “natural” tasting for my tastes, but the Armadillo Egg appetizers are outstanding. After dinner I sat at the bar and enjoyed some Maker’s Mark.

247 N. 8th St. Ste 101
Lincoln, NE 68508
US
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(402) 475-8822
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Fitter’s Restuarant & Pub

scooterj — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 17:12:00 +0000

(Downtown, Warrensburg, MO)

Scooter’s 960th bar, first visited in 2012.

This and The Garage were the only two bars open on Pine Street this particular Saturday afternoon. I was really hoping for more from a college town. Oh well.

Fitter’s covers two floors of three downtown buildings and also has a pretty nice looking patio. I sat at the central bar, a rectangular bar island, which was pretty busy for that time of day.

I only had beer, but the menu’s focus is pizza, burgers, and wings.

131 West Pine St
Warrensburg, MO 64093
US
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660-429-3500
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The Garage on Pine

scooterj — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Warrensburg, MO)
Formerly The Warehouse

Scooter’s 959th bar, first visited in 2012.

College sports bar, one of only a couple that were actually open on this particular Saturday afternoon. It occupies three connected buildings on the downtown strip. In addition to my beer I had an appentizer of jumbo grilled shrimp wrapped in jalapeño bacon that was even spicier than I expected!

119 W Pine St
Warrensburg, MO 64093
US
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(660) 864-5270
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Nick and Jake’s

scooterj — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 17:11:00 +0000

(Parkville Commons, Parkville, MO)

Scooter’s 958th bar, first visited in 2012.

Suburban restaurant/bar. A little pricey, but the food and beer selection were both good. The bar area is huge with lots of viewing options for sports.

6325 Lewis St.
Parkville, MO 64152
US
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816-584-8535
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Wick’s

scooterj — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 17:11:00 +0000

(Highlands, Louisville, KY)

Scooter’s 954th bar, first visited in 2012.

This Wick’s location features a small old-school pub and prizes itself on its rather heavy pizzas, with a 10-pounder even being on the menu.

We had the all-meat. It was a good pizza, but with so much meat — most of it crumbled — it was pretty messy to eat!

975 Baxter Ave
Louisville, KY 40204
US
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(502) 458-1828
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Valley One Pub & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 17:10:00 +0000

(Pleasant Valley, MO)

Scooter’s 951st bar, first visited in 2012.

I visited this place a few days after it first opened. For a soft launch, things seemed to be running quite well and it had quite a few people for the middle of a Saturday afternoon.

The bar area is quite spacious with plenty of seating. The gaming side has pool tables, darts, shuffleboard, and Golden Tee. Drinks are very reasonably priced, cheaper than I was expecting to find them.

I did not try the food, but the menu was usual bar fare of fried and grilled items. I overheard a customer speak well of the burgers.

Being located in Pleasant Valley, this is one of only a handful or bars north of the river where smoking is allowed. Granted, it was only 4 days old, but despite the presence of several smokers I barely noticed.

We had a few rounds of beer and played some Golden Tee.

8906 Libery Dr.
Pleasant Valley, MO 64068
US
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(816) 781-2200
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Bullwinkle’s

scooterj — Wed, 30 May 2012 17:10:00 +0000

(West Yellowstone, MT)

Scooter’s 949th bar, first visited in 2012.

Bullwinkle’s is part restaurant/lounge, part liquor store, part sports bar, and part casino. The sports bar and casino are combined at the north end of the complex.

I didn’t play any of the casino games, because I noticed that nobody else was either. Instead I sat and watched NBA playoff action while having a couple of beers.

In the picture below, we see the battle between ranchers and preservationists played out on the wallpaper in the men’s room.

115 N. Canyon
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
US
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(406)-646-7974
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Crossroads Public House

scooterj — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 18:13:00 +0000

(Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL)

Scooter’s 935th bar, first visited in 2011.

Stopped in here around 1am after the LebowskiFest and a subsequent driving tour of the city. Our local friend knows the owner, but the other wasn’t here tonight. We spent about an hour and a half here enjoying good late night food, a few pitchers of beer, and several shots.

A giant Jenga game near the front door caught our interest. I hearly bumped it walking past while several twentysomethings were playing. (Our table of late 30s/early 40s was by far the oldest group in here.)

2630 N Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60614
US
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773-248-3900
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Wiley’s Lounge

scooterj — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:17:00 +0000

(St. Joseph, MO)

Scooter’s 930th bar, first visited in 2011.

Wiley’s Pub is a converted Pizza Hut (I’ve been to quite a few converted Pizza Hut bars) whose front patio is almost as big as the interior space itself.

The bar is U-shaped and juts into the area where the salad bar would once have been. The remaining space is filled mainly by the pool table, with room for a few small tables around it.

The bar had about 8 guys in it who were disinterestedly watching a college football game while waiting for the rain delay of the Royals game they were more interested in to end.

2602 N Belt Hwy
St. Joseph, MO 64506
US
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(816) 364-9276
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Cagney’s

scooterj — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:16:00 +0000

(St. Joseph, MO)

Scooter’s 929th bar, first visited in 2011.

Cagney’s is a wedge-shaped bar that focuses on being a venue for live music.

The stage is in a recessed area at the far back, the venue tapers to a point at the front end of the bar.

There’s pool tables, a punching bag game, Silver Strike, and Golden tee. There’s lots of seating, they make good use of the building’s odd shape.

Outside the north door is a pretty good sized enclosed patio.

5617 Lake Avenue
St. Joseph, MO 64504
US
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(816) 238-5020
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Last Call Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:14:00 +0000

(St. Joseph, MO)

Scooter’s 927th bar, first visited in 2011.

Big biker park, taking up about half of an old strip mall. It’s really not that visible from the street, so you have to know it’s there to find it.

The J-shaped bar sits in the middle of the back wall, and numerous tables and pool tables fill the vast space. The band area is on the east end of the bar.

Other entertainment includes darts, a punching game, Silver Strike, a South Park pinball game, and huge TVs. Kurt played pinball while I played Silver Strike.

2316 North Belt Highway
St. Joseph, MO 64506
US
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816-233-0123
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Tuck’s Bar

scooterj — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:13:00 +0000

(St. Joseph, MO)

Scooter’s 926th bar, first visited in 2011.

This was a bonus, unexpected find.

Tuck’s Bar is a biker-friendly bar attached to the front of Belt Bowl. It has pool tables, several TVs, a foosball table, and a patio out front.

We sat at the short, angular bar and watched the first half hour or so of “Angels and Demons” with the bartender.

210 North Belt Hwy
St. Joseph, MO 64506
US
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(816) 364-9805
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Uncle D’s Sports Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:10:00 +0000

(St. Joseph, MO)

Scooter’s 924th bar, first visited in 2011.

Just barely off the beaten path, this is a pretty good sports bar that was pretty busy with people watching college football.

This place is much bigger than it looks. The horseshoe shaped bar appears to be in the middle of the back wall, but continuing down a narrow corridor past the bar reveals another seating area in the bar back.

There’s a full kitchen, pool tables, darts, Golden Tee, a hunting game, at flatscreen TVs galore. If you’re there with a few friends, enjoy the beer towers!

621 South 36th Street
St. Joseph, MO 64507
US
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(816) 279-9389
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Bullseye Bar

scooterj — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:10:00 +0000

(Lee’s Summit, MO)

Scooter’s 923rd bar, first visited in 2011.

Your basic strip mall sports bar, with pool tables and several dart boards. Some of the signs say “Bar and Deli”, I didn’t see a menu but there was a small kitchen and it looked like they were doing a little bit of cooking back there.

I was here for karaoke and had a pretty good time. It was busy but never felt crowded, and all of the staff (including the bouncer) were courteous and friendly.

1169 Northeast Rice Road
Lee’s Summit, MO 64086
US
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(816) 525-4641
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Big Shots

scooterj — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:34:00 +0000

(St. Joseph, MO)

Scooter’s 915th bar, first visited in 2011.

We had no idea what kind of place this was going to be, as we could find absolutely NO information about it online.

Once we got inside, though, we realized that the answer should have been obvious from the name — it’s a pool hall.

The bar area is semi-partitioned away from the area with the pool tables. It’s not a huge pool hall, just 3 or 4 tables. There’s also a stage area in one of the corners towards the front of the building.

We ended up shooting a game here, and I played the worst game of my life. I didn’t sink even one ball at all.

1811 Frederick Avenue
St. Joseph, MO 64501
US
[launch map]
(816) 232-6633

Bottoms Up Bar & Grill

scooterj — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:28:00 +0000

(St. Joseph, MO)

Scooter’s 909th bar, first visited in 2011.

I’ve seen this place off and on for the past 15 years or so but never stopped in until now. Apparently it had been more of a restaurant in the past, and was remodeled last year to be completely a bar.

The bar is a U-shaped island with a small gap, there’s a couple of long tables beyond that. There’s a couple of pool tables, Silver Strike, and an odd empty area in the left portion of the room that perhaps serves as an area for live entertainment. (I’ve found references to live music and stand-up comedy, but these were from older sources so I don’t know if that sort of entertainment is still booked here.)

The special this evening was $2 MGD 64 bottles, so we reluctantly ordered the beer-flavored water.

2007 Saint Joseph Avenue
St. Joseph, MO 64505
US
[launch map]
(816) 232-3440

Muny Inn

scooterj — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:20:00 +0000

(St. Joseph, MO)

Scooter’s 901st bar, first visited in 2011.

We kept seeing this place listed as “Big Al’s Muny Inn”, but the bartender had never heard of the “Big Al’s” part and said it’s just “Muny Inn”.

$1 draws!

We played several 3-hole games of Golden Tee while a few patrons sat at the bar watching real golf on TV. The bartender asked us to turn the volume down on the game. We complied, but every time we started a new game the volume would default back up to maximum. We think she was starting to get annoyed with us.

I should add that this place is a popular college hangout. Of course, since we were here during the summer, we didn’t see any college kids.

Back side, showing an apparent upstairs apartment.

3229 Mitchell Avenue
St. Joseph, MO 64507
US
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(816) 279-9484
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Adams Bar & Grill

scooterj — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:17:00 +0000

(St. Joseph, MO)
Formerly Phipps Tavern

Scooter’s 898th bar, first visited in 2011.

This is one of those places that looks a lot bigger — and nicer — on the inside than it does on the outside. There are two large dining rooms separated by a central bar room decorated with Christmas-light palm trees.

We played a game of Silver Strike here while an incredibly skinny waitress took care of nearby customers.

When we first started taking photos, we got a lot of dirty looks from some of the customers. But eventually an employee gave us permission, making it easier to snap a few pictures.

1612 Commercial Street
St. Joseph, MO 64503
US
[launch map]
(816) 232-5513

Biggins Sports Bar

scooterj — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:14:00 +0000

(St. Joseph, MO)
Formerly Mackenzie’s

Scooter’s 895th bar, first visited in 2011.

This is the new location for Biggins, having opened here just a few weeks ago after previously being located on the Belt.

We’ll say that this place, uh, “pays homage” to the “Hooters” restaurant chain. From the logo to the uniforms to the menu, there are some striking similarities. It’s a little mroe toned down and divey than Hooters, though.

You have to love the way the burgers are named! (See the menu picture below.)

There’s free wifi, and (at least during the time of our visit) $1 cans.

408 Hickory Street
St. Joseph, MO 64501
US
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(816) 232-4450
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Bill’s Pub

scooterj — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:11:00 +0000

(Hyde Park, St. Joseph, MO)

Scooter’s 892nd bar, first visited in 2011.

This was a nice sports dive bar just down the street from Southgate. It has a couple of pool tables, a deck in the parking lot, and a U-shaped bar decorated with signed dollar bills. (I always love dive bars that are wallpapered with money.)

The bartender was outside on the phone and didn’t see us at first, but he noticed us after a few moments, apoligized, and got us taken care of.

6210 King Hill Avenue
St. Joseph, MO 64504
US
[launch map]
(816) 238-9950

Skeeter’s

scooterj — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 17:10:00 +0000

(Shawnee, KS)
Formerly Several different places

Scooter’s 890th bar, first visited in 2011.

This should have been bar #220, visited in Feb 2007. It was a football-themed bar at the time, I can’t remember the name. But I missed the turn, and we decided to just go ahead and skip it and save it for our next barhopping session in this area.

Unfortunately, the next time we came through here, we found that it had gone out of business.

About a year after that, I noticed it was back in operation again. Now it was a biker bar. Again, I can’t remember the name. I was unable to check it out at that moment but made plans to visit soon.

Finally, in October 2010, we got that chance. Three of us made plans to meet there. We arrived, to find the place dark and empty. Someone at a neighboring business said we had just missed it by a couple of weeks.

Recently I noticed it back open again, so I went out of my way to make sure I stopped in. Skeeter’s is music-oriented, with frequent live acts. There’s also a good menu of fried food and burgers, patio seating out front, and pool tables. Like its predecessor it remains biker-friendly.

6505 Nieman Road
Shawnee, KS 66203
US
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(913) 912-1191
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Churchill’s British Pub

scooterj — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:21:00 +0000

(North Historic District, Savannah, GA)

Scooter’s 888th bar, first visited in 2011.

This was located right next to JJ Bonerz, but since it didn’t open until 5pm I wasn’t able to visit it earlier.

This bar has at least 3 levels. The main level is the pub, with a good menu and a nice mix of both familiar and interesting imported beer on tap.

Downstairs in the same corridor as the restrooms there’s an additional room that’s more sports-bar styles, with pool tables and so forth. I didn’t go in there so I don’t know if there’s a secondary bar down there but I assume there likely is.

There were also stairs leading up from the main bar. I didn’t investigate the upstairs, so I am unsure if these led to an upper-level lounge or to a rooftop deck. (Aerial photos do seem to show a rooftop patio off the second level and what appears to be an outdoor bar.)

13 West Bay Street
Savannah, GA 31401
US
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(912) 232-8501
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Wild Wing Cafe

scooterj — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:13:00 +0000

(North Historic District, Savannah, GA)

Scooter’s 880th bar, first visited in 2011.

Yeah, it’s a chain, I know. But I was hot, I was thirsty, and I had exactly 10 minutes to kill so I popped in for a quick pint of Guinness.

This location is in Savannah’s City Market.

27 Barnard Street
Savannah, GA 31401
US
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(912) 790-9464
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JJ Bonerz

scooterj — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:11:00 +0000

(North Historic District, Savannah, GA)

Scooter’s 878th bar, first visited in 2011.

A nice little sports bar right on Bay Street. The two Js in the name refer to the first named of the couple who own the place (unfortunately their names escape me at the moment). Downstairs from the main bar is a tiki style bar.

11 West Bay Street
Savannah, GA 31401
US
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(912) 944-4343
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Dolphin Reef Sports Bar

scooterj — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:11:00 +0000

(South Beach, Tybee Island, GA)

Scooter’s 876th bar, first visited in 2011.

Basic hotel bar with a great view of the beach. The food (served for the restaurant upstairs from the bar) is good though pricey. The bar is only open until 11pm.

1401 Strand Avenue
Tybee Island, GA 31328
US
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(912) 786-8400
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Tybee Time Sports Bar

scooterj — Tue, 31 May 2011 17:18:00 +0000

(South Beach, Tybee Island, GA)

Scooter’s 874th bar, first visited in 2011.

What a fun place! This is a sports bar where locals and tourists mix. It specializes in frozen drinks, with multiple flavors of daiquiris to choose from.

We chatted with a couple of tourists visiting from inland Georgia and got lost in conversation with them. Our bartender also turned out to have been one of the customers we met at another bar earlier in the day.

1603 Strand
Tybee Island, GA 31328
US
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(912) 786-7150
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Bullfrog’s Bar & Grill

scooterj — Fri, 20 May 2011 17:15:00 +0000

(Lee’s Summit, MO)
Formerly McKeever’s

Scooter’s 861st bar, first visited in 2011.

Well-done strip mall bar, re-opened after a significant upgrade and remodel of the old McKeever’s.

Golden Tee Live, darts, and a stage for live music. Ample seating with very high tables and stools — tall people will love it! Basic but tasty menu of the usual bar & grill fare. Several beers available on tap.

Because it’s a large open area with polished concrete floors, it can get a little loud. I had trouble hearing the bartender with just a few people in the place.

320 SW Blue Pkwy
Lee’s Summit, MO 64063
US
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(816) 347-9393
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Kelso’s

scooterj — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 18:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, North Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 856th bar, first visited in 2011.

Italian family restaurant with great pizza. The front end of the restaurant has a small sports bar.

300 Armour Road
North Kansas City, MO 64116
US
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(816) 221-8899
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Player’s 5th Street Pub

scooterj — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:34:00 +0000

(Quincy, IL)

Scooter’s 846th bar, first visited in 2010.

After Kutter’s we knew we were “Kutting” it close to bar closing time. We looped around the downtown area looking for a bar, but everything we found either had the lights off or was locking the door.

We finally found Player’s, but as we parked the car, two men stepped out and the lights went off.

“Are we too late?” we asked.

“Not if you hurry,” one of them replied, “the bartender is still in there.”

We went on inside and ordered a couple of bottles, promising the be quick. All of the lights were off, so we drank quickly in nearly total darkness.

The men from outside came back in, and B began to wonder if we were making them all uncomfortable. After a couple of minutes he straight up asked them if we were making them nervous, and reassured them that we were harmless.

We finished out beer and thanked them, and they locked the door behind us as we left.

Here is the least helpful interior picture of a bar ever… this is a pretty accurate representation of the light level in which we were drinking.

225 North 5th Street
Quincy, IL 62301
US
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(217) 223-1185
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Uncle Bob’s Bar

scooterj — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:27:00 +0000

(Quincy, IL)

Scooter’s 839th bar, first visited in 2010.

Our visit to the next bar may have made the bartender nervous, as B entered the side door while I almost simultaneously entered from the front after getting a picture of the place.

Unfortunately it was pretty quiet in here and the bartender stayed in conversation with his friend after serving us up with some Busch cans, so I don’t have much else to say about this place.

1301 North 12th Street
Quincy, IL 62301
US
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(217) 224-5601
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Cedar Club

scooterj — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:26:00 +0000

(Quincy, IL)

Scooter’s 838th bar, first visited in 2010.

After we left the North End Tavern we instructed the GPS to take us to the nearest bar in a westerly direction. It took approximately one minute to get there. Ahhh… Quincy!

The Cedar Club was fairly busy, one of the busier bars we visited this Monday evening. The bartender gave us info about bar closing times (1am, except for a couple of bars open until 2am).

We noticed a virtual shuffleboard game, something we had never seen before until today, so we took our beers to the back to give it a try. It took some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it it’s very similar to the real game.

