Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Nov. 8, 1990, edition 1 / Page 16
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Page 8 DTH Omnibus Thursday November 8, 1990 DbD n The Indy 500 By BRIAN SPRINGER Staff Writer w ell, now that the folks are gone, it's time to discuss how we really live down here in the fabled Southern part of heaven. And that means bars. More so than other college towns, Chapel Hill is a veritable alcoholic megalopolis, boasting more bars per square mile than a Dionysian paradise. That explains the prevalence of Dookics and Staters walking the main drag on weekends. Whether you're 21, faking 21 or just spending time trying to get in, a veritable rogues' gallery of watering holes is waiting for you. For the purposes of price com parison, I am introducing the Springer Bar Price Comparison Index (SBPCI). This index is figured based on the regular combined cost of 1 ) a Natural draft, 2) a Bud longneck and 3) a Corona. Mixed drinks are not in cluded in the index, because not all of the included bars serve them. Each bar's SBPCI rating is listed in parentheses following the name. Take a lap around the following bar loop, picking your favorite start ing point. As in the Indy 500, speed counts, because you only have until 1 a.m. to finish. Starting time 10 - 1 B 1 pEgJj - ti - y ; C: i P- 4 - rrf f A I VjV; W- i o mg . fiiH iii!-:M! if jeJJ - JE?v 1 i I Lpp. ; i i nut... ii i 11 mi '""'I fc yM In , . ,3 tut Inside Ham's, sometimes called the "K-mart of bars," they p.m. Barhoppers, start your engines ... First off, we have Bub O'Malley's ($4.25), located on the top floor of the tri-tower at 157 E. Rosemary St. Notable features include a set-up that allows one to walk the entire periph ery of the bar (important for scoping purposes), aCD jukebox, several wide screen TV's, foosball, shuffleboard, pinball and darts. Friday and Saturday are always crowded, though week nights tend to be slow. Wait for basketball season and St. Patrick's Day, though, when breath ing room is a rarity. Amstel and Labatt's are $1.50 every night and a permanent fixture is the multicolored Bub cup, 22 oz. of draft beer for $2, with $1.50 refills. Snacks are available, so feel free to grab Bub's hot nuts ($ 1 ) or some chips. Bub's is this writer's home away from home, and you're likely to find me there an ungodly number of nights per week. Downstairs from Bub's, you'll find Fred's Bar ($4.25), still known af fectionately as Troll's to those who remember the previous space occu pant. Bars in Chapel Hill move in constant cycles of "in" and "out" places to be. This semester, Fred's seems the consensus hot spot. On a good night, martial arts techniques or following a 7' 10", 500-lb. football player are the only ways to approach the bar un of bars scathed. Thursday nights are Fred's nights, as $2.50 Natural pitchers allow even the poorest barhoppers a chance to drink their troubles away. For an in teresting diversion, count the num ber of times "Kashmir" plays on the CD jukebox in the course of a single night. Some of us have heard it three times in a single hour. Of course, there's always foosball and pinball to throw away a few quarters and wide screen TV for sports nights. In addi tion to the usual stuff, Fred's features a band on Sunday nights. Rounding the first turn, take a break in front of the grandstand area at Henderson Street Bar ($5.00), specifically 105 Henderson St. The rectangular open area of the bar makes H. Street an ideal place to mix, mingle and, of course, drink. Complement ing the status quo satellite TV and row of pinball machines, take a peek at one of the largest CD selections of any bar jukebox (over 2000 tunes). If "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is one of your least favorite bar tunes, have no fear, since H. Street boasts electronic air cleaners to make breathing easier for all. There are no specials perse, but that doesn't stop the madding crowd from holding court regularly at this little slice of home. Take a pit stop and a breather at serve pitchers of Milwaukee's Best for roars through The Parlor ($4.90), the upscale pool hall at 204 E. Franklin St. But don't expect a smoky little hole in the wall with a five-song jukebox. The Parlor is clean and spacious and permits no cut-offs (shirts or pants) or flip-flops. Though there are tons of tables, there still might be a bit of a wait to shoot the eight ball on weekends. Monday nights are Ladies' Nights, when women play pool free, and Tuesdays are league nights. For a special on collegiate bubbly, checkout $.75 draft night on Thursdays. More specials are forthcoming as The Parlor reor ganizes its specials calendar, but a wide range of beers is always available. Squealing around the corner and parting the Hector's fumes, take the small sheltered staircase down to Linda's ($5.40), at 203 E. Franklin St. Rather small but nevertheless cozy, Linda's is the first bar in our list so far to offer mixed drinks, including an impressive selection of sippers and shooters. Seating at booths and at the bar is limited but helped by the recent removal of video games to add a new bench around the back wall. The clientele is mostly composed of regulars who have pull when it comes to helping the bartender select a tape for the stereo so don't expect any say in playing tunes 'til you've been there a few times. Linda's is a OTHGrant Halverson $1.50 on Fridays restaurant too, so pick something up and keep that ol' BALWith parents, it's a classy place with friends, it's decadenceDTHGrant Halverson in check. For the specials rundown, on Sunday nights, Whiskey Sours are $1.75 and Rolling Rock, $1.10; on Tuesdays, house highballs are $1.75; and on Wednesdays, pitchers are $3.25 and imports, $1.75. A short cruise down the block and you find the world-famous Four Corners ($4.50), located at 175 E. Franklin St. The motif here is Caro lina sports, earning the restaurant the name of Dean Smith's famous basket ball strategy. On a game