2001 Cedar Street
Quincy, IL 62301
US
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(217) 223-1603
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North End Tavern

scooterj — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:25:00 +0000

(Quincy, IL)

Scooter’s 837th bar, first visited in 2010.

Finally, some 11 hours after it began, we completed our 4-hour drive across Illinois and arrived at our ultimate destination: Quincy.

Quincy is a dive bar lover’s paradise, with at least 55 that I had identified before we embarked on this road trip. In fact there are so many bars that as we approached town, I told B, “Tell The Bitch (our affectionate name for his GPS device) to find a bar near 24th & Cedar (an intersection I pulled out of my ass) and then we’ll work our way west from there.” As luck would have it, there was a bar at that very intersection.

Beer is very cheap at the North End Tavern (as it would prove to be all throughout Quincy), with domestic pints at $1.75 and Blue Moon at $2.25. We opted for our trademark 10oz beers, however.

We sat under a large back umbrella at the horseshoe-shaped bar. We were alone at the bar, save for a couple sitting catty-corner from us. The bartender was in the other room shooting pool with an unseen person, though he was quick and attentive despite being out of sight during his game.

The couple sitting at the bar kept watching us, and this made me too nervous to take pictures. But eventually they relocated to the back room, and I quickly snapped my shots before they returned. I was proud of myself for being so stealthy.

Eleven bars later, I would learn otherwise…

1130 North 24th Street
Quincy, IL 62301
US
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(217) 222-8103

The Still

scooterj — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:22:00 +0000

(New Berlin, IL)

Scooter’s 834th bar, first visited in 2010.

B noticed this bar as we headed into town, I somehow missed it completely despite it being at the main intersection.

Beer here was very cheap. For example, Fat Tire on tap was only $1.50.

The Still is divided into at least 4 main rooms, including a small bar area, a piano lounge, and a game room with pool tables. The piano is a baby grand, painted with Budweiser branding.

14758 Old Route 54
New Berlin, IL 62670
US
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(217) 488-3325
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Sliderz

scooterj — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:18:00 +0000

(Long Creek, IL)

Scooter’s 830th bar, first visited in 2010.

This is a new-looking sports bar in a strip mall on the outskirts of Decatur. It has pool tables, a stage, and a variety of video games. B played 3 free games of Golden Tee before we continued on in
to town.

5995 E US 36
Long Creek, IL 62521
US
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(217) 864-9227
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Kel’s Place

scooterj — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:16:00 +0000

(Downtown, Atwood, IL)

Scooter’s 828th bar, first visited in 2010.

This small-town bar is almost completely absent from the internet. I could find no information other than that it exists. I couldn’t even get an address, I had to pull that from its liquor license info at the Illinois ABC web site. I could not find a phone number or any other info.

Kel’s is a big open room with an L-shaped bar in the far back. There’s a stage in the front, pool tables, Silver Strike, foosball, video poker, and an Extreme Hunting game. There’s also a stage in the front of the bar.

We played a game of Silver Strike that was going very well for both of us, until B “broke” the game in the 10th frame.

We enjoyed our “woodsy” Busch cans…

115 S. Main
Atwood, IL 61913
US
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Proud Mary’s

scooterj — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:15:00 +0000

(Tuscola, IL)

Scooter’s 827th bar, first visited in 2010.

This is a pretty big bar. There’s a large front room that’s the “face” of the establishment. There’s an even larger back room with pool tables and a stage area. Back in the corner is a smaller room, somewhat isolated, where all the video slots/poker machines are located.

The actual bar is centralized and configured in such a way that the bartender can serve all three rooms simultaneously.

The movie “Knocked Up” was playing, so we stayed a little longer watching the flick with the other customers.

As we were leaving, I got busted taking pictures of the place by the owner. I rarely get caught when I’m being discrete, but this made twice so far just today. Damn. She seemed nervous about it but since I was leaving I just said “Hi”, smiled, and ducked out.

1003 E Southline Rd
Tuscola, IL 61953
US
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(217) 253-3172
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Daddy-O’s

scooterj — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:11:00 +0000

(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, and three people converged to hunt for them. The owner then mentioned the the distributor hadn’t brought them any yet. The bartender apologized profusely as he had to give us regular Budweiser, but we were perfectly fine with that.

Behind us, the owner had the old CD jukebox completely opened up and he was making repairs to it. We were impressed that he had the know-how to do that.

The L-shaped bar is huge, unusually long for this type of bar. The owner later informed us it is 54 feet long.

We got to talking with the owner, and we were surprised to learn that he had been in poor health until recently and as a result the bar had actually been closed for the past 5 months. In fact, we walked in just minutes after he opened the doors for their first day back open! Indeed, we soon heard another customer excitedly call a friend to say “You’ll never believe where I am right now!”

The owner took us around on a short tour of the bar, showing us all the things he was having to put back together and showing us the artwork and paintings his son had made as decor for the bar. We told him all about our travels, and I began openly taking pictures.

In a flash (literally, except falsely so as you’ll see in a moment), the bartender dashed over. “Are you okay?” he asked the owner. “I saw the flash go off and saw these guys taking pictures of you.” The owner calmed him down and told him everything was okay. The funny part, though, I didn’t even have the flash turned on.

After the walk-through we went back to our seats and we noticed a siren light mounted on the bar in front of B. The owner noticed us notice it and flipped a switch, causing us both to leap from our seats due to the extremely loud buzzer sound it made.

We always love finding bars where we actually get to meet and talk with the owner. It was a really nice stroke of luck that we happened to walking in here first thing on re-opening day.

139 East Court Street
Paris, IL 61944
US
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(217) 465-3202
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Ballyhoo Pizza King: Campus Location

scooterj — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 18:26:00 +0000

(Terre Haute, IN)

Scooter’s 821st bar, first visited in 2010.

We found this bar as a result of our unsuccessful attempt to circle back and find Mogger’s. We didn’t know it, but this would end up being the final bar of the night.

Ballyhoo’s is primarily a pizza place, but this late at night it didn’t appear the pizza area was open. We took our beer back to the Golden Tee machine and played in batches of 3 free holes at a time — registered players get 3 free holes whenever swiping their credit cards in a new location for the first time.

After we were done here we headed in a direction that I thought was east (but was actually north) in search of some bar — any bar. We spied a couple, but they were either closed or closing. We finally turned around and B, with an amazing sense of direction, guided us back to our motel on a route that I insisted could not work since my personal orientation was off by 90°.

I later learned that had we either driven one block further before turning around, or headed north on a street just a few blocks over from the one we picked, we had a really good chance of finding at least 1 or 2 more places before last call.

Oh well.

900 Chestnut Street
Terre Haute, IN 47807
US
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(812) 232-3939
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Terminal Sports & Spirits

scooterj — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 18:22:00 +0000

(Terre Haute, IN)

Scooter’s 817th bar, first visited in 2010.

Right next to Copper Bar is Terminal Sports & Spirits. This is a big sports bar in what appears to be a converted 19th-century bank building. The venue wraps its way around a central bar. There appeared to be a patio in the back.

This is a good bar, so it seemed odd that it was empty while Copper Bar, just 60 feet away, was packed.

820 Wabash Avenue
Terre Haute, IN 47807
US
[launch map]
(812) 232-8480

The Copper Bar

scooterj — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 18:21:00 +0000

(Terre Haute, IN)

Scooter’s 816th bar, first visited in 2010.

We found Wasbash Avenue and took a left, to find disappointment. The only open bar we found turned off its lights right as we pulled up. We circled around the university campus and came back through the other direction. Eventually we found two open bars right next to each other. We started with the one on the left — The Copper Bar.

The bartender here was very friendly. Domestic pints were $1.50. There’s an upstairs level but we didn’t go up there.

Out front is a patio with some interesting statuary (see below) that I’d love to know the significance of.

810 Wabash Avenue
Terre Haute, IN 47807
US
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(812) 238-0033
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Alice & Woody’s Cocktail Bar

scooterj — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 18:16:00 +0000

(Vincennes, IN)

Scooter’s 811th bar, first visited in 2010.

The GPS took us in via a side street so we ended up coming in the back door. The front entrance looks a little “classier” than the photo shown here.

This place was quite crowded, we had to sit against the far back. We were served gigantic Old Style pours. Far too much beer, so we had to enact the “12 oz” rule. I ended up accidentally finishing 16 oz though, so I was full for a while after this.

That was one thing that has been odd about this trip so far, the pours have generally been far too big. We expect that in cities and college towns, but not in these small towns.

1031 Washington Avenue
Vincennes, IN 47591
US
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(812) 882-9728
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Hogs Head Bar

scooterj — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 18:13:00 +0000

(Downtown, Hopkinsville, KY)

Scooter’s 808th bar, first visited in 2010.

Attached to a place called The Beer Barrel, this is a very clean-spacious bar in an old building downtown.

This is apparently a new place, either that or it is recently renovated, as Google Street View shows the bar under construction.

We misunderstood the signage in the parking lot next door so parked a block further away than we needed to. Turns out only some of the spaces were reserved, not all of them.

801 South Main Street
Hopkinsville, KY 42240
US
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(270) 885-9800
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Piranha’s Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 18:12:00 +0000

(Downtown, Nashville, TN)

Scooter’s 807th bar, first visited in 2010.

We had noticed a 2 for 1 drink special advertised here when we first arrived in Nashville, so we wanted to stop in here before getting back on the road.

Sure, we only went to 3 bars in Nashville, but this was our favorite by far. Both of us would see ourselves hanging out here regularly if we lived in Nashville. It’s a great, honest dive with good food that doesn’t seem touristy.

It started out not too busy here, but there was a rush before the start of a football game that filled the place to capacity.

Food-wise, this place’s gimmick is to put fries on its sandwiches. The signature sandwich is the Piranha Sandwich, in which fries, slaw, and cheese are piled on your choice of meat. The fries are sliced right in front of you, they aren’t frozen.

But their gimmick sandwich is a monster, a 10-lb cheesesteak. Though they offer $100 to anyone who finishes one, it’s actually intended to be a group sandwich. Both Man vs. Food and Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives have been in touch with Piranha’s, but neither will put the sandwich on their show since the challenge is more of a joke and isn’t intended to be possible.

As luck would have it, a large group seated behind us happened to order the 10-pounder while we were there. We stuck around to watch the creation of it, the videos and several of the pictures below document the preparation. On completion it was actually weighed, and when it didn’t quite come to 10 pounds they added more food to get the weight up.

The ingredients of the 10-pound cheesesteak, being presented to the group that ordered it…

113 2nd Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37201
US
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(615) 248-4375
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Coconut Bay Cafe

scooterj — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 18:24:00 +0000

(Manchester, TN)

Scooter’s 804th bar, first visited in 2010.

The bartender at Irma’s Place told us there were no other bars in town. We headed back to I-24, but crossed to the other side of the highway first to grab some snacks.

While inside, B asked a bystander if he knew of any other bars. “Sure, there’s one just around the corner!”

We followed the directions we were given and found ourselves at a gigantic place.

The Coconut Bay Cafe is a 2-story tropical themed building. The lower level is all restaurant/lounge and was virtually empty, but the hostess guided us to “the party room” upstairs.

Up the stairs we found a huge space with 2 bars, a band, and a good crowd of people. The band was doing covers of southern rock and was pretty impressive. We ended up hanging out here quite a while and probably would have stayed a lot longer if we weren’t so tired.

817 Interstate Drive
Manchester, TN 37355
US
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(931) 728-2500
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Taco Mac

scooterj — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 18:20:00 +0000

(Downtown, Chattanooga, TN)

Scooter’s 800th bar, first visited in 2010.

We were getting hungry, so for my 800th bar we decided to head over to a small regional chain called Taco Mac. The original location was a small taco shack, but the menu has expanded to become more wing oriented as the concept spread throughout this region. B had been to a location in Georgia before, but upon entering he said this had to be the biggest and nicest.

This place was packed, but we found two barstools right by the door.

There were literally hundreds of beers to choose from. I selected Highland Black Mocha Stout, while B chose Boulder Sweaty Betty. He went for a burrito, but fearful of getting too full I settled on just some cheese sticks.

423 Market St
Chattanooga, TN 37402
US
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(423) 267-8226
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Dawg Pound Sports & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 18:18:00 +0000

(Blackwood, Calhoun, GA)

Scooter’s 798th bar, first visited in 2010.

We wanted to make one last stop in northern Georgia. Calhoun appears to be a dry town, however Dawg Pound sits just barely outside the city limits.

The place was busy but not packed. Despite this, we could not get the attention of the bartender. After about 5 minutes we gave up at the bar and moved to a table.

It took another 5 minutes for a server to notice us. She was really nice, just didn’t notice us.

By then we decided to do just one quick shot and get the hell out. We asked for whatever was on special, which turned out to be some sort of black cherry shot.

Several minutes later they finally arrived. They tasted like cough medicine. We left our money on the table and got out of there.

65 Outlet Center Dr
Calhoun, GA 30701
US
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(706) 625-3100
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Bullfrogz

scooterj — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 18:17:00 +0000

(Kennesaw, GA)

Scooter’s 797th bar, first visited in 2010.

We had intended to look for a bar in Marietta, but we wound up in Kennesaw by mistake. We asked the GPS to find us the closest bar and this is where she brought us.

This is a big tiki themed place with a U-shaped bar at one end. There’s a nonsmoking lounge area and a covered patio.

The bar was full so we grabbed our beers and headed to the back to play some Golden Tee.

When we left, I opened the driver’s side door of the SUV and climbed in. B did not get in, however, instead walking on up to the passenger side door of his van and climbing in. Holy crap, I was in the wrong vehicle!

I quietly slipped out and entered the correct vehicle, while B could only shake his head and laugh.

3655 Cherokee St NW
Kennesaw, GA 30144
US
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(678) 331-8470
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The Pool Hall

scooterj — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 18:16:00 +0000

(Buckhead, Atlanta, GA)

Scooter’s 796th bar, first visited in 2010.

We REALLY needed to get on the road, but when we got back to the van we noticed that The Pool Hall was open. We decided that since we’d been parked in their lot for the past 2-1/2 hours, we really ought to give them some business.

While trying to decide what to gt to drink, B spied some miniature beer cans. They looked so ridiculous we just had to order them.

B dove into some peanuts and kept getting up to throw away the shells. This finally got on the bartender’s nerves, who told him to stop and just throw the shells on the floor “like everyone else will later tonight.”

30 Irby Ave NW
Atlanta, GA 30305
US
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(404) 841-8989
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Churchill’s British Pub

scooterj — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 18:15:00 +0000

(Buckhead, Atlanta, GA)

Scooter’s 795th bar, first visited in 2010.

We had already tried and failed twice at finding this bar open, but I was really curious about it so we decided to give it one more try. Third time was the charm!

We ended up ordering Yuengling’s Ale… a beer that’s extremely common in this part of the country, but virtually unheard of back home.

The layout consists of several distinct areas all wrapping around a central bar. There’s so much to see here, so I’ll just let the pictures do the talking…

Panorama of the bar. Use the slider below the photo to view.

Another panorama of the bar. Use the slider below the photo to view.

3223 Cains Hill Place NW
Atlanta, GA 30305
US
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(404) 233-5633
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Five Paces Inn

scooterj — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 18:14:00 +0000

(Buckhead, Atlanta, GA)

Scooter’s 794th bar, first visited in 2010.

Finally… the one bar we had come to Atlanta to see was now open!

We had picked this place weeks in advance of this trip after B googled “worst bar in Atlanta” and this bar came up. However we suspected that it means this was just an honest-to-goodness dive and that pretentious reviewers don’t like that sort of thing. That hunch was correct, this is a good bar.

There’s 3 rooms to the bar, plus a deck in the back.

We plopped down into wobbly barstools, where B chatted college sports with a guy from Liverpool who had moved here just for a change of scenery.

I popped in to use the men’s room and found that the toilet had no tank lid. This was a precursor to me then noticing there was also no soap or paper towels.

41 Irby Ave NW
Atlanta, GA 30305
US
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(404) 365-0777
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Red Door Tavern

scooterj — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 18:13:00 +0000

(Buckhead, Atlanta, GA)

Scooter’s 793rd bar, first visited in 2010.

A good old fashioned sports dive. The bar consists of 3 rooms, though we spent all our visit in the main room. It appears that it has recently taken over a neighboring auto parts store.

As soon as we ordered our beers, an old Asian man tried to see me his watch for “five dollar”. When I declined, he then tried to sell me his shoes for the same price. I declined that offer as well, and he became upset.

The bartender told him to leave me alone, and he went outside to stand on the deck. Later he left altogether, only to return with a golf club. He did not try to sell that to me, however.

The man who tried to sell me the watch and shoes…

The bottom poster is a photo of one of the bartenders. As a prank he painted his roommate’s bedroom pink but got caught in the act, as revenge the roommate printed up these signs to display at bars around town.

3180 Roswell Road NW
Atlanta, GA 30305
US
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(404) 846-6525
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Stout Irish Sports Pub

scooterj — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 18:11:00 +0000

(Buckhead, Atlanta, GA)

Scooter’s 791st bar, first visited in 2010.

After circling around a few blocks failing to find an open bar, Google Maps on my phone indicated a possible bar on East Andrews. We found ourselves at what appeared to be a new strip mall, but we walked from one and to the other and found nothing obvious or open.

However, there were banners in the parking lot advertising an Irish sports pub, so we went inside to have a look. All we found in the rotunda was a wine bar that did not appear to be open yet.

“Maybe it’s in the back?” I wondered.

B was about ready to give up, but I walked around the outside of the building regardless. Jackpot! A bar that was not only open, but also reasonably busy.

Stout Irish Sports Bar has a huge covered outdoor seating area. The inside is decorated with stonework and murals surrounding the L-shaped bar.

As we chatted with a guy whose accent we were trying to figure out, our bartender thought we were from Oklahoma. This was in part due to our own accents, but more because we pronounce the word “draught” as draw, whereas in this part of the country it’s pronounced draft. We had been “corrected” several times already on this trip, but we were having trouble adapting to the change.

One other interesting things to note here is that the men’s room uses waterless no-flush urinals. This is the first time I have ever seen them used anywhere other than remotely-located parks and roadside rests.

Panorama of the bar. Use the slider below the photo to view.

56 E Andrews Dr NW, #16
Atlanta, GA 30305
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(404) 869-1151
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Back Porch Lounge

scooterj — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 18:12:00 +0000

(Riverview, Macon, GA)

Scooter’s 789th bar, first visited in 2010.

B wasn’t feeling so hot after eating too much at his grandma-in-law’s house earlier, so we took a break at our motel for a little while. Eventually he got to feeling a little better so we went back out to explore some more of the town.

We started out at the Back Porch Lounge, which turned out to be attached to the motel that was our second choice on our list of places to stay.

The front room with the bar is very small and intimate. There was no place to sit, so we took our drinks into the adjoining front room.

This room was completely dark, except for a giant screen where a group of people were playing Rock Band. We sat in a booth in the back and watched them play through several songs.

As our eyes adjusted we saw that this was a relaxing lounge room, with a lot of stonework and a large fireplace. A stripper pole in the corner seemed a little out of place in this room.

Behind the bar was another room, brightly lit, that was an elegant-looking billiard room.

Before we left we noticed that a grizzly old man who was lurking in the corner was air-drumming wildly to the Rock Band songs.

Unfortunately, B’s illness returned, so we had to call it a night after this bar. We held out hope that he’d feel better tomorrow so we could resume our mission.

2400 Riverside Drive
Macon, GA 31204
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(478) 745-8801
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O’Neal’s Bar & Grill

scooterj — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:29:00 +0000

(Ashland Hills, Clarksville, TN)
Formerly Choppers Roadhouse

Ã¯Â»Â¿

Scooter’s 786th bar, first visited in 2010.

It took us quite a while to find another place that was still open at this point, a lot of places were closing up early on this Thursday night.

We decided to finally give the PGA Tour Golf game a try. It’s by EA Sports, and has a lot in common with the Tiger Woods Golf games. It probably seems odd to some people that we were fascinated by this game, but we just don’t see it back home.

1979 Madison Street
Clarksville, TN 37043
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(931) 802-5577
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Same Ol Jukebox

scooterj — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:28:00 +0000

(Clarksville, TN)

Scooter’s 785th bar, first visited in 2010.

It took us a little while to find this place, it was further from downtown than we realized. However once we were inside we were pretty excited to find that they serve Icehouse beer, it’s one of our favorites largely due to its scarcity back home.

The Jukebox has a small front room, where we started out, and a larger back room that we migrated to later. The L-shaped bar is designed to serve both rooms. The back room has pool tables and a DJ booth.

What we call “Bags” back home but is called “Cornhole” here was set up, and we watched a group of people playing. B joined in for a little while but discovered it’s not as easy as it looks.

1360 College Street
Clarksville, TN 37040
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(931) 647-9799

Blackhorse Pub & Brewery – The Tap Room

scooterj — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:25:00 +0000

(Downtown, Clarksville, TN)

Scooter’s 782nd bar, first visited in 2010.

The Blackhorse Pub was a bar I was eager to visit, unfortunately it has closed early on this Thursday night. However its upstairs spin-off, The Tap Room, was open and very busy.

We proceeded up a very long, steep, and narrow staircase to the upper level. There was no seating available at the U-shaped bar, nor at any of the tables. After standing for a while a small table opened up towards the back that we migrated to.

It was very dark inside so I apologize for the poor picture quality.

The Tap Room is a dive bar, an upscale lounge, and a sports bar. It’s rare to see a place that pulls off all three well. (It should be noted that at $3 a bottle, these were some of the more expensive beers we had in Clarksville.)

The front half of this floor is a bar, the back half is a very mellow lounge bathed in a soft blue light.

Up another smaller set of stairs to the side is another room that had pool tables and other games. We didn’t make it into that room during our visit.

132 Franklin Street
Clarksville, TN 37040
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(931) 552-3726
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Smokey’s Bar & Grill

scooterj — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:24:00 +0000

(Ringgold, Clarksville, TN)

Scooter’s 781st bar, first visited in 2010.

We just so happened to walk in on karaoke night, so we watched three girls performing “The Time Warp” back in the recessed stage area before we found some seats at the bar.

It was moderately busy, but most of the people were either in the table seating area to our left or shooting pool in the back. However we were soon joined by an older man, who pulled something out of his pocket and tapped my shoulder.

“You want some homemade beef jerky?” he offered, shaking the baggie of beef.

I was reminded of the shrimping at Flo’s Poke-a-Dot in Kansas City. I’m sure the beef jerky was delicious, but I get nervous about accepting meat snacks that strangers pull out of their pockets so I politely declined.

1310 Fort Campbell Blvd
Clarksville, TN 37042
US
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(931) 552-3800

Tipper’s Night Club

scooterj — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:21:00 +0000

(Clarksville, TN)

Scooter’s 778th bar, first visited in 2010.

We weren’t planning on coming here as night clubs aren’t our thing, but it wasn’t very busy and there wasn’t a cover so we decided to check it out.

There are several rooms. The bar is in the front, across from it was a larger room where poker night was underway. Towards the back was a game area, with Pop-a-Shot, Pac-Man, Golden Tee, darts, air hockey, and several other games. The far back corner has a lounge area with a secondary bar, sofas and coffee tables.

There’s also a big covered patio off the front of the place.

The Thursday night special was $1 domestic bottles. We always love cheap beer!

2150 Fort Campbell Blvd
Clarksville, TN 37042
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(931) 920-8011
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Rebounds Sports Bar

scooterj — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:20:00 +0000

(Clarksville, TN)

Scooter’s 777th bar, first visited in 2010.

Located directly across the street from the Fort Campbell military base, security was tighter here than at any other bar on this trip. In addition to the ID check at the door, all patrons were searched and patted down before entry.

The patrons were almost all military, at least we assume so from the haircuts. The bar itself is small and U-shaped. There’s pool tables in the front room, and a lounge in back. The bar was pretty crowded, so we didn’t manage to make it to that room.

I call this my Jackpot bar, since it was #777.

2241 Fort Campbell Blvd
Clarksville, TN 37042
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(931) 572-9960
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Tipper’s Neighborhood Pub

scooterj — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:19:00 +0000

(Clarksville, TN)

Scooter’s 776th bar, first visited in 2010.

This little bar is attached to a gas station about halfway between I-24 and the military base.

The bar itself is U-shaped, recessed into the far back. There’s a handful of tables in front, a few pool tables top the side, and several games and flatscreen TVs scattered about. There’s a covered patio to the side that’s almost as big as the bar itself.

The place seems to be known for its food, with wings as their specialty. There are varying flavors and heat levels, as well as smoked wings.

They were setting up for either a DJ or karaoke, but we left before that got started.

1471 Tiny Town Road
Clarksville, TN 37042
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(931) 647-9923
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O’Connor’s Irish Pub

scooterj — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:18:00 +0000

(Clarksville, TN)

Scooter’s 775th bar, first visited in 2010.

We picked this as our first stop into Clarksville because we found a number of reviews that led us to believe this is the worst bar in town. However, though it wasn’t our favorite and wasn’t anything great, it wasn’t particularly bad either.

That said, it did take us several minutes to get the attention of the bartender despite the fact that the places wasn’t very busy.

This is a big place, divided into two large rooms. The front room has a horseshoe shaped bar, what looked like a stage, and table seating. The back room had pool tables and additional seating.

We were heavily carded here, this would prove to be the case almost everywhere we went in Clarksville. (ID checks became more stringent as we got closer to the military base, and less stringent to almost forgotten as we got further away to bars that cater more to the locals than the military.)

There’s live music Fridays and Saturdays with a cover that’s enforced quite early compared to when the bands start. Luckily for us, it was Thursday.

There really didn’t seem to be much about this place that makes it an Irish Pub, though. Putting a shamrock on the Budweiser sign doesn’t do it, and serving Guinness isn’t even enough as many types of bars do that. I will say this though, Irish pubs should not be playing hip-hop.

1198 Tylertown Rd
Clarksville, TN 37040
US
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(931) 542-2121

JT’s Grill & Sports Bar

scooterj — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 17:14:00 +0000

(De Soto, KS)

Scooter’s 764th bar, first visited in 2010.

Restaurant on one side, sports bar on the other side. Past the restaurant is a back room with pool tables and video games.

This appears to be a pretty new place, it’s very clean and doesn’t have a lot of character yet. But it’s quickly becoming a very popular De Soto hangout.

The bar hosts live music as well as karaoke nights.

33255 Lexington Ave
De Soto, KS 66018
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(913) 585-1116
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Wallaby’s Grill & Pub

scooterj — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 17:11:00 +0000

(Lenexa, KS)

Scooter’s 761st bar, first visited in 2010.

I had never noticed this sports bar before, but it had a pretty good sized and rowdy crowd on this Saturday afternoon.

The bar has several TVs including a big-screen, darts, a jukebox, and big-screen versions of Powerputt and Golden Tee Live. I tried the food here and it’s surprisingly good.

9562 Lackman Rd
Lenexa, KS 66219
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(913) 541-9255
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Llywelyn’s Pub

scooterj — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 17:10:00 +0000

(Old Stanley, Overland Park, KS)

Scooter’s 760th bar, first visited in 2010.

This is an amazingly beautiful Irish pub in a converted 19th-century church. The interior features all the original flooring and woodwork, and the bar itself is over a century old.

Irish food, live Irish music, and a great beer selection. This is a great bar.

6995 W 151st St
Overland Park, KS 66223
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913-402-0333
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PJ’s Sports Bar & Grill

scooterj — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:10:00 +0000

(Shawnee, KS)

OUT OF BUSINESS
As of May 2011, PJ’s appears to have closed.

Scooter’s 759th bar, first visited in 2010.

This strip mall sports bar is really showing its age, but it’s not a bad place to stop in and have some cheap drinks. There’s a bit of a musty smell but that didn’t really bother me.

The bar is long and L-shaped. The venue is fairly large — much bigger than it looks from the outside. There’s a couple of pool tables, MegaTouch, several tables, and an area for live music and dancing. Karaoke was underway during my visit.

I’ve seen this place packed several times while driving by, but on the particular Friday night I visisted there were only a handful of people in the bar.

10923 Shawnee Mission Pkwy
Shawnee, KS 66203
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(913) 962-7309

Whiskey Tango

scooterj — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 17:11:00 +0000

(Grain Valley, MO)

Scooter’s 757th bar, first visited in 2010.

HUUUUGE country-western night club, with a capacity of over 3,000 people. Unfortunately I went on a night where there were only 11 people, making the cavernous space seem completely dead.

There’s a huge elevated central dance floor with a square footage that rivals or exceeds most homes. To the east is the main bar, a rectangular bar in the middle of a lounge area with bar tables, couches, and lunge chairs. East of that is the billiard area with numerous pool tables.

Along the back wall are dart boards and the claw machines that for some reason are so beloved in Eastern Jackson County bars. There’s an additional bar along the back wall. Finally, at the west end, is a restaurant area open only on certain nights of the week.

This is one of only two 3am bars in Eastern Jackson County. The other is half a mile south of here. I’ve often wondered why Grain Valley is the only city in Jackson County outside of Kansas City that has issued any 3am licenses.

$5 cover on weekends, no cover on weekdays. Drinks are surprisingly cheap.

401 E South Outer Belt Rd
Grain Valley, MO 64029
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(816) 847-5650
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Applebee’s

scooterj — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 17:10:00 +0000

(Blue Springs, MO)

Scooter’s 756th bar, first visited in 2010.

I’m embarassed listing this as I always am when I list a suburban chain, but I sat at the bar having drinks so I have to count it.

The bartender was pretty kick-ass, though.

1100 N. Hwy 7
Blue Springs, MO 64014
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(816) 228-4338
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Rivals Sports Bar

scooterj — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:10:00 +0000

(Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 754th bar, first visited in 2010.

Sports bar at Kauffman Stadium overlooking the outfield. I’m listing it as “private” since you have to buy a ticket to a game to get in. This could be my new favorite spot to watch the Royals play.

1 Royal Way
Kansas City, MO 64129
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(816) 921-8000
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Sidepockets

scooterj — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:10:00 +0000

(Lees Summit, MO)

Scooter’s 753rd bar, first visited in 2010.

Gigantic strip mall sports bar. Mostly centered on pool but also has darts, several video games, cornhole tournaments, and lots of TVs. The food’s pretty decent. This is the Lee’s Summit location of this small regional chain.

Panorama of the interior. Use the slider below the photo to view.

224 NW Oldham Parkway
Lees Summit, MO 64081
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(816) 524-2400
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Roadside Inn

scooterj — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:26:00 +0000

(Martensdale, IA)

Scooter’s 752nd bar, first visited in 2010.

So we’re flying down Iowa 92, very far behind schedule for getting to a wedding reception we were do it, when my friend threw his arm across my chest to point out the window.

“WHAT’S THAT?!?” he exclaimed.

Why, it was the glow of neon lights signalling the presence of a Bonus Bar.

What’s a Bonus Bar? One that we didn’t know existed. Though we had passed one a short time earlier in Indianola, this one was so unexpected we decided we just had to stop.

Most of the place was a restaurant, which was now closed, but there was a smaller sports bar to the right. We settled down at the bar.

We told our bartender, Kelsi, of our predicament — that we had to stop in but were incredibly late for a wedding reception and needed to get in and out fast.

She recommended some Apple Pie shots, as she had them already made up. I actually don’t like the taste of apple, but we were on a mission so I did what I needed to do.

325 N Highway 28
Martensdale, IA 50160
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(641) 764-2667
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Mojo’s

scooterj — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:24:00 +0000

(Downtown, Indianola, IA)

Scooter’s 750th bar, first visited in 2010.

The birthday group from the previous bar led us to Mojo’s. There was a strong smell of paint or varnish so they must have just done some sort of work recently.

This was now the real bar #750, so the birthday group took a picture of us.

After a round of shots the birthday group said goodbye and left for Des Moines. We adjourned to the back room for some games while we finished our beers. We ended up playing Lawn Darts, Bags, and Silver Strike.

Panorama of the back room. Use the slider below the photo to view.

Urinal putty…

206 North Howard St
Indianola, IA 50125
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(515) 961-0081Ã¢â‚¬Å½
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Pete’s Pizza

scooterj — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:22:00 +0000

(Downtown, Indianola, IA)

Scooter’s 748th bar, first visited in 2010.

We had placed our order when we first arrived in town, and now it was time to head back and eat. We grabbed a table by the bar, got a couple of beers, and settled in.

Because of the pizza, there were a lot of families here. The place was actually pretty much packed, unlike the other places we visited while in town.

The pizza is cracker thin crust and thick with cheese, smothering the toppings. The sauce is rich and sweet. It was a great pizza, one of the best we’ve found on our years of this trips. I definitely recommend it!

The space itself is divided in three sections. In the front is a game room with a pool table, Pop-a-Shot, and video games. In the middle is a narrow bar area, which we sat at the edge of. The far back is the dining area, which is where all the families were.

On our way out we ran into the owner, and we gave her our heartfelt thanks for such a good pizza.

Indianola is home to the National Balloon Museum and has an annual balloon festival.

Panorama of the game room. Use the slider below the photo to view.

118 North Howard St
Indianola, IA 50125
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(515) 961-7797
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The Zoo

scooterj — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:21:00 +0000

(Downtown, Indianola, IA)

Scooter’s 747th bar, first visited in 2010.

I’ve been wanting to come here for over a year due to it having the same name as my hangout back home. It ended up being just as much fun as I’d been hoping.

We stepped in the front door and immediately found ourselves on a landing with a choice of going downstairs or upstairs. We chose downstairs first and found a room with pool tables, but no one else was down there. We went upstairs next and found the main bar, complete with a popcorn cart and the usual video games.

Our bartender was Jesse, and he was a very nice guy. The bartender at Main Street Station back in Milo had told us to request something called “FMS shots”. We handed the note she wrote to Jesse and he whipped them up for us, on the house.

We never did find out what exactly the FMS shot is, but it’s fruity and it’s the house specialty.

102 W. Ashland Ave
Indianola, IA 50125
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(515) 961-8731
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Back In The Day Lounge

scooterj — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:19:00 +0000

(Downtown, Pleasantville, IA)

Scooter’s 745th bar, first visited in 2010.

We nearly forgot to go to Pleasantville. We had driven right on by, having not even seen a sign for it, until a sign at the last road we could turn at to get there reminded us.

“So, must be time for a shot! Huh, fellas?” shouted the bartender as we walked in.

The booths and decor in this bar, as well as the exterior shape, make me think it was once a hot dog place or an ice cream parlor.

There was a pool table, a jukebox, MegaTouch, and video slots. The men’s room sink, while still high, was significantly lower than its counterparts back in Knoxville.

There were several people inside the bar, however far more were outside on the “carport”-covered patio.

107 N. Jefferson
Pleasantville, IA 50225
US
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(515) 848-3642

Sandals Lounge

scooterj — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:18:00 +0000

(Downtown, Knoxville, IA)

Scooter’s 744th bar, first visited in 2010.

This turned out to be a basement bar. It was a HUGE place. Several pool tables, darts, foosball, and video slots. There was an area for bands.

The men’s room was painted a blinding shade of chartreuse, and the sink inside was the highest I have ever encounter at any bar anywhere. It was nearly at my nipples. And I’m tall.

The highlight of the visit came as my friend was outside making a phone call. A drunk biker became very agitated while telling the story of a recent visit to the dentist. His story turned into a an obscenity-laced tirade against his dentist, then doctors and lawyers, and finally all people with white-collar jobs. “It’s a good thing for blue collar people keeping things running,” he said. “Glad we’re all blue collar here.”

Then he spotted me.

“YOU!!!” he shouted, pointing at me. “You’re not white-collar, are you?!?”

“Ummm…” I replied, “Uh… I want to live, so, ummm, no comment?”

“What do you do?” he asked me.

“I’m a computer programmer,” he said.

He mulled that over for a moment.

“Well, I’m sure you’re writing programs for The Man, so you’re okay.”

I was curious as to the purpose of this door, seeing that it can’t be opened without completely removing the toilet.

208 E. Robinson St.
Knoxville, IA 50138
US
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(641) 828-2016
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Dingus Lounge

scooterj — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:16:00 +0000

(Knoxville, IA)

Scooter’s 742nd bar, first visited in 2010.

This was a place we had to go to just for the name alone. However it was a challenge to find. First problem: Google Maps had the location off by more than a block. Second problem: address numbers on buildings were view and far between. Final problem… the bar’s sign, which I later found in Street View, was missing. We finally managed to find the place after we flagged down a local in a golf cart and asked for help.

Inside the walls are painted cinder blocks, covered in years of graffiti similar to Zoo Bar back home.

There were a few customers at first but as we settled in to place some Golden Tee (which we had to abandon and go for Silver Strike as Golden Tee was broken), it emptied out. Nonetheless the staff were busily preparing, as races would be underway at the speedway across the street in a few hours and this place would be packed.

In addition to the Silver Strike / Broken Golden Tee, there was a pool table, video slots, and an ATM.

The bartender was unable to find any marker, but we dug some out of the car and made our own marks on the walls of the bar.

The poor toilet. It must be lonely playing second fiddle to the irresistable draw of a stainless steel wedge-shaped trough.