day (or night) , people literally pile in and, let me tell you, it's hell getting to the bar if you're buried on the bottom. I know, not funny. Like some of the other bars, Four C's offers bands on Sunday nights. The staff will serve up (Lendl style) your favorite beer or mixed drink. The Wednesday night special is $2.50 pitchers, and be sure to take advan tage of $ 1 .50 imports on Sunday. Why not buy me one too Dos Equis is my favorite. Right next door at 1 74 E. Franklin St., above Ye Olde Waffle Shop, you can dance away that slight buzz at Club Zen ($4-50). The dance floor is rather small, but, with no inhibitions, you'll be up there in short order. The music tends to be alternative, so wear your cleanest Cradle clothes. For those of us who know all too well how poverty sucks, mark Tuesday night (dime draft) and Thursday night (quarter draft) on your social calen dar. While a DJ rules the airwaves most nights, be sure to check out the top local bands on Sunday nights. A WXYC presentation, to see the Sun day locals will only run 'ya two bucks. Don't take off your dancing shoes yet, because the next stop is Players ($4.25), located up the stairs at 159 1 2 E. Franklin St. With the biggest dance floor in Chapel Hill, this is one club you won't want to miss. Tuesday night is Greek night, with $1 draft and $3 Long Island Iced Teas, and Thursday night is Ladies night, with domestic longnecks on special for $1.25. Players offers a variety of dif ferent music, including Top 40 rock (Greek night), progressive and straight dance music. Now make a pit stop at the NCNB machinej because, of course, you're out of money by now. Then duck inside the plaza to Papagayo ($4.75). If you start the bar loop early, start here, since Monday-Friday, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., they offer food specials and free chips and salsa. In keeping with the Mexican motif, the big fa vorite here is the Papa G's margarita, which runs $3.40. Though music or the television is usually going, this is one of the quieter drinking spots around. The couches around the bar are quite comfortable and por table. When with a group of people, that facilitates those secondary things, like ... uh ... talking. the Hill a i Along the straightaway at 101 E. Franklin St., cruise into Spanky's ($5.00). Despite the upscale restau rant atmosphere, Spanky's offers a good selection of beers and assorted spirits. The reasonably quiet atmo sphere offers the throbbing temples a bit of a break. The specials break down includes $1 domestic non premium draft (if you can say that three times fast by this point, color yourself an IROC champeen) on Mondays and $1.75 house highballs on Wednesdays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Spanky and the gang dis count $.50 on draft, $.75 on pints and $2.00 on pitchers. Those rates apply to Bud and Natural on Tuesday and to Heineken and Bass on Thursday. When not serving up suds, the 1 Players: drafts and domestic longnecks (you supply the dancing shoes) Spanky's crew offers the expected sippers and a grand array of new and different shooters. The newest little blast at Spanky's is a humd inger called the "Buddy Shot." Whoever's riding shotgun can race you as you suck down (through two straws) a con coction of amaretto, vodka, cranberry juice and OJ. The same classy place where you took your parents turns decadent for late-night partygoers. After crossing Columbia St.,' the next heavyweight along the way is He's Not Here ($4-50), located on the Village Green at 112 12 W. Franklin St. At everyone's favorite open-air bar, the Tuesday night spe cials of $ 1 .50 blue cups (33 oz. of draft beer) and $2.50 pitchers are legend ary. In warmer times, to miss a Tues day night at He's Not is to drive a nail into one's social coffin. Of course, there are two levels inside for cold evenings, with the usual array of pinball, darts and TV. Check out bands on Friday and Saturday nights for a minimal cover charge when the weather is of reasonable temperature. Picking up speed, cruise through J Via 310W.FranklinSt.atHam's($4.85). Rest the oil-stained hands either in side or out on the patio. This year's Ham's highlight falls on Fridays, when pitchers of "The Beast" (a.k.a. Milwaukee's Best) are a mere $ 1 .50. If the beast is more than you can handle, join the Chapel Hill drinking brigade for $.99 highballs on Monday, $2.50 shooters on Tuesday and $.50 Lite draft on Wednesday. Since the headache's gone by now, check out bands on Thursday nights while knocking down $1.50 blue cups and flaming Dr. Peppers. Though it's been called the "K-Mart of bars," this flash ing blue light will have you in and burning rubber for the next stop. As we all know, good and bad consumption habits cancel out, cx- t 4 -j. . l u ?tr H ? V-- V ia& , j i V -x - t 1 DTHGrant Halverson plaining the Diet Coke and Snickers bar principle. To test this age-old theory, grab the best in vegetarian cuisine at 431 W. Franklin St. better known as Pyewacket Restaurant ($5.25, with Killian's instead of Natural). And, since you're eating well for a change, slurp down a few of their best lOoz. brews, includingHarp and Guinness. It's time for more music, so take a listen to blues on Mondays, jazz on Wednesdays and things like folk or bluegrass on Fridays. Cover is free, but the tip basket will be passed. You'll want to save a few bucks for the rest of the lap. Ok, so the scenery whizzing by get s a bit dizzying. To remedy the situation, pull through 452 12 W. Franklin Sr. at The Cave ($5.00, but figuring a Natural longneck instead of draft). This is the hallmark of consistency in a bar. The Cave features live music every night, most frequently blues. Names like Bob Margolin arc regular features. Don't be fooled, though, because it's not just your eyes adjust ing the sign says "The Cavern," but you've got the right place.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Nov. 8, 1990, edition 1
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