By the way, I’d swear the chest-high sink here was even higher.

713 N. Lincoln St.
Knoxville, IA 50138
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(641) 842-2010
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The Office

scooterj — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:11:00 +0000

(Downtown, Chariton, IA)

Scooter’s 737th bar, first visited in 2010.

This place was brightly lit from natural lighting and very proudly showed off its Iowa Hawkeyes heritage. There was a pool table, a shuffleboard, and video slots. The bartop resembled a kitchen counter, and posters of Budweiser hotties surrounded the fridge.

At $2 for a 10oz domestic draw, this was also slightly more expensive than I normally expect in a place like this.

109 N Main St
Chariton, IA 50049
US
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(641) 774-4231

JR’s Bar & Grill

scooterj — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 17:11:00 +0000

(Northland, Kansas City, MO)
Formerly Shaker, Buster’s Bar & Grill

Scooter’s 735th bar, first visited in 2010.

Though from the inside it appears to be a typical bar for a typical suburban bar & grill chain, on the inside the bar is isolated enough from the restaurant to maintain a separate identity. In fact, it borders on meeting my criteria for being a dive bar. Despite the bland exterior, it’s a nice little hangout.

9321 N Oak Trfy
Kansas City, MO 64155
US
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(816) 468-4450

Sandbar

scooterj — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:26:00 +0000

(Ottawa, KS)

Scooter’s 733rd bar, first visited in 2010.

This a pretty cool tropical-themed bar. It’s a lot small inside than it looks, about half of its public space is actually out on the front patio.

There’s a fish tank, darts, video games, and the first digital jukebox we saw all day.

The bar’s most famous feature is its nightly Indoor Hurricane show. We had planned to get here to see it, but due to various delays that added up throughout the day we arrived more than two hours too late.

We stayed here until close and decided to call it a night.

1608 S. Main St.
Ottawa, KS 66067
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(785) 242-8888
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The Five Spot

scooterj — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:23:00 +0000

(Garnett, KS)

Scooter’s 730th bar, first visited in 2010.

You could almost call this a motel bar, and you’d probably be right. But it’s isolated enough from the motel that it doesn’t feel like it.

The Five Spot calls its;ef a “Mexican bar & grill”, which seemed odd to be because unless something just recently changed it’s attached to an Italian restaurant called Bellini’s and that’s where its food comes from.

The feel is like an informal sports bar. There’s pool tables, darts, and plasma TVs situated throughout the place.

Our beer came in frozen mugs, which is something I can’t stand. Ice chunks in the beer + a lake of ice melt all over the table.

604 N. Maple
Garnett, KS 66032
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(785) 448-3483
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Sidelines Sports Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:21:00 +0000

(Downtown, Iola, KS)

Scooter’s 728th bar, first visited in 2010.

This was another bonus bar. We had planned to go to a place called Beer Blvd but it was closed for remodeling. So we did a drive around the square and found this unexpected 3.2% bar at the opposite corner.

It felt more like a restaurant than a bar, probably because of all the families with kids all around us. As it got later they disappeared and it started feeling more like a bar.

No pool table, and I didn’t notice darts or any other bar games. But they do have karaoke on a regular basis.

112 S. Washington Ave.
Iola, KS 66749
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(620) 365-8311
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Rusty’s Sports Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:17:00 +0000

(Downtown, Fort Scott, KS)

Scooter’s 724th bar, first visited in 2010.

This place looks really nice, but we were kind of bored. The bartender didn’t really interact with us, and the environment seemed too polished.

Table seating is mostly on the upper level, though there were a few booths and such downstairs. In the back, below the dining area, is a jukebox and a couple of pool tables.

The one thing that I remember most is that when we first stepped inside, the only person “working” behind the bar was a toddler.

16 North National Avenue
Fort Scott, KS 66701
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(620) 223-4777
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Outpost Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:13:00 +0000

(LaCygne, KS)

Scooter’s 720th bar, first visited in 2010.

This place is really popular. I know of several people from KC who hang out here quite a bit, mostly bikers but not all.

This is a pretty big place, and was rather busy. There were lots of people here getting lunch while a woman played acoustic guitar and sang in the center of the room. There’s also a main stage in the far back.

There’s TVs throughout the place, Keno, Silver Strike, and a driving game. The back of the main room has several pool tables. There’s a patio off to the side.

Though BBQ is just a tiny portion of their menu, it seems to be the main thing people come here for. We did get some appetizers (cheese sticks and GIANT baskets of fries that were really good but mostly went to waste due to there being too many) and people all around us were stunned that we weren’t eating BBQ.

Because the place was so busy, I didn’t feel comfortable taking photos. It was hard for me to get an opportunity to do so that wouldn’t have led people to believe I was taking their picture.

19394 KS Highway 152
LaCygne, KS 66040
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(913) 757-2672

The Landing

scooterj — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 17:17:00 +0000

(Liberty, MO)

Scooter’s 716th bar, first visited in 2010.

Popular locally-owned suburban sports bar with good good and great happy hour deals (2 for 1 drinks). UFC, live music, and Golden Tee are big deals here. Free popcorn at the bar!

1189 W. Kansas
Liberty, MO 64068
US
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(816) 792-5230
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Roadies Rockhouse

scooterj — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 17:15:00 +0000

(Blue Springs, MO)
Formerly Harley Hotrods

Scooter’s 714th bar, first visited in 2010.

We stopped in here because it was the ONLY bar along 7 Hwy in Blue Springs open… all the rest opened too late and missed out on our visit.

There’s some confusion on the name because it still says Harley Hotrods everywhere outside, but a painted sign indoors says “Roadies Rockhouse” and a liquor license search confirms the new name.

The bar is located in a retail space that has served many purposes — including, if my childhood memory is correct, a national-chain drug store. So it’s a very large space and has a tremendous amount of seating.

The main room has a pool table, several arcade games, foosball, and the stage. There’s two more rooms, one is full of pool tables and the other I didn’t explore.

The rotating specials allow for very cheap drinking — we had 16oz PBR for $1 each. That’s a steal!

There was one thing that I did find amusing about the place. To me, this is clearly not a place for kids. Yet high chairs and booster seats are available.

1320 N. MO-7
Blue Springs, MO 64104
US
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(816) 228-1625
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Doghouse Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 17:12:00 +0000

(Grandview, MO)

Scooter’s 711th bar, first visited in 2010.

This aging but well-kept bar is one of two intoxicating bookends to this strip mall on the south side of Main right off 71 Hwy.

The small L-shaped bar in the back is clean and comfortable and run by very personable bartenders. The bar features two pool tables, a shuffleboard, and older versions of Silver Strike and Golden Tee. (There’s no darts anymore, however.) There’s an internet juke box at the front end of the bar. Keeping with the name, dog “sculptures” decorate the bar. (Including an increasingly-rare Spuds McKenzie.)

This is one of those everyone-knows-everyone places, and the people here were very nice.

6109 Main St.
Grandview, MO 64030
US
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(816) 765-3039

Elbow Bend

scooterj — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 17:11:00 +0000

(Grandview, MO)

Scooter’s 710th bar, first visited in 2010.

I didn’t know such a thing existed in the Kansas City area, but Elbow Bend is a Pittsburgh Steelers themed bar.

The owners is a huge Steelers fan, as is her husband. The bar is decked out in Steelers memorabilia, and the husband has even been known to show off his Steelers underwear. The bar can get a little crazy during NFL season. Unfortunately they don’t have a Sunday license so have to settle for the Monday night games.

Apart from football watch parties, the bar also features pool tables, a shuffleboard, Silver Strike, and an old CD jukebox. It also has a friendly bartender and some of the friendliest regulars you could hope to meet.

12402 Blue Ridge Ext, Suite D
Grandview, MO 64030
US
[launch map]
(816) 765-7070

Whiskey River

scooterj — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 17:15:00 +0000

(Cape Girardeau, MO)

Scooter’s 706th bar, first visited in 2010.

Whiskey River has apparently just opened recently, the liquor license is new and there isn’t a permanent sign in place yet. It’s a huge facility, with the entrance being a converted garage door. From the layout I’d guess this was formerly a car dealership or body shop, perhaps?

There’s two rooms. The larger main room where the L-shaped bar is located is decorated in black and has a big screen TV, pool tables, Golden Tee, and several video poker type machines. Then, facing the street, is a much brighter side room (brighter due to the large windows) with several tables and another pool table. The dozen or so customers were all over in the main room.

Karaoke seems to be the big thing here, there’s a weekly karaoke contest on Friday nights.

1444 Independence St.
Cape Girardeau, MO 63703
US
[launch map]
(573) 335-2233

Rhymer’s on the Plaza

scooterj — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 17:14:00 +0000

(Cape Girardeau, MO)

Scooter’s 705th bar, first visited in 2010.

When I pulled up to the run-down strip mall where Rhymer’s is located, I didn’t expect much. Probably just a simple dank room with a pool table and nothing but cans. So I was surprised to find a spacious, well-designed bar space with tons of character and personality!

I was helped by two different bartenders during my visit, both of whom were friendly and had a good sense of humor. The L-shaped bar was clean and comfortable. Beer was available on tap, and drinks were cheap.

The layout of the space is unusual, but very clever. The front half divides into the bar area and the table-seating area / game area. (Darts, and in a first for me for for any bar I’ve been too — sit-down arcade racing games.) The back-half splits into the restrooms to one side and the pool tables room on the other side. In the center is a stage. It is separated from all the areas of the bar, yet at the same time is open to and visible from every location.

A good sized outdoor area is also available, though I didn’t check that out.

One other thing I enjoyed — the restrooms are painted in chalkboard paint. There is chalk available on the sink so you can leave your (temporary) mark for posterity.

10 Plaza Way
Cape Girardeau, MO 63703
US
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Name Formerly Visit Order:
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Rude Dog Pub

scooterj — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 17:12:00 +0000

(Downtown, Cape Girardeau, MO)

Scooter’s 703rd bar, first visited in 2010.

The bar was pretty crowded when I arrived and only got busier during the course of my visit. Nonetheless I was served immediately. I didn’t catch the bartender’s name — he was a young man with a pony tail — but he was very attentive and friendly and was a key part of what made this a good place to hang out for a little while.

The crowd was about an equal mix of bikers and middle-aged people.

The decor, while bordering on gimmicky, is whimsical enough to be amusing. (I particularly enjoyed the upside-down Christmas Tree on the ceiling.)

The bar has one pool table and a setup for live music in the front. As much as was in here it should have been crowded and claustrophobic, but it wasn’t. They make good use of their space.

This is definitely a bar I’ll be back to on future visits to the town.

123 N Main
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
US
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(573) 335-4447‎
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Do Drop Inn

scooterj — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:24:00 +0000

(Downtown, Lees Summit, MO)

Scooter’s 700th bar, first visited in 2010.

8:45pm

This was supposed to be our first stop of the day since it was listed online as opening at 10am, but they had recently changed their hours and now open at 2pm. So we decided to give it a visit on our way back into town.

There were few places left to sit in this downtown Lee’s Summit neighborhood dive, so we had to take a table by the door. The bar’s most interesting features are its piano and a collection of arrowheads displayed over the bar.

22 SW 3rd Street
Lees Summit, MO 64063
US
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(816) 525-7806

Russo’s Pizza & Pub

scooterj — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:23:00 +0000

(Lees Summit, MO)

Scooter’s 699th bar, first visited in 2010.

7:40pm

I’ve driven by Russo’s for many years but for some reason had never stopped in before tonight. Apparently it’s a biker bar, though I’ve never seen many bikes outside.

The pizza is a cracker crust with a delicious sweet tomato sauce and plenty of cheese. I would have liked a little more pepperoni but overall it was very good — we devoured a large in minutes.

The main bar room is fairly large, with several smaller dining areas broken off throughout the building.

I’d never seen wicker bar stools before…

9324 Missouri 7
Lees Summit, MO 64064
US
[launch map]
(816) 578-4943

Lake House Pub

scooterj — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:21:00 +0000

(Lake Lotawana, MO)

Scooter’s 697th bar, first visited in 2010.

6:35pm

This visit to an extremely popular night spot in Lake Lotawana finally settled a personal mystery of mine that has intrigued me since our accidental (but unsuccessful) discovery of this place 3+ years ago.

The tropical-themed bar is split level, with pool tables on both levels and a stage, patio, and the main bar on the lower level.

In the space of ten minutes we witnessed overfly friendly happy drunks and angry drunks trying to start trouble. But happy drunks were the clear majority, which is probably what makes this bar such a draw.

27909 East Colbern Road
Lake Lotawana, MO 64086
US
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(816) 578-5770
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Home Plate Grill & Sports Bar

scooterj — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:20:00 +0000

(Pleasant Hill, MO)

Scooter’s 696th bar, first visited in 2010.

This was a pretty basic strip mall hangout. Half the place was dedicated to the restaurant, the bar was on the other side of a dividing wall.

The bar side was set up like a sports bar and hosts live entertainment.

2119 N State Route 7
Pleasant Hill, MO 64080
US
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(816) 540-2000
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Rooster’s Sports Bar

scooterj — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:19:00 +0000

(Pleasant Hill, MO)

Scooter’s 695th bar, first visited in 2010.

5:25pm

Roosters is part steakhouse, part sports bar. It was pretty busy during our visit. According to the collapsing billboard outside they also feature live entertainment and dance nights.

100 S State Route 7
Pleasant Hill, MO 64080
US
[launch map]
(816) 987-5769

Fugly’s Bar & Grill

scooterj — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:17:00 +0000

(East Lynne, MO)

Scooter’s 693rd bar, first visited in 2010.

4:05pm

Operated by Modern Day Veterans Post 295, Fugley’s (aka The Assembly of the Drunken Brethren Church) is a bar & grill built from a converted century-old church. (Or older? I found a reference to a church founded in town in 1874, which would be consistent with the construction style.)

Not surprisingly this has offended a few people — there is a small Facebook group opposed to this bar — but I got the impression that the majority in the community enjoy the gathering spot and are happy seeing the historic building in use instead of sitting empty.

The building’s history results in the interior being one of the most beautiful bars I have ever visited (my pictures don’t do it justice), with much of the original woodwork exposed.

Where the pulpit once stood there are now some games and a stage, where there were once pews there are now bar tables and pool tables. The bar itself is V-shaped and occupies most of one of the long walls.

Thanks to it being happy hour this was the cheapest bar of the day, with $1 draws. So I broke my rule and stayed for another round.

109 Indiana
East Lynne, MO 64743
US
[launch map]
(816) 626-3307

Sharkeez

scooterj — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:12:00 +0000

(Downtown, Lees Summit, MO)

Scooter’s 688th bar, first visited in 2010.

11:40am

I was surprised to find this open this early, I had been under the impression it didn’t open until the afternoon. This was a really nice neighborhood bar.

About midway through our drinks we were finally joined by another customer for the first time today.

17 Southwest 3rd Street
Lees Summit, MO 64063
US
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(816) 600-6104
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The Peanut

scooterj — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:11:00 +0000

(Downtown, Lees Summit, MO)

Scooter’s 687th bar, first visited in 2010.

11:05am

The Peanut’s Lee’s Summit location is much larger than the Plaza or Downtown locations, but doesn’t have the same character or neighborhood feel as those locations. We played some Golden Tee during our late morning visit.

219 Southeast Main Street
Lees Summit, MO 64063
US
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(816) 524-9966
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Jerry’s Bait Shop

scooterj — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Lees Summit, MO)

Scooter’s 686th bar, first visited in 2010.

10:30am

Jerry’s main focus is as a music venue, but as we were the first customers of the day on a weekday we had the place to ourselves. Our bartender actually seemed confused to have customers this early. We got in a round of Silver Strike while enjoying our beers.

302 Southwest Main Street
Lees Summit, MO 64063
US
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(816) 525-1871
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Gordon Biersch Brewery

scooterj — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:11:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 680th bar, first visited in 2009.

Kansas City location of a brewpub restaurant chain. Beer is served directly from the vats via chilled taps.

The bar area is removed from the restaurant and has a more cozy feel than you might expect from a place of this size. The large windows behind the bar are a nice touch.

100 E. 14th Street
Kansas City, MO 64105
US
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(816) 471-2340
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Tengo Sed Cantina

scooterj — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:11:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 678th bar, first visited in 2009.

I was in here on a snowy Tuesday night so I was the only customer. Often this place gets pretty packed. They serve Mexican food, but I haven’t heard good things about it.

1323 Walnut
Kansas City, MO 64105
US
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(816) 442-8112
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Johnny’s Tavern

scooterj — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 677th bar, first visited in 2009.

Downtown KC location of a sports bar chain. It wasn’t super busy during my visit but it seems less likely to draw the Axe-wearing crowd than it’s neighbor McFadden’s down the street. I didn’t try the food but the menu looked impressive, with a good variety of sports bar favorites.

1310 Grand
Kansas City, MO 64106
US
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(816) 268-2260
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Red Rocket Saloon

scooterj — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:16:00 +0000

(Downtown, Odessa, MO)

Scooter’s 676th bar, first visited in 2009.

From outside I expected this place to be huge, instead I found Odessa’s tiniest bar. The few barstools were occupied so we had to take one of a few small tables. By the front door several people were playing at the one pool table that could fit, while the jukebox blared ’90s dance hits.

115 W. Mason St.
Odessa, MO 64076
US
[launch map]
(816) 456-8663

Miss Kelly Jo’s

scooterj — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:13:00 +0000

(Downtown, Oak Grove, MO)

Scooter’s 673rd bar, first visited in 2009.

There were three bars we planend to visit in Oak Grove. One turned out to be a formal restaurant, another appeared to be closed. But Miss Kelly Jo’s made the stop in Oak Grove worthwhile.

The space is clearly set up for live music and dancing, though none of that was going on this afternoon. There’s plenty here to keep you entertained, though, at any time of day.

The actual bar is a little tricky, it’s slightly elevated and as a result the stools are bolted to the floor, so if you’ve had a lot to drink it’s a bit of a challenge to get to get in and out of your seat.

1219 Broadway
Oak Grove, MO 64075
US
[launch map]
(816) 690-0039

Nila’s Pizza & Pub

scooterj — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:11:00 +0000

(Downtown, Grain Valley, MO)

Scooter’s 671st bar, first visited in 2009.

This was a bit unexpected, I checked it out on a whim but wasn’t expecting to find an actual bar inside.

Granted, the bar area is very small, a platform next to the kitchen with seating for maybe 6-8. But it does indeed seem to be serving as a neighborhood bar.

A couple of young guys setting next to us had been there drinking since opening. They had had breakfast (an appetizer sampler), has just finished lunch when we arrived (pizza), and were planning to stick around for dinner.

A handful of video games, a dart board, and a couple of TVs give this place a slight sports bar feel but it’s first and foremost a pizza place. And the pizza is VERY good. A true cracker crust and LOADED with cheese. I’ll have to come back for more.

522 Main
Grain Valley, MO 64029
US
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(816) 847-7990
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BT’s Sports Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:10:00 +0000

(Bristol Park, Grain Valley, MO)

Scooter’s 670th bar, first visited in 2009.

Had it not been for the giant banner hanging from the front of the building, BT’s would never have set off my BARDAR at all. It’s in the last place anyone would expect to find a sports bar — located inside a tiny enclosed strip strip mall attached to the leasing office of a large suburban apartment complex.

BT’s is brand new — in fact it had only been open just over a week when I visited — and so obviously hadn’t had time to develop a sense of character yet. But business was brisk and it does seem to have already established a steady stream of regulars. There are several large screen TVs around the room and each table has an individual sound system that can be tuned to any of the TVs. There’s also a good variety of bar food with different daily specials. And the staff was very friendly, too.

An interesting feature — if you live in the attached Bristol Park apartment complex, you can order “room service” from BT’s.

640-B NE Yennie St.
Grain Valley, MO 64029
US
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(816) 867-1187
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Crescent Moon Ale House

scooterj — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:10:00 +0000

(Leavenworth, Omaha, NE)

Scooter’s 669th bar, first visited in 2009.

This place is actually 3 bars in 1, plus a liquor store:

Crescent Moon is the main bar where you first walk in. It has more of a sports bar feel. This was what we visited.

Huber-Haus is a German beer hall in the basement. We tried to go here but it was packed. This section features beer in boots.

Max & Joe’s is off to the site of the main level, it’s a more quiet, laid-back restaurant/lounge.

Beertopia is the liquor store portion. We didn’t see an entrance from the bar area but may have missed it.

3578 Farnam Street
Omaha, NE 68131
US
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402) 345-1708Ã¢â‚¬Å½
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The Gusher

scooterj — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:10:00 +0000

(West Yellowstone, MT)

Scooter’s 667th bar, first visited in 2009.

The pizza may not be anything spectacular pretty standard. (I’m not a fan of any pizza that hides onions in the sauce. If I want onions on my pizza, I’ll order them.)

But, I got the most perfect pour of Guinness here that I have ever received.

40 Dunraven St
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
US
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(406) 646-9050
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Silver Dollar Bar

scooterj — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Cody, WY)

Scooter’s 663rd bar, first visited in 2009.

Great beer selection, great burgers!

Back room:

1313 Sheridan Ave
Cody, WY 82414
US
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(307) 527-7666
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Loud American Roadhouse

scooterj — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Sturgis, SD)

Scooter’s 662nd bar, first visited in 2009.

If you’re not going for a show, then go on Sunday night for the famous all-you-can-eat steak tips!

1305 Main St
Sturgis, SD 57785
US
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(605) 720-1500
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Dr Lucky’s Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Mitchell, SD)

Scooter’s 661st bar, first visited in 2009.

19 beers on tap. Food was basic fried standard bar food.

205 N Main St
Mitchell, SD 57301
US
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(605) 996-3200
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Tommy’s

scooterj — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:10:00 +0000

(Gladstone, MO)

Scooter’s 660th bar, first visited in 2009.

Usually restaurant lounges are kind of lame, but the lounge at Tommy’s holds its own as a sports dive. It’s isolated enough from the restaurant area that it feels like its own place.

6221 N Chestnut Ave
Gladstone, MO 64119
US
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(816) 413-8311
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Buck’s

scooterj — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:10:00 +0000

(Gladstone, MO)

Scooter’s 659th bar, first visited in 2009.

A former Ponderosa restaurant converted into a sports bar with pretty good Italian food and BBQ.

5708 N Oak Trfy
Gladstone, MO 64118
US
[launch map]
(816) 455-2825

Caddy Shack

scooterj — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:13:00 +0000

(Council Bluffs, IA)

Scooter’s 657th bar, first visited in 2009.

We were the first customers of the day, and the bartender was still cleaning up from previous night’s RAGBRAI crowd that had kept him extremely busy Saturday night.

This was a spacious roadhouse type bar with some pretty entertaining graffiti in the men’s room. We played our final game of Golden Tee for the trip before hitting the highway for real.

1426 4th Ave
Council Bluffs, IA 51501
US
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(712) 322-9708
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Glory Days

scooterj — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:11:00 +0000

(Downtown, Council Bluffs, IA)

Scooter’s 655th bar, first visited in 2009.

This was a pretty nice sports bar. We discussed our plans for the day — would we stop when we reached 100, or was 100 just a goal and we’d hit up a few more until we were ready to go home? We decided we would stop at 100 since it was a nice round number.

106 W Broadway
Council Bluffs, IA 51503
US
[launch map]
(712) 256-5922

Barley’s

scooterj — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Council Bluffs, IA)

Scooter’s 654th bar, first visited in 2009.

This was a really nice looking old bar. However, the bartender was MIA. We sat there for about 10 minutes before she appeared from a back room, surprised to see us.

After she served us she disappeared again. A few minutes later a woman came in who had left her card here the previous night. She looked around, checked the other room, then came back. “”Is anyone working here?”" she asked us. “”Nope, we had to serve ourselves,”" B joked. She finally managed to find the bartender and got her card.

114 W Broadway
Council Bluffs, IA 51503
US
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(712) 322-0306
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T Henery’s Pub

scooterj — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:35:00 +0000

(Old Market, Omaha, NE)

Scooter’s 651st bar, first visited in 2009.

We were making circles throughout the neighborhood and sort of stumbled across this place when we saw people disappearing under the sidewalk. The allure of a basement bar drew us in so we headed on down. We later realized this was one of the bars the bartender back at Homy Inn had recommended to us.

We found a basement sports bar that looked like a frathouse rec room, but I actually mean that in a good way. There was a DEA dog present, as far as I could tell it was here only because its handler was in for a visit, it didn’t seem anyone was getting busted for anything.

UPDATE: Revisited on Friday, April 28, 2023. Just like in 2009, I was still the oldest person in here — but this time by a much wider margin. The pictures below are from this new visit.

1102 Harney St
Omaha, NE 68102
US
[launch map]
(402) 345-3651

Bullpen

scooterj — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:34:00 +0000

(Old Market, Omaha, NE)

Scooter’s 650th bar, first visited in 2009.

This was more like it. It wasn’t super crowded like the other places had been. The front end of the bar was open air with a garage door style entrance. The bartenders were fun, as were the customers.

The restrooms were down a long corridor and were pretty disgusting — obviously a public restroom not associated with the bar.

1125 Jackson St
Omaha, NE 68102
US
[launch map]
(402) 502-5150

Old Dundee Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:30:00 +0000

(Dundee, Omaha, NE)

Scooter’s 646th bar, first visited in 2009.

At long last! B had been searching for the new PowerPutt Golf game for a few months, and now he finally found one. So we took a break to enjoy a game of virtual mini golf.

4964 Dodge St
Omaha, NE 68132
US
[launch map]
(402) 558-0801

Musette Bar

scooterj — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:24:00 +0000

(Benson, Omaha, NE)

Scooter’s 640th bar, first visited in 2009.

There was a cute little dog running around in here that loved to chase the ball and play fetch.

We noticed that this bar had more shuffleboard tables than most places. Turns out the owner is Shane Hagen, a champion shuffleboard player.

We asked the bartender about the name of the bar. He didn’t know the origin, just that it had had that name for nearly a hundred years and the current owner saw no reason to change it when he bought the place.

6020 Maple St
Omaha, NE 68104
US
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(402) 554-5830
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Delta House

scooterj — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:16:00 +0000

(West Omaha, Omaha, NE)

Scooter’s 632nd bar, first visited in 2009.

An “”Animal House”" themed bar! The walls were covered with props, publicity photos, and posters from the movie. We were the only customers at this time of day but this place looks like it could be a pretty fun hangout in the evenings.

3121 N 108th St
Omaha, NE 68164
US
[launch map]
(402) 934-4042

Lighthouse Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:14:00 +0000

(Northwest Omaha, Omaha, NE)

Scooter’s 630th bar, first visited in 2009.

This one came very close to not making the cut, but it was saved only because the very nondescript web site suggested that it was a dive even though the location suggested to us otherwise. We were intrigued enough to check it out.

The Lighthouse was very tricky to get to from Maple. It was only barely visible — we’d never have spotted had we not plotted its location in advance. Two congested left turns, then a parking lot maze that took us around the back of a strip mall in order to get us around to the far side where the entrance was.

It was still early so we were the only customers. We watched part of the movie “”Cocktail”" with the bartender and learned about the heroics of a local legend, illustrated in one of the photos above.

15676 W Maple Rd
Omaha, NE 68116
US
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(402) 498-3824
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The Fire Barn

scooterj — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:13:00 +0000

(Waterloo, NE)

Scooter’s 629th bar, first visited in 2009.

Not too far from The Depot we found The Fire Barn, a firefighter-themed bar in a brand new strip mall. (Which is why the map link puts it in the middle of a field.) The bar was covered with photos of burning buildings, the walls were adorned with fire station memorabilia, and there was even a fire pole near the door. (Unfortunately, with no upper level from which to slide down, it is more forr show.)

2601 River Road Dr
Waterloo, NE 68069
US
[launch map]
(402) 932-3600

Outer Limits Sports Bar

scooterj — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:11:00 +0000

(Valley, NE)

Scooter’s 627th bar, first visited in 2009.

I honestly didn’t expect this place to be open, suburban style sports bars usually do not open this early. But this one does, at least on Saturday, in order to take advantage of the nearby golf course. And sure enough, there were already a few golfers inside.

The problem was, the linoleum part of the floor was being waxed, during business hours. We were not able to enter through the main door and were only able to enter through a side door by making a jump to the carpeted area. All the furnishings had been moved to this carpeted area so there was very little room to maneuver. The four golfers were trapped, and the room smelled of floor cleaner. We even had to reach to get to our beers, unable to completely approach the bar. Luckily we were limber and sober enough to make a leaping escape when we were ready to go.

28564 W Reichmuth Rd
Valley, NE 68064
US
[launch map]
(402) 359-8757

Remedy Lounge

scooterj — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:33:00 +0000

(Downtown, Fremont, NE)

Scooter’s 625th bar, first visited in 2009.

Except for J’s Steakhouse, every bar we had visited tonight was busy. So it was surprising to find this place, dead. There were a few people out on the patio, but no one inside. The bartender seemed happy to have customers.

This was a big place with a barn-like feel. We played a Silver Strike series while cartoons played on the bar TVs. More customers arrived just as we were leaving to begin our long walk back for the night.

500 S Main St
Fremont, NE 68025
US
[launch map]
(402) 721-9833
Visit Web Site

DJ’s Bar & Grill

scooterj — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:32:00 +0000

(Downtown, Fremont, NE)

Scooter’s 624th bar, first visited in 2009.

We made it just in time, 10 minutes before the kitchen closed. B ordered a hot ham and cheese sandwich, an I ordered a smoked prime rib sandwich with swiss.

The food. Was. Amazing. A perfect barhopping meal!

415 S Main St
Fremont, NE 68025
US
[launch map]
(402) 721-2001

Corner Bar

scooterj — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:30:00 +0000

(Downtown, Fremont, NE)

Scooter’s 622nd bar, first visited in 2009.

Our beers were $1.80, an odd price. This was a risky place to enter and exit, the dart boards are immediately to the right inside the front door while the dart line is immediately to the left inside the front door.

300 N Main St
Fremont, NE 68025
US
[launch map]
(402) 721-9996

Big Red Keno

scooterj — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:27:00 +0000

(Fremont, NE)

Scooter’s 619th bar, first visited in 2009.

Having missed the Big Red Keno in Lincoln, we made sure to visit this location. It wasn’t what I expected on the inside being brightly lit and restaurant-like. Every booth had a flat panel screen that could be used for Keno results or to watch any channel you want.

2323 Laverna St
Fremont, NE 68025
US
[launch map]
(402) 721-8545

Franky & Oly’s

scooterj — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:26:00 +0000

(Fremont, NE)

Scooter’s 618th bar, first visited in 2009.

353 W 23rd St
Fremont, NE 68025
US
[launch map]
(402) 727-4119

Avenue Bar

scooterj — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:14:00 +0000

(Downtown, Columbus, NE)

Scooter’s 606th bar, first visited in 2009.

We picked this place first because we happened to stumble across it first. We ended up parking the car here to do the rest of Columbus on foot. The bar had just opened and the bartender wasn’t quite ready for customers but she took good care of us. She told us about the railroad construction that had nearly cut the town in half and how several trains roll by an hour.

1061 26th Ave
Columbus, NE 68601
US
[launch map]
(402) 563-3635

The Independent Club

scooterj — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:10:00 +0000

(Central City, NE)

Scooter’s 602nd bar, first visited in 2009.

A very big, old bar with all sorts of large, inflatable objects hanging from the ceiling.

417 G St
Central City, NE 68826
US
[launch map]
(308) 946-9819

RK’s Pub

scooterj — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:30:00 +0000

(South Locust, Grand Island, NE)

Scooter’s 601st bar, first visited in 2009.

A pretty generic strip mall bar in a new building. A big, open sports bar with a high ceiling and blank, gray-painted drywall walls. The place was so new it hasn’t really established any character yet, but business seemed to be good and customers were enjoying themselves.

217 E Stolley Park Rd
Grand Island, NE 68801
US
[launch map]
(308) 382-4288

Upper Deck Sports Bar & Grill

scooterj — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:24:00 +0000

(Grand Island, NE)

Scooter’s 595th bar, first visited in 2009.

Entering this place was kind of strange, we walked down a smelly, carpeted hallway though a series of glass doors, with meeting rooms on either side. At the end of the hallway a couple of flights of stairs led to the bar that occupied most of the building’s upper level.

Their draws were all pints so we ordered 12-oz bottles. B asked for a glass to pour his beer into. He was handed a pint glass, and B’s beer filled it to the top. Busted! One of the barbacks overheard us talking about it and gave us a physics demonstration showing that what looks like very little liquid at the the top of the glass looks like a whole lot at the bottom of the glass. But that still doesn’t explain where other other 4 ounces went.

2110 W 2nd St
Grand Island, NE 68803
US
[launch map]
(308) 381-8666

Mitchell’s Recreation

scooterj — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:21:00 +0000

(Aurora, NE)

Scooter’s 592nd bar, first visited in 2009.

This was a pool hall with a very nice bar. Lots of original brick and exposed timbers. When we first stepped in I thought this might be a gay bar because the bartender had a big mustache and was wearing very short, tight denim shorts, but the place was pretty full with women slightly outnumbering men so it must have just been his personal style.

1229 M St
Aurora, NE 68818
US
[launch map]
(402) 694-3272

Hunters Restaurant Lounge

scooterj — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:17:00 +0000

(Waco, NE)

Scooter’s 588th bar, first visited in 2009.

This place has a split personality. When you walk in you are presented with a choice of two doors: one leading to the Keno lounge and one leading to the restaurant/lounge. We chose the door on the right and sat at a bar that was your basic bar & grill type of place with a slight sports bar feel to it. We also checked out the other side, it was much darker and more lounge-like with more of an emphasis on hard liquor and mixed drinks as opposed to the beer emphasis on the other side. Though the Keno lounge is where the hard core Keno players hang out, you can actually play Keno on both sides.

311 Midland St
Waco, NE 68460
US
[launch map]
(402) 728-5613
Visit Web Site

Spare Time Lounge

scooterj — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:13:00 +0000

(Seward, NE)

Scooter’s 584th bar, first visited in 2009.

This was a bowling alley bar but was pretty isolated from the bowling, enough to give it its own personality. It had a very unusual, split-level layout (see pictures above) that made the bartender actually lower than the customers at about 2/3 of the barstools. They had recently opened a new patio, I believe they called it “The Beach Club”Â.

123 S 4th St
Seward, NE 68434
US
[launch map]
(402) 643-3898

DJ’s Bar & Grill

scooterj — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:12:00 +0000

(Staplehurst, NE)

Scooter’s 583rd bar, first visited in 2009.

We werenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t 100% sure if there would be a bar here or not, our research had given us an iffy impression that it might have gone out of business a few months ago. But it was open and business seemed to be good.

There was a beer garden, and this place was unusually clean and well-maintained for a bar in such a small town.

330 A St
Staplehurst, NE 68439
US
[launch map]
(402) 535-2253

Brass Rail

scooterj — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:32:00 +0000

(Downtown, Lincoln, NE)

Scooter’s 579th bar, first visited in 2009.

Upon entering we noticed that this was definitely a fratboy hangout.

1436 O St
Lincoln, NE 68508
US
[launch map]
(402) 474-5741

Good Times

scooterj — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:22:00 +0000

(Louisville, NE)

Scooter’s 569th bar, first visited in 2009.

The people in this bar were very friendly. While walking back from the restroom I accidently bumped into a biker, causing him to spill some of his beer. “”Oh, I’m really sorry,”" I told him. “”Oh don’t worry about it,”" he said with a laugh, “”it’s no harm at all.”"

225 Main St
Louisville, NE 68037
US
[launch map]
(402) 234-9900

Brown Bottle

scooterj — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:18:00 +0000

(Union, NE)

Scooter’s 565th bar, first visited in 2009.

By now it was a little after 3:00 in the afternoon. We walked up to the front door of the bar, and it was locked. We turned to walk away, then noticed the other door we were standing right next to. Open. We had been tricked by a false door.

The bartender was not from Union herself, and told us about how the nearby town of Nehawka is where most of the people around this general area go to school.

Midway through our drinks the back door opened and a thick, tough-looking farm guy entered. He sat down to our left and ordered, a vodka cranberry??? C’mon, dude!

108 Main St
Union, NE 68455
US
[launch map]
(402) 263-9755

End Zone

scooterj — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:16:00 +0000

(Nebraska City, NE)

Scooter’s 563rd bar, first visited in 2009.

Looked like a converted Pizza Shoppe. Had a sand volleyball court outside, something we soon found to be common about Nebraska bars. (The other commonality is that nearly all of them have Keno.)

The Silver Strike machine had inadvertently been left in admin mode, so we could easily have had a lot of fun with that.

703 S 11th St
Nebraska City, NE 68410
US
[launch map]
(402) 873-9909

Brock’s Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 09 May 2009 17:11:00 +0000

(Northland, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 556th bar, first visited in 2009.

Nice sports bar in Platte County. Good food, good prices, friendly people. Front patio is fully enclosed during the colder months or during rain so it can be used regardless of the weather.

6541 N Cosby Ave
Kansas City, MO 64151
US
[launch map]
(816) 741-0410
Visit Web Site

Brass Rail

scooterj — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:24:00 +0000

(Northland, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 553rd bar, first visited in 2009.

This is definitely not the same type of Brass Rail as the other Brass Rail I’ve been to. Basically a gigantic pool hall with a bar. We got in another round of Silver Strike here.

This was an unplanned stop. I was minutes away from dropping B off at this home when his wife called and asked us to stay out later so she could get the baby to sleep. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime phone call, so we pulled over at the first place we found to kill some more time.

4940 NE 81st St
Kansas City, MO 64119
US
[launch map]
(816) 468-6100
Visit Web Site

Gator’s VIII Bar & Grill

scooterj — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:23:00 +0000

(Platte Woods, MO)

Scooter’s 552nd bar, first visited in 2009.

I’d long suspected that there ought to be a bar in this location, but despite numerous drive-bys and Google searches I couldn’t come up with anything. Which bothered me because I didn’t like that my BARDAR was not functioning correctly.

It turns out I was right after all, there is a bar here, but it’s virtually impossible to see from the road. But being hidden doesn’t seem to hurt business, Gator’s was absolutely jam-packed. We barely found room to stand around a Silver Strike machine.

6712 NW Tower Dr
Platte Woods, MO 64151
US
[launch map]
(816) 741-0631

Fatheads Irish Pub

scooterj — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:18:00 +0000

(Downtown, Leavenworth, KS)

Scooter’s 547th bar, first visited in 2009.

This was the first place we went to to make us fill out membership cards. This was a split-level bar, the bar area was down a half flight of stairs from an initial seating area, then below that initial area was a third room.

I don’t understand the concept of places that call themselves Irish pubs but don’t have Guinness on tap. We grabbed our Bud Lights and went to the back corner to play some Silver Strike.

UPDATE (April 6, 2013)

This place has gotten a lot better since my previous visit! There was Guinness on tap, and the bartender served up great pours! Also it appears the private clubs are a thing of the past. Great visit!

The mirrored ceiling still messes with my head.

327 Delaware St
Leavenworth, KS 66048
US
[launch map]
(913) 651-1006
Visit Web Site

Sweetwoods Bar & Grille

scooterj — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:17:00 +0000

(Downtown, Leavenworth, KS)

Scooter’s 546th bar, first visited in 2009.

This was a clean, well-lit, open place. A band was setting up in front, and we grabbed some lunch while watching golf and baseball on the TVs. Off to the side is another room with pool tables.

UPDATE (April 6, 2013)

Now called Wildwoods Saloon. For the most bar it looks the same as before. But we had the friendliest bartender, the owner was terrific, and the cooks are heroes for re-opening the kitchen when we returned too late to get anything to eat. We had a great time here, and this is now my favorite bar in downtown Leavenworth!

325 Delaware St
Leavenworth, KS 66048
US
[launch map]
(913) 680-1670
Visit Web Site

Clarette Club

scooterj — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Mission, KS)

Scooter’s 538th bar, first visited in 2009.

Old school dive bar / lounge in the back of a shopping center in downtown Mission.

5400 Martway St
Mission, KS 66205
US
[launch map]
(913) 384-0986

The Peanut

scooterj — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:10:00 +0000

(South Plaza, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 531st bar, first visited in 2009.

Arguably the best of the Peanut locations. Very old, tiny, but cozy neighborhood bar. Fills up with college students weekend nights but the rest of the time is a comfortable, laid back place.

5000 Main
Kansas City, MO 64112
US
[launch map]
(816) 753-9499

Ye Ole Inn

scooterj — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:11:00 +0000

(Cloverdale, IN)

Scooter’s 530th bar, first visited in 2008.

Ye Ole Inn has been open since 2004 in a building that has served many purposes: previously a video store, before that a furniture store, and originally a 1940s gas station.

These eclectic uses explain the unique layout of the bar, broken into multiple rooms. There’s a pool room, the main bar area with the jukebox and a 3-sided arcing bar, and a back nook.

101 S Main St
Cloverdale, IN 46120
US
[launch map]
(765) 795-5533

Tristan’s

scooterj — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:18:00 +0000

(Newark, OH)

Scooter’s 528th bar, first visited in 2008.

Part sports bar, part night club. The exterior looked more like an air conditioning repair business than a bar, but thee inside was nicely done. The staff was friendly, the drinks were good, and the bathrooms were the largest and nicest of any I saw in Newark.

370 W Church St
Newark, OH
US
[launch map]
(740) 349-1700
Visit Web Site

Tony’s Bar

scooterj — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:15:00 +0000

(Newark, OH)

Scooter’s 525th bar, first visited in 2008.

I sought this place out specifically because of an online review I found that made this out to be the absolute worst bar in town. Because part of me enjoys seeing a bar that’s really that bad, but mostly because 9 times out of 10 the bar turns out to actually be perfectly find and the reviewer is in fact one of those uptight snobbish types who wants everything cleean, pristine, and high-dollar. That’s the way it turned out to be with Tony’s.

The front part of Tony’s very much resembles a 1950s style diner, down to the booths, the bar stools, and the photos on the walls. The back room has pool tables and is occasionally used for bands.

The selection of beer on tap, while limited, is more varied than most dive bars. This was the only place in town where I had Guinness from tap.

392 W Main St
Newark, OH 43055
US
[launch map]
(740) 345-8657
Visit Web Site

Full Moon Bar & Grill

scooterj — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:10:00 +0000

(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 St
Vandalia, IL 62471
US
[launch map]
(618) 283-4873
Visit Web Site

Fatheads and Braindeads

scooterj — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:17:00 +0000

(Grandview, MO)

Scooter’s 518th bar, first visited in 2008.

2 blocks west of downtown, Fatheads and Braindeads is a huge and popular biker bar.

We entered through the rear, as had all the employees and the few customers inside. Which was a bad thing, because the angle of the sun was creating such a glare on the tinted front windows that the “Open” sign and lighted beer signs were completely invisible. Couple with no cars in the front lot, it created an illusion that the bar was closed. We saw numerous cars pull into the lot, drive by slowly, and leave. One of the employees started running to the front door each time trying to wave people in, but her efforts went unnoticed. So we we had the spacious interior pretty much completely to ourselves as we played Silver Strike.

If other times that I had driven by are any indication, the place was likely packed after the sun sank low enough to make the lighted signs visible again. So a note to any would-be visitors, yes this place IS open on Saturday afternoon despite how it may look from the front!

By the way this bar has a feature usually found in coffee shops but slowly spreading into bars these days: free wi-fi.

514 Main St
Grandview, MO 64030
US
[launch map]
(816) 761-6060
Visit Web Site

One-Eyed Jacks

scooterj — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:15:00 +0000

(Belton, MO)

Scooter’s 516th bar, first visited in 2008.

I’ve never seen this place not busy, and this afternoon was no exception. While relatively peaceful on the bar side, the billiards side was crowded and peppered with arguments and bickering. Already this early on the afternoon there was talk of people that needed to be thrown out. This is the kind of place I can see fights likely breaking out at, yet at the same time looks like a fun place to hang out.

114 E North Ave
Belton, MO 64012
US
[launch map]
(816) 322-2793

The Locker Room

scooterj — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:14:00 +0000

(Belton, MO)
Formerly Jose Pepper’s

OUT OF BUSINESS
Closed July 2009.

Scooter’s 515th bar, first visited in 2008.

Locker Room opened in September 2008 in a former Jose Pepper’s restaurant. The bar has a nice decor that fits the theme well, and our bartender slung drinks with lightning speed while entertaining us with magic tricks (and teaching us how to do them). We were surprised to see children running around, but should have expected that with the word “Family” on the sign out front.

1314 E North Ave
Belton, MO 64012
US
[launch map]
816) 331-7600

Frankie and Johnny’s

scooterj — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:13:00 +0000

(Belton, MO)

Scooter’s 514th bar, first visited in 2008.

A relative newcomer to Belton in a former bowling alley, this bar was much bigger, and much nicer, than I expected it to be. And in my book this is usually a bad sign. However the upscale appearance didn’t translate to expensive drinks, and our bartender was very friendly and attentive. The beer was served very cold — so cold in fact that it was hurting our bartender’s hands.

Located off the outer road on the east side of US-71.

17209 S. 71 Highway
Belton, MO 64012
US
[launch map]
(816) 318-1474
Visit Web Site

McGrew’s Pub

scooterj — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:12:00 +0000

(Raymore, MO)

Scooter’s 513th bar, first visited in 2008.

Located in a strip mall off MO-58, McGrew’s doesn’t fit the usual profile of a suburban strip mall bar. What on the outside looked like a generic chain was genuine local dive on the inside. As we played on the trivia machine (which was prestocked with a couple dozen credits) our surly bartender had no qualms about chewing out her assistants in front of the customers. A good find.

1276 W Foxwood Dr
Raymore, MO 64083
US
[launch map]
(816) 322-5782

Butcher’s Inn

scooterj — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:11:00 +0000

(Raymore, MO)

Scooter’s 512th bar, first visited in 2008.

The closest thing to a downtown bar in this town that seems to lack a downtown, Butcher’s Inn is hidden away behind the bend in MO-58. The L-shaped bar is nestled into the back of the blue-painted dining area, with a patio off to the side.

422 W Pine St
Raymore, MO 64083
US
[launch map]
(816) 322-7821

Blue Moose Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 17:10:00 +0000

(Prairie Village Shops, Prairie Village, KS)

Scooter’s 506th bar, first visited in 2008.

Suburban bar & grill. Good drink specials on Thursday nights.

4160 W 71st St
Prairie Village, KS 66208
US
[launch map]
(913) 722-9463
Visit Web Site

Centerfield Pub

scooterj — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:22:00 +0000

(Excelsior Springs, MO)

Scooter’s 501st bar, first visited in 2008.

This place is so new it doesn’t even have signage yet (other than a pole sign facing the interstate) so we had to ask what the name was.

115 Crown Hill Rd.
Excelsior Springs, MO 64024
US
[launch map]
816-637-2288

Dani’s Hitch Lot

scooterj — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:21:00 +0000

(Downtown, Excelsior Springs, MO)

Scooter’s 500th bar, first visited in 2008.

It wasn’t at all by design that my 500th bar turned out to be a brand new bar in the home town of two of my best friends, we had expected that to happen somewhere between Lathrop and Lawson. So to me personally I thought it was really cool that it worked out that way.

Dani’s Hitch Lot opened this summer in the space formerly occupied by the Downtowner. However it is three times the size of the old bar… walls have been knocked down extending the bar into two adjacent buildings.

For those unfamiliar with Excelsior Springs, the Hitch Lot is a piece of land downtown that was gifted to the city around the turn of the last century by E.L. “Liv” Morse, with the stipulation that horses never be barred from the land. (Hence the name.) While technically it’s probably still legal to tie up your horse there, nowadays it is set aside by the city as a safe place for teenagers to cruise and hang out. Dani’s Hitch Lot, while borrowing the landmark name, is a few blocks away on the other end of downtown Excelsior Springs.

Oddly, B and I went back and forth asking for various beers we were in the mood for and they didn’t have any of them. Since we were unable to make up our minds, the bartender gave us both Mickey’s Malt Liquor.

259 E Broadway St
Excelsior Springs, MO 64024
US
[launch map]
(816) 637-3264

Overtime Sports Lounge

scooterj — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:18:00 +0000

(Lathrop, MO)

Scooter’s 497th bar, first visited in 2008.

Lathrop used to have as many as 4 bars at once, by a year ago it was down to just two. Then last year one of the two burned down, leaving Overtime Sports Lounge across the street as the only remaining bar in Lathrop.

This place is pretty nice on the inside, with a polished stone (marble? granite?) bar top and high-backed leather barstools that were beyond comfortable.

619 Oak St
Lathrop, MO 64465
US
[launch map]
(816) 528-3860

Camaro’s Lounge

scooterj — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:10:00 +0000

(Bethany, MO)

Scooter’s 489th bar, first visited in 2008.

Our draws (Bud Light & Busch Light) were the most expensive of the day, at $2.50 each. It may seem cheap to you, but that’s really high for the small town bars we typically visit.

The building is divided into two well-distinguished sections: a steakhouse buffet on the west end and the lounge on the east end. The lounge is decorated with Camaro and racing themes, with a small stage in the northeast corner.

22208 E Us Highway 136
Bethany, MO 64424
US
[launch map]
(660) 425-6665

KC’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill

scooterj — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:27:00 +0000

(Merriam, KS)

Scooter’s 485th bar, first visited in 2008.

We were about to give up on finding this place, because the neighborhood was just seeming way too residential and we figured we had to have bad information. We were stunned when suddenly, there it was, in a tiny strip mall anchored by a gas station.

This place too was a private club. We were asked repeatedly for club IDs but kept pretending not to hear. After a while it was forgotten about.

Just before we played some free games of Silver Strike and Bags, the bartender demonstrated with B’s PBR that the Guinness Surger actually works with any beer… except that it has the side effect of making non-Guinness beers go flat.

10201 W 47th St
Merriam, KS 66203
US
[launch map]
(913) 262-7211

Bilski’s Bar & Grill

scooterj — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:25:00 +0000

(Shawnee, KS)

Scooter’s 483rd bar, first visited in 2008.

We entered a neighborhood where I fully expected to find bonus bars, and this was the first such find. This was another bar where the bartender insisted on selling us a pitcher, even though he would have made more money selling us draws and it would have been no more work for him.

Behind my head was a display of autographed baseballs that someone had draped a set of Mardis Gras beads on. B mistook this for some sort of game and tried to get D to remove and rearrange the balls.

Just as we told the bartender would be the case, we did not wish to finish our pitcher and gave the second half to two women sitting at the bar. Not only did the bar get a couple bucks less from us than they would have if they had sold us what we wanted, now these two women had extra drinks that no one was paying for. Oh well.

5831 Merriam Dr
Shawnee, KS 66203
US
[launch map]
(913) 831-2337

Jobsite

scooterj — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:19:00 +0000

(Olathe, KS)

Scooter’s 477th bar, first visited in 2008.

I had a Bud Light while B & D both had Bud Select. We found a Silver Strike machine, where I proceeded to bowl my second worst game in nearly 2 years. At least I managed to use the correct restroom on the first try.

Note the stripper pole…

D found a bar game that dispenses porno DVDs as the prizes! We couldn’t decide between “Peter Girls” and “Heat Strokes” though.

Bad news… the machine ended up eating B’s quarter.

1318 E Park St
Olathe, KS 66061
US
[launch map]
(913) 782-2449
Visit Web Site

Double Nickel Bar & Grill

scooterj — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:18:00 +0000

(Olathe, KS)

Scooter’s 476th bar, first visited in 2008.

I nearly used the women’s restroom for the second time today! Luckily I was corrected by a passing server. In my defense, the doors of both restrooms were propped open, hiding the signs. Though B&D both insist there was exterior signage that I overlooked.

189 S Rogers Rd # 1614
Olathe, KS 66062
US
[launch map]
(913) 782-4140
Visit Web Site

Austins Bar & Grill

scooterj — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:17:00 +0000

(Gardner, KS)

Scooter’s 475th bar, first visited in 2008.

Like Wally’s, another small regional strip mall bar & grill chain. I had a Guinness, while B & D had Bud Select. B&D opted for 20oz draws since they were cheaper, so we played trivia in order to allow them time to finish.

245 N Moonlight Rd
Gardner, KS 66030
US
[launch map]
(913) 856-6965
Visit Web Site

Wally’s Neighborhood Bar-Grill

scooterj — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:16:00 +0000

(Gardner, KS)

Scooter’s 474th bar, first visited in 2008.

Strip mall chain

808 E Main St
Gardner, KS 66030
US
[launch map]
(913) 856-3885

Salt Mine

scooterj — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:11:00 +0000

(Baldwin City, KS)

Scooter’s 469th bar, first visited in 2008.

It took us quite a while to find the Salt Mine earlier in the morning, which is funny because it was right next door to Puckett’s. Until the beer signs lit up we thought this was a house.

Like Puckett’s it used dollar bills as wallpaper, but to a much greater degree. Unlike Puckett’s, it seemed to be the college kid hangout as 7 students from nearby Baker University showed up in 7 different cars and sat together talking about their classes.

I had a Boulevard Stout, while B & D had Bud Light. The draws here were a little large, which is probably what draws the college kids, so we played some trivia while finishing our drinks.

301 Ames St
Baldwin City, KS 66006
US
[launch map]
(785) 594-2498

Mike’s Tavern

scooterj — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:33:00 +0000

(UMKC, Kansas City, MO)

Closed November 2009 after more than 40 years in business.

Re-opened under new ownership in May 2010.

Scooter’s 458th bar, first visited in 2008.

Our last stop of the evening corrected a 15-year-old injustice. This is essentially the college bar for UMKC and Rockhurst. But on my one and only visit in college, I drank only a Sprite!

This place was packed for a Monday night. We played Silver Strike again, this time a few games of trick bowling.

5424 Troost Ave
Kansas City, MO 64110
US
[launch map]
(816) 444-3399
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Flamingo Lounge

scooterj — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:29:00 +0000

(East Side, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 454th bar, first visited in 2008.

“We’re going to be the only white people in here,” said B. “Naw, this is going to be pretty much all white,” I replied. I wish we had bet, as I was right.

The place was divided into two rooms separated by the bar in the middle. On one side a dart league was underway, on the other a billiards league.

8642 E 63rd St
Kansas City, MO 64133
US
[launch map]
(816) 353-9667
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Stix & Stones

scooterj — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:20:00 +0000

(Sugar Creek, MO)

Scooter’s 445th bar, first visited in 2008.

We had heard about this as a new place earlier in the day back at Down The Road but coming across it was actually kind of a fluke… we’d
never have even driven past had heavy traffic not forced us to backtrack a little earlier.

We didn’t quite get the name since the inside was decorated mainly with a classic car theme. The beer taps were kinda cool I thought:

We were starting to get hungry but didn’t see anything on the appetizer menu that was quite what we were wanting, so after some bar trivia we pressed on…

11404 E. 24 Hwy
Sugar Creek, MO 64054
US
[launch map]
(816) 833-STIX
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Tonahill’s Three of A Kind

scooterj — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:19:00 +0000

(Englewood, Independence, MO)
Formerly Cecil’s

Scooter’s 444th bar, first visited in 2008.

Formerly Cecil’s, the interior has been renovated to make this place the third Tonahill’s location.

On the way out we noticed this message on one of the tables:

11703 E 23rd St S
Independence, MO 64050
US
[launch map]
(816) 833-5021

Players Club Bar & Grill

scooterj — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:17:00 +0000

(Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 442nd bar, first visited in 2008.

This former Mr. Steak restaurant was bought, gutted, and transformed into a bar last year by the current owner/bartender.

My beer was flat, but the bartender made it right by making me a mixed drink at no extra charge.

1501 S Noland Rd
Independence, MO 64055
US
[launch map]
(816) 836-9400

Old Chicago

scooterj — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:10:00 +0000

(Shawnee Mission, KS)

Closed, but a new bar has opened in the same location.
Next became a Mickey’s Irish Pub. Now it’s called Saints.

Now it’s called Saints.

Scooter’s 434th bar, first visited in 2008.

Generic suburban chain bar

9720 Quivira Rd
Shawnee Mission, KS 66215
US
[launch map]
(913) 894-2739
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Plano Super Bowl

scooterj — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:16:00 +0000

(Plano, TX)

Scooter’s 429th bar, first visited in 2008.

Bowling alley bar, but totally isolated from the bowling alley.

2521 K Ave
Plano, TX 75074
US
[launch map]
(972) 881-0242

Al’s Hideaway

scooterj — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:14:00 +0000

(Dallas, TX)

Scooter’s 427th bar, first visited in 2008.

A private club to get around the local smoking ban. Membership was easy.

14902 Preston Rd
Dallas, TX 75254
US
[launch map]
(972) 233-0500

Austin Avenue Grill & Bar

scooterj — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:13:00 +0000

(Plano, TX)

Scooter’s 426th bar, first visited in 2008.

Huge places divided into multiple rooms — each room with its own format.

A private club to get around the local smoking ban. Membership was easy.

935 W Parker Rd # 410
Plano, TX 75023
US
[launch map]
(972) 422-8003
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Industry Bar

scooterj — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:11:00 +0000

(Dallas, TX)

Scooter’s 424th bar, first visited in 2008.

Maybe I went on the wrong night of the week. I’ve heard great things about this bar and I wanted to like it, but it just didn’t come off right for me. It didn’t seem to be the fault of the bar itself, more the crowd. It was PACKED (how we managed to actually get a table is beyond me).

Though there were a few older people, overall the crowd was young… VERY young… and much of it was people trying to look and act cool (but failing at best, others were coming off as douches).

Based on what I know of the bar, I’d probably have loved it if I’d gotten there earlier when it wasn’t so crowded. I may give it another shot next time I’m in that area.

5427 Belt Line Rd
Dallas, TX 75254
US
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(972) 763-1600
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Boomer’s Sports Bar

scooterj — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:10:00 +0000

(Purcell, OK)

Scooter’s 423rd bar, first visited in 2008.

Boomers is located right in the heart of downtown Purcell. It’s slightly larger than most small town bars and a little cleaner than many I’ve been in too.

The bar sometimes hosts live bands, though there wasn’t anything like that going on while I was there. It was a mix of mostly older folk and a few younger folk. Our bartender took time to converse with us despite being fairly busy.

Overall, a good but typical small town bar.

126 W Main St
Purcell, OK 73080
US
[launch map]
(405) 527-3404

Keyhole Tavern

scooterj — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Mission, KS)

Scooter’s 415th bar, first visited in 2008.

Neighborhood dive/sports bar tucked away on a side street in downtown Mission.

5902 Woodson Rd
Mission, KS 66202
US
[launch map]
(913) 262-9881

R G’s

scooterj — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:29:00 +0000

(40 Hwy, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 414th bar, first visited in 2007.

This was confusing because the marquee sign had me convinced this was a Chinese restaurant, but inside it was all bar. We played darts, surprisingly well for after 20 beers. A case of the hiccups frustrated me early in the game but I overcame them shortly.

D noticed this claw machine and we realized we had seen about 4 of them during the day. Kind of an odd thing to see in a bar.

9100 E 35th St S
Independence, MO 64052
US
[launch map]
(816) 358-5777

Stick’s Bar & Grill

scooterj — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:16:00 +0000

(Blue Springs, MO)

Scooter’s 401st bar, first visited in 2007.

Pool hall. I can’t remember if we played any pool, but I’m pretty sure we introduced D to Silver Strike here.

786 SW 40 Hwy
Blue Springs, MO 64015
US
[launch map]
(816) 220-2280

Trouser Mouse Bar & Grill

scooterj — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:13:00 +0000

(Blue Springs, MO)

Scooter’s 398th bar, first visited in 2007.

Blues, Jazz, Bluegrass, & Rockabilly venue in a strip mall. Several pool tables, too.

The coin boxes on the pool tables were being emptied while we were here and I never realized how much money pool tables make. Sounded like slot machines.

625 NW Mock Ave
Blue Springs, MO 64014
US
[launch map]
(816) 220-1222
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McFadden’s

scooterj — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 18:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 392nd bar, first visited in 2007.

Initially positioned itself as an Irish sports bar but it’s really neither. Food is good, service is spotty. Gets crowded at night with the striped-shirt set.

1330 Grand
Kansas City, MO 64106
US
[launch map]
(816) 471-1330
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Jersey’s Sports Cafe

scooterj — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 17:21:00 +0000

(Ripley, Independence, MO)

Scooter’s 388th bar, first visited in 2007.

We grabbed some Guinness and played a few games of Silver Strike. I was way off my game. Just like I have been with bowling in real life.

17307 E US Highway 24
Independence, MO 64056
US
[launch map]
(816) 257-1771

Johnnie’s On Seventh

scooterj — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 17:22:00 +0000

(Strawberry Hill, Kansas City, KS)
Formerly Johnnie’s Club, Johnnie’s Sports Bar

Scooter’s 363rd bar, first visited in 2007.

aka Johnnie’s On Seventh

We’d tried to come here 3 weekends ago but that was on a Sunday and they were closed. Behind the bar sits a really cool little brick street neighborhood. Private club.

UPDATE

Revisited on November 5, 2016. No longer a private club, so no smoking. The bartender was serving as DJ via YouTube, and free fried catfish was offered up. Good craft beer selection. Pictures below are from that visit.

55 S 7th St
Kansas City, KS 66101
US
[launch map]
(913) 371-0300
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Dot Landers

scooterj — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 17:19:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, KS)

Scooter’s 360th bar, first visited in 2007.

All I remember really is that it was packed, but we did find an empty table.

RE-VISITED ON DEC 28, 2018

The bar was recently renovated. The front entrance was rebuild to move the door into an alcove protected from the rain, the original brick walls were exposed, and some new paint. After seeing it in 2018 I know have very faint, vague memories of it from 2007.

1705 Central Ave
Kansas City, KS 66102
US
[launch map]
(913) 233-1872
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Paddy O’Quigleys Pub & Grille

scooterj — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 17:12:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)

OUT OF BUSINESS
Closed in early 2008, less than a year after opening.

Scooter’s 348th bar, first visited in 2007.

100 E 20th St
Kansas City, MO 64108
US
[launch map]
(816) 842-0400
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Sports Page Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 17:15:00 +0000

(State Ave, Kansas City, KS)
Formerly an arcade and water slide

Scooter’s 338th bar, first visited in 2007.

We had a hard time finding this place which was why we had to do some backtracking. We paused for lunch at an Arby’s and while we were there deduced that our next stop had to be located down the hill across the street.

The locals all touted this as the premier bar in the area and the best place to be. It was large and decent, but an older man to our left was being a little too pompous about this place and describing everything else as a shithole.

941 N 74th Dr
Kansas City, KS 66112
US
[launch map]
(913) 788-5139

To the Hoop Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 17:13:00 +0000

(State Ave, Kansas City, KS)

Scooter’s 336th bar, first visited in 2007.

A pretty small sports bar in a commercial area. I had a Bud Select and quickly remembered why I don’t get Bud Select. A patron to our right filled us in on a couple of nearby places to try, includuding The Sports Page plus a place further down the road that he had never worked up the courage to try. So naturally that’s where we went next.

7912 State Ave
Kansas City, KS 66112
US
[launch map]
(913) 334-1700

Jerry’s Neighborhood Sports Bar

scooterj — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 17:11:00 +0000

(Bethel, Kansas City, KS)

Scooter’s 334th bar, first visited in 2007.

Because of the lack of neon we had driven right past this place without noticing it. The main bar was full, with everyone watching one of the Die Hard movies on TV, so we had to sit at the side bar.

8048 Leavenworth Rd
Kansas City, KS 66109
US
[launch map]
(913) 788-3596

Office Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 17:10:00 +0000

(Bethel, Kansas City, KS)

Scooter’s 333rd bar, first visited in 2007.

Our first stop was actually a bonus bar. We weren’t expecting to find one here and were just flying by when B spotted it. Our bartender, who was watching women’s softball on TV, was a wealth of information and filled us in on the concept of private clubs in KCK. She also told us about several others that would be open on a Sunday. This included two right next door on either side that we had completely failed to notice.

8016 Leavenworth Rd
Kansas City, KS 66109
US
[launch map]
(913) 788-5108

Ryan’s Sports Bar

scooterj — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 17:17:00 +0000

(Kirksville, MO)

Scooter’s 319th bar, first visited in 2007.

B: Bud Lite 10oz draw – $1.75
S: Bud Lite 10oz draw – $1.75

112 W Harrison St
Kirksville, MO 63501
US
[launch map]
(660) 627-5919

The Locker Room

scooterj — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 17:15:00 +0000

(Kirksville, MO)

Scooter’s 317th bar, first visited in 2007.

B: Bud Lite 10oz draw – $1.50
S: Bud Lite 10oz draw – $1.50

We watched a couple rounds of UFC with several other guys.

106 S Elson St
Kirksville, MO 63501
US
[launch map]
(660) 665-4448
Visit Web Site

Dugout

scooterj — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 17:33:00 +0000

(Ottumwa, IA)

OUT OF BUSINESS
Shut down in July 2008 after a drug raid.

Scooter’s 305th bar, first visited in 2007.

B: Miller Light 10oz draw – $1.50
S: Miller Light 10oz draw – $1.50
And yet another zig-zag across the street. This bar was divided into two rooms – the front main bar area and a back room. It was karaoke night, with a karaoke guy set up in the front corner of the back room. Despite the bar being crowded, most of the people were in the front room and hardly anyone was doing karaoke. I’m not surprised, though, it was unusually loud in the karaoke room.

535 Church St
Ottumwa, IA 52501
US
[launch map]
(641) 684-0895

Murph’s Sports Bar

scooterj — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 17:22:00 +0000

(Albia, IA)

Scooter’s 294th bar, first visited in 2007.

B: Bud Lite 8oz draw – $1
S: Bud Lite 8oz draw – $1

17 S Clinton St
Albia, IA 52531
US
[launch map]
(641) 932-2232

Boomers Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 17:18:00 +0000

(Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 280th bar, first visited in 2007.

Pretty decent strip mall sports bar. Features a good jukebox, pool tables, fried bar food favorites, Golden Tee and Silver Strike, etc wraped around a central horseshoe-shaped bar.

7932 N Oak Trfy # 205
Kansas City, MO 64118
US
[launch map]
(816) 436-7245

Mickey’s Irish Pub

scooterj — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 17:14:00 +0000

(Englewood, Kansas City, MO)

Closed, but a new bar has opened in the same location.
Has gone through several names. Among others it has been a Tanner’s before it was Mickey’s, was called Howell Bar & Grill later. Since April 2010 it has been Unwind Bar & Grill.

Scooter’s 276th bar, first visited in 2007.

As Mickey’s: The most expensive Guinness I’ve ever had in the KC area! At least the hurricane-force hand dryers in the men’s room were nice.

As Unwind: Inexpensive draft beer. Nice pool tables, DJ booth, dance floor. Golden Tee and Silver Strike. Was pretty busy for a Monday afternoon.

420 NW Englewood Rd
Kansas City, MO 64118
US
[launch map]
(816) 453-1010
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Bama’s

scooterj — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 17:12:00 +0000

(N. Brighton, Kansas City, MO)

Closed, but a new bar has opened in the same location.
Now called One Eyed Jacks

Scooter’s 274th bar, first visited in 2007.

Pizza place / bar

5044 NE Parvin Rd
Kansas City, MO 64117
US
[launch map]
(816) 455-6000

Sharkey’s

scooterj — Sat, 05 May 2007 17:26:00 +0000

(Salina, KS)

Scooter’s 264th bar, first visited in 2007.

We drank our beers quickly while watching a guy do some pretty impressive pool playing.

The bartender here told us about some of the places we wanted to check out in town. We mentioned that one place in particular we wanted to see was The Blind Pig, solely because of its name. We got directions and walked back to my car. Except we started to enter a nearly-identical car parked 3 spaces down. Only the discovery of a cooler in the back seat kept us from getting all the way in.

925 W Lincoln Ave
Salina, KS 67401
US
[launch map]
(785) 827-7769

Player’s Sports Bar

scooterj — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:19:00 +0000

(Antioch, Gladstone, MO)
Formerly The Peanut

Closed, but a new bar has opened in the same location.
Now a Tanner’s.

Scooter’s 237th bar, first visited in 2007.

Located in the Meadowbrook shopping center. Hopefully Tanner’s will have better luck at this location.

6024 N. Antioch Rd
Gladstone, MO 64119
US
[launch map]
816-455-8266
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Paul & Jack’s Tavern

scooterj — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:12:00 +0000

(North Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 230th bar, first visited in 2007.

I’ve never had the food here, but this is one of my favorite places in North Kansas City to sit at the bar with my friends, having a few beers while watching a game.

In addition to the bar at the center of the restaurant, there’s a courtyard in back with a stage for live entertainment. And they put it to use often!

The bartenders here are very friendly, and I really appreciate their attentiveness. They refuse to let my glass sit empty!

1808 Clay St
North Kansas City, MO 64116
US
[launch map]
(816) 221-9866
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Jake’s Place

scooterj — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 18:15:00 +0000

(Shawnee, KS)

Scooter’s 220th bar, first visited in 2007.

12001 Johnson Dr
Shawnee, KS 66203
US
[launch map]
(913) 962-5253
Visit Web Site

Arizonas Sports Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 18:14:00 +0000

(Overland Park, KS)

Scooter’s 219th bar, first visited in 2007.

9617 W 87th St
Overland Park, KS 66212
US
[launch map]
(913) 341-2000

Maloney’s Bar and Grill

scooterj — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 18:11:00 +0000

(Downtown, Overland Park, KS)

Scooter’s 216th bar, first visited in 2007.

7201 W 79th St
Overland Park, KS 66204
US
[launch map]
(913) 385-9595
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Other Place

scooterj — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 18:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Overland Park, KS)

Scooter’s 215th bar, first visited in 2007.

One of the two JoCo locations for the popular chain from Iowa.

7324 W 80th St
Overland Park, KS 66204
US
[launch map]
(913) 652-9494
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Chip Shot Bar & Grill

scooterj — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 18:10:00 +0000

(North Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 213th bar, first visited in 2007.

Chip Shot is one of the best bars on NKC’s Swift Avenue dive bar row.It has an “authentic” feel to it that I can’t quite explain… its personality doesn’t feel forced. The bartenders are friendly, the regulars are nice, and the decor is rustic and relaxing.

There are two rooms. The front room contains the bar, a few small tables, and a couple of games. The back room as several more tables and the pool tables.

The food here is typical bar food — except it’s good. Quite good for the price. The nachos and steaks are popular, I’m a fan of the burgers and tenderloins myself. I believe the kitchen closes at 10pm. Takeout is available.

Like most other bars in NKC, as of about 2009 there is now a semi-covered patio out back.

(This pic is from their web site)

1621 Swift Ave
North Kansas City, MO 64116
US
[launch map]
(816) 472-1444
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Pub House

scooterj — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 18:13:00 +0000

(Liberty, MO)

MOVED – No longer at this location.
This location is now a bar called Sherlock’s Underground

Scooter’s 210th bar, first visited in 2006.

Spacious suburban strip mall bar. Very clean and well-kept.

The current incarnation (Sherlock’s Underground) has a pretty cool bowling game, as well as a hard-to-find Big Tony’s Pokerkard machine.

858 S 291 Hwy
Liberty, MO 64068
US
[launch map]
(816) 407-1717
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Rusty’s Last Chance Saloon

scooterj — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 18:12:00 +0000

(Lenexa, KS)

Closed, but a new bar has opened in the same location.
Now “Kites”

Scooter’s 202nd bar, first visited in 2006.

The beers here were enormous, so we played bar trivia for a while to pace ourselves.

10901 W. 75th St
Lenexa, KS 66214
US
[launch map]
(913) 268-9000

Fred P Ott’s

scooterj — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)

OUT OF BUSINESS
Closed in 2008.

Scooter’s 199th bar, first visited in 2006.

Nice local bar & grill chain in a downtown office tower. Was a nice place to hang out after work.

1111 Main St
Kansas City, MO 64105
US
[launch map]
(816) 474-2100
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Willlie’s Pub

scooterj — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 196th bar, first visited in 2006.

Mizzou-oriented sports bar.

1501 Grand Blvd
Kansas City, MO 64108
US
[launch map]
(816) 527-0188
Visit Web Site

Bogart’s

scooterj — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 17:21:00 +0000

(Independence, MO)

Closed, but a new bar has opened in the same location.
Now Erin’s Pub

Scooter’s 188th bar, first visited in 2006.

When we visited it a cool stained glass ceiling over the bar. But later when business dropped after the smoking ban, the owner destroyed it in a fit of rage. She later sold the bar and after some repairs it re-opened as Erin’s Pub.

Here’s some pictures from a more recent visit in June 2010:

3010 S State Route 291
Independence, MO 64057
US
[launch map]
(816) 350-8110

Ugly Joe’s

scooterj — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 17:16:00 +0000

(Dallas, Kansas City, MO)
Formerly Fuzzy’s South

Scooter’s 183rd bar, first visited in 2006.

1227 W 103rd St
Kansas City, MO 64114
US
[launch map]
(816) 941-7702
Visit Web Site

Creekside Pub & Grille

scooterj — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 17:15:00 +0000

(Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 182nd bar, first visited in 2006.

9916 Holmes Rd
Kansas City, MO 64131
US
[launch map]
(816) 941-4014

Bogey’s Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 17:13:00 +0000

(Leawood, KS)

Scooter’s 180th bar, first visited in 2006.

12924 State Line Rd
Leawood, KS 66209
US
[launch map]
(913) 491-4664

Half Time Sports Bar

scooterj — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 17:12:00 +0000

(South KC, Kansas City, MO)
Formerly Good Time Charlies Pub & Grill

Closed, but a new bar has opened in the same location.
Now called Baylee’s

Scooter’s 179th bar, first visited in 2006.

Was also once called Pat Murphy’s. This spot seems to change fairly often.

13023 Holmes Rd
Kansas City, MO 64145
US
[launch map]
(816) 941-2720

Sand Trap Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 17:10:00 +0000

(South KC, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 177th bar, first visited in 2006.

13037 Holmes Rd
Kansas City, MO 64145
US
[launch map]
(816) 942-0990

Legends Cafe

scooterj — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 17:24:00 +0000

(Nord East, Minneapolis, MN)

Scooter’s 172nd bar, first visited in 2006.

This place was big, really big, and featured a patio at one end. Brandon did some exploring and found a game room downstairs, so we took our beers down there and played some darts. We went back upstairs to the bar and after I finished my beer I went to the restroom. When I returned I spotted Brandon at the far end of the place talking to someone at another smaller bar. He waved me over and we went out on the patio where we talked to two people about our trip. We were hungry for pizza and asked them for suggestions, and the place they most recommended was Broadway Pizza. They were trying to give directions but we weren’t even 100% sure where we were, but then they mentioned the caboose. I had seen it earlier in the day and knew exactly where it was. So off we went.

825 E Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55414
US
[launch map]
(612) 331-8781
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Elsie’s Bar & Restaurant

scooterj — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 17:22:00 +0000

(Nord East, Minneapolis, MN)

Scooter’s 170th bar, first visited in 2006.

Elsie’s is either a bowling alley with a separate bar and restaurant, or it’s a restaurant/bar with a bowling alley in the back. In either case this was a pretty nice place and we were surprised that no one was bowling when we first arrived. (By the time we left quite a few people were bowling.) This place was also the start of my downfall. My Miller Lite came in a bottle and was very, very skunky. I didn’t want to say anything, though, and was trying to force my way through it. But by the time Brandon was nearly done with this draw I was only a third through my bottle at best. I got up to use the restroom and due to some weird acoustics I was able to hear Brandon mention my skunky beer to the bartender in perfect clarity. When I returned I had a fresh Miller Lite draw waiting for me. But the skunky taste of the bottle still weighed heavily on me so even though this beer was fresh and delicious, I was not quite able to finish it before we left.

729 Marshall St NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
US
[launch map]
(612) 378-9702
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N E Yacht Club

scooterj — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 17:21:00 +0000

(Nord East, Minneapolis, MN)

Scooter’s 169th bar, first visited in 2006.

Based on the name I assumed this would be some sort of high brow place but it turned out to be a classic style dive with cheap beer.

801 Marshall St NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
US
[launch map]
(612) 378-1740

Scott’s 1029 Bar

scooterj — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 17:20:00 +0000

(Nord East, Minneapolis, MN)
Formerly Laura’s

Scooter’s 168th bar, first visited in 2006.

Originally a sports bar, local police started hanging out so the theme switched to a police bar. Now police from all over come here. Police memorabilia adorns the place, including the door of a police car donated by New Orleans police as a gift in thanks for help during Katrina. But that’s not the only kind of decor. The ceiling is covered with bras hanging from nails. For whatever reason, the bartender did not know why, women seem to like taking their bras off here so they hang up all the bras that women donate.

Notable in the news for being busted by ASCAP –for having karaoke on September 6, 2007, without paying royalties.

1029 Marshall St NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
US
[launch map]
(612) 379-4322
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Johnny A’s 200 Club

scooterj — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 17:19:00 +0000

(North Side, Minneapolis, MN)

Closed, but a new bar has opened in the same location.
Several drugs busts and a liquor license violation led to be being shut down in early 2008.

Re-opened in February 2010 as “Good Sports Bar and Grill”.

Scooter’s 167th bar, first visited in 2006.

They were definitely right. In the morning Gary was almost the only black person we saw in this neighborhood Now we were the only white people anywhere in sight. As we approached the rear entrance of Johnny A’s a guy tossed a crumpled napkin out of his car window. As we walked by Brandon pointed to the “No Littering” sign in front of him and said “Hey! The sign says ‘No Littering’!” “What the f%@$ did you say?” said the stunned driver. “I’m just messin’ with ya, man,” said Brandon and the two exchanged a laugh.

Johnny A’s was packed but we managed to get a couple of seats at the bar. Just like outside, we were the only whites in the place. Our bartender was pretty cool but we didn’t catch his name. After a while we walked over to watch some people play Silver Strike Bowling.

As we were sitting in front of Johnny A’s taking pictures I heard a woman say “Excuse me!”. I turned to look to find 7 angry people next to us. “Why did you just take a picture of my license plate?!?” Uhhh… uh…. “I didn’t,” I said, “We were taking a pictures of B.J.’s and Irv’s”. “No, I saw you, and you BOTH had cameras, you had them pointed straight ahead. “Only to see what we had taken pictures of. I swear, we were not taking pictures of license plates.” “Come on,” they said, “what in the world would you be taking pictures of bars for?” “We’re on a road trip,” I said, “and taking pictures of every bar we go to.” They apparently accepted this answer because they walked away. Brandon was pretty ticked about being singled out and scrutinized but I pointed out that they probably experience that every day.

Exclusive: Johnny A’s Busted

Johnny A’s owner talks about shutdown

When a bar becomes a nuisance

200 W Broadway
Minneapolis, MN 55411
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(612) 522-0894
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NE Palace

scooterj — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 17:17:00 +0000

(Northeast Minneapolis, Minneapolis, MN)
Formerly First Chance, Last Chance

Revisited 17 years later in 2023, scroll down for more.

Scooter’s 165th bar, first visited in 2006.

This place used to be called “First Chance, Last Chance” because it was the first chance for a drink if you were coming in to town and the last chance for a drink while leaving town. We were left alone for half an hour while the bartender stayed out on the patio (which featured a waterfall). We played several games of shuffleboard and attempted to play some pool but in our semi-stupor we could not get any balls to sink, so we gave that up. A drunk woman tried to dance with us and then later when we went to see the patio a guy out there told us a few choice things about that woman. Clearly they had been fighting.

The patio…

UPDATE! I re-visited on April 1, 2023. Everything below is from that visit.

The biggest change I noticed was all the flatscreens everywhere, including four behind the bar configured into one giant screen. The other change I noticed is that the pool table we offended in 2006 was nowhere to be found. I was worried I had remembered the pool table story wrong all these years (like attributing it to the wrong bar), but one of the regulars assured me there used to be a pool table and showed me where it was. I joked that after how badly my friend and I played on it in 2006 they probably took it out back and shot it.

Where this standalone counter is now is where the pool table was that we defiled 17 years earlier:

For most of my visit the “4 panels as 1″ screen was being glitchy, but a few minutes before I left someone worked on the settings and got the upper left screen back in synch.

2500 4th St NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418
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(612) 788-2305
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New City

scooterj — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 17:26:00 +0000

(Downtown, Minneapolis, MN)

OUT OF BUSINESS
Went out of business sometime between 2007-2009.

Scooter’s 155th bar, first visited in 2006.

This place had several pool tables and we played a game or two. An upscale pool hall, actually.

25 N 4th St
Minneapolis, MN 55401
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(612) 332-6289
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Champps Sports Bar & Cafe

scooterj — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 17:21:00 +0000

(Downtown, Minneapolis, MN)

Scooter’s 150th bar, first visited in 2006.

This was a cool stop — a long outdoor bar in an alley. Mary was our bartender. We then found, while trying to locate the restroom, that this alley bar was actually part of a much larger indoor bar.

100 N 6th St
Minneapolis, MN 55403
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(612) 335-5050
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Champions Sports Bar & Grill

scooterj — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 17:12:00 +0000

(Minneapolis, MN)

Scooter’s 141st bar, first visited in 2006.

This sports bar was a little bit of an anomaly in what seemed to be a predominantly Somalian neighborhood. The interior revealed a large space divided into two major rooms, with a huge bar in the center that wrapped and twisted around into both areas. This meant that there were areas that the bartender could not see without moving around — indeed, we were here for a bit before we were spotted and served. This was the first bar we had seen with a cellphone ban. It was also the first time we saw pull-tabs sold in a booth by an attendant — something we’d soon learn was common here.

105 W Lake St
Minneapolis, MN 55408
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(612) 827-4765
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Sportsmans Lounge

scooterj — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 17:27:00 +0000

(Mason City, IA)

Scooter’s 138th bar, first visited in 2006.

The bartender was a tall blond-haired guy who talked about Mason City in its night-life heyday (complete with strip clubs) and went off on the conservative voters who keep tightening up the laws and getting things shut down. He warned us to bee careful walking back to the motel, as the police love to pick people up for public intoxication. “Would they rather us drive?” Scott asked. “That’s exactly what I tell them!” the bartender said.

217 N Federal Ave
Mason City, IA 50401
US
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(641) 423-3252

Champions Bar & Grill

scooterj — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 17:21:00 +0000

(Mason City, IA)

Closed, but a new bar has opened in the same location.
Now called “Dano’s Bar & Grill”

Scooter’s 132nd bar, first visited in 2006.

I remember this being a nice little place not far from the downtown square but that’s about all I remember.

1327 N Federal Ave
Mason City, IA 50401
US
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(641) 424-5929

Other Place

scooterj — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 17:11:00 +0000

(Clear Lake, IA)

Scooter’s 122nd bar, first visited in 2006.

This bar is a small chain with most of their locations clustered in north-central Iowa, but for some reason it also has an Overland Park and an Olathe location. It was a pretty big place and not very busy. We asked the girl behind the bar about places to go drinking over in Mason City (she was from there) but she said that she didn’t know because she wasn’t old enough to drink yet.

200 US Highway 18 W
Clear Lake, IA 50428
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(641) 357-8118
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Rookie’s

scooterj — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 17:10:00 +0000

(Clear Lake, IA)

Scooter’s 121st bar, first visited in 2006.

This was a 2-sided bar on Main Street right downtown. We noticed that the lower level side of the bar was all men while the upper level side was mostly women.

The Mecca of Cheap Drinkin’ (Rookie’s; Clear Lake, Iowa)

307 Main Ave
Clear Lake, IA 50428
US
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(641) 357-4629

Rookie’s

scooterj — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 17:30:00 +0000

(Osceola, IA)

Scooter’s 120th bar, first visited in 2006.

Pretty good sized bar. I found out later it’s associated with an attached bowling alley that we didn’t even notice! We must have been pretty lit.

116 E Webster St
Osceola, IA 50213
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(641) 342-9709

K-Town Legends

scooterj — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 17:13:00 +0000

(Kellerton, IA)

Closed briefly, is back open now with a new owner.

Scooter’s 103rd bar, first visited in 2006.

We drove onto the main strip in this quiet little town, lined with several run-down buildings, some empty, but many being rather architecturally interesting buildings. This was probably a pretty little town back in its day. As for the bar, it had no signage anywhere outside or inside that told us what the name was so we had to ask the bartender. We noticed some bowling trophies on a shelf above us, and a back room behind a curtain that we didn’t go check out.

102 Decatur St
Kellerton, IA 50133
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(641) 783-2300
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Characters Sports Bar / The Raging Buffalo

scooterj — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 17:10:00 +0000

(Lamoni, IA)

Closed, but a new bar has opened in the same location.
Was also called The Longhorn Pub for a while, is now simply called The Bar.

Scooter’s 100th bar, first visited in 2006.

Located right in the heart of downtown. A big place with lots of TVs and memorabilia. Officially the bar proper is only open on weekends. The rest of the time, while you can still order alcohol, a huge red curtain hides the bar so that the extremely conservative locals won’t have to be offended by seeing it while they are eating.

100 N Linden St
Lamoni, IA 50140
US
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(641) 784-6505

John’s Big Deck

scooterj — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)

Was closed for 3 months for cleaning/remodeling. Re-opened March 13, 2009 under new management.

Scooter’s 98th bar, first visited in 2006.

John’s Deck is three bars in one. The street level is a standard sports bar & grill with better than average food. The middle level, accessible through a separate entrance, is a music venue and dance area. The top level is a relaxing outdoor bar that turns into an outdoor music venue at night.

928 Wyandotte
Kansas City, MO 64105
US
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(816) 474-5668

PR’s Place

scooterj — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 17:21:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 81st bar, first visited in 2006.

Located on the eastern edge of Kansas City’s West Side, PR’s Place is a popular hangout for Kansas City’s hispanic population while virtually unknown among the artists and hipsters found only a block to the east. You might drive right by this place and not realize it’s a bar, the exterior might make one think more of a dentist office.

PR’s has an inviting, comfortable interior and one of the more eclectic jukebox catalogs we’ve seen. It’s also a popular place for watching sports — especially soccer. If you are a fan of the World Cup this is a great place to watch it. There are no beer taps, but bottles and cans are plentiful and cheap.

1741 Washington St
Kansas City, MO 64108
US
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(816) 421-9746

Caddy Shack

scooterj — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 70th bar, first visited in 2006.

Caddyshack, or “The Shack” as many of the regulars refer to it, is a popular dive bar and night spot for downtown Kansas City barhoppers.

On our first visit in 2006 we were warmly greeted by our bartender, who asked our names and immediately engaged us in conversation. The owner, Joe, came out to meet us as well. On subsequent visits we have learned that Joe makes it a habit of getting to know his customers, circulating among the crowd saying hello and making conversation.

The interior of the bar is divided into two main sections. The front section contains booths and low tables surrounded by office chairs. The back section contains a mix of high and low bar tables interspersed among the pool tables.

Caddyshack features free popcorn, optionally seasoned with their special blend of spices, and has recently begun making their own pizza. The pizza is Sicilian style, based upon a recipe Joe has been making for over 30 years, and is available until 2:00am. Other standard bar foods are also available.

Entertainment includes pool tables and other usual bar games. About once a month they have a karaoke night that is wildly popular, often drawing standing-room-only crowds.

In 2007 though early 2008 Caddyshack underwent an extensive renovation. In addition to fixing up the bathrooms and cleaning up the interior, the unused back patio was closed and a new, much bigger patio was built on the building’s east side. The picture a the top this article was taken before construction, the new patio sits off the right-hand side of that photo. This patio is now one of the busiest spots downtown after 1:30am.

700 E 3rd St
Kansas City, MO 64106
US
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(816) 421-4742

Brooksider Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 27 May 2006 17:25:00 +0000

(Brookside, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 67th bar, first visited in 2006.

Very popular Brookside hangout – sports bar / live music venue

6330 Brookside plz
Kansas City, MO 64113
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(816) 363-4070
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Tanner’s Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 27 May 2006 17:22:00 +0000

(Waldo, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 64th bar, first visited in 2006.

Generic sports bar & grill – though one of the better locations for this chain.

7425 Broadway St
Kansas City, MO 64114
US
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(816) 822-7525
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Dirk’s Sports Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 18:10:00 +0000

(Barry, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 37th bar, first visited in 2006.

Basic strip mall sports bar

8132 NW Prairie View Rd
Kansas City, MO 64151
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(816) 587-3646
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AmeriSports Brew Pub

scooterj — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 18:10:00 +0000

(Ameristar Casino, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 33rd bar, first visited in 2006.

Casino bar (location approximate)

8201 NE Birmingham Road
Kansas City, MO 64161
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Replays Sports Bar

scooterj — Fri, 20 Feb 2004 18:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 16th bar, first visited in 2004.

Sports bar on the lower level of Kemper Arena. Open before most events and after sporting events. Located near Gate 2.

1800 Genessee
Kansas City, MO 64102
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(816) 513-4000
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Paddy O’Quigley’s

scooterj — Sat, 08 Nov 2003 18:10:00 +0000

(Leawood, KS)

Scooter’s 15th bar, first visited in 2003.

Generic suburban chain sports bar

11851 Roe Avenue
Leawood, KS 66211
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(913) 345-1119
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Minsky’s Pizza

scooterj — Tue, 29 Apr 2003 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 11th bar, first visited in 2003.

Good pizza, sandwiches, and appetizers. Great bar with a terrific selection. Service can get pretty slow at lunchtime. If you want to watch sports on a TV in a bar this is THE place in downtown Kansas City to do it! In addition to numerous small TVs there are three gigantic projection screens that can be seen from nearly every seat in the three-level terraced seating area.

427 Main St
Kansas City, MO 64105
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(816) 421-1122
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Chappell’s Restaurant & Sports

scooterj — Tue, 22 Apr 2003 17:10:00 +0000

(North Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 10th bar, first visited in 2003.

It’s been a few years since I’ve been here so I don’t remember a whole lot. Good food and atmosphere. Not a dive. Massive amounts of baseball memorabilia, a collection it’s famous for. In fact, this place could also be listed under Museums.

323 Armour Rd
North Kansas City, MO 64116
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(816) 421-0002
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Tanner’s Bar & Grill

scooterj — Sat, 06 Apr 2002 18:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)

OUT OF BUSINESS
Tanner’s downtown location usually attracted decent crowds but was notorious for poor service. It closed in 2008.

Scooter’s 4th bar, first visited in 2002.

Popular but average sports bar. Large main level space plus a separate bar downstairs that I have not yet been to. Food is good but nothing spectacular. Unlike the Waldo location, this place is notorious for poor service so expect long waits — especially if you are seated at a table.

1000 Broadway St
Kansas City, MO 64105
US
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(816) 471-8687
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The Quaff

scooterj — Tue, 02 Oct 2001 17:10:00 +0000

(Downtown, Kansas City, MO)

Scooter’s 3rd bar, first visited in 2001.

The Quaff is a pretty popular sports bar in downtown Kansas City. The main bar is fairly small, but two additional rooms create a large open space that can hold a pretty big crowd. All the sports bar staples are here: multiple big screens, pool tables, pop-a-shot, foozball, Golden Tee, darts, etc. They have a good selection of beer and the food is excellent for bar food. They even serve breakfast.

This was my gang’s first frequent hangout and the first place I ever achieved “regular” status.

If you start a tab, make sure you close it with cash instead of leaving it on your card. They add a surcharge if you pay with credit. Also look at your bill closely, this place is notorious for trying to slip extra drinks onto the tabs of unsuspecting customers. Screwing us over one too many times is why we no longer go here. (Though I still go for lunch on occasion.)

1010 Broadway St
Kansas City, MO 64105
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(816) 471-1918
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Longbranch Saloon

scooterj — Fri, 03 Feb 1989 18:10:00 +0000

(Plaza, Kansas City, MO)

OUT OF BUSINESS

Scooter’s 0th bar, first visited in 1989.

This sports bar was located in the dark, carpeted basement of the former Seville Square shopping mall, near the One Hour Photo and around the corner from the old Seville Square movie theater. It was a fun sports bar with good food, and had a sarcastic theme. “Home of the Meanest Waitresses in Kansas City” was the tagline, if I remember correctly.

I came here several times in college, both before and after I was of legal drinking age. I am numbering this as “Bar 0″ and not including it in the total count because I cannot remember if I ever actually had a beer or other adult beverage here. Nonetheless, it is part of my bar history so it does deserve mention.

Kansas City, MO 64111
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