This is topic is for Richard. It might be fun to list cool bars and pubs around the city and beyond. For those of us that are drunks this should be an enjoyable venture:

Here Goes: (in no particular order)

CeeGee's - this place is quiet and kinda skanky (with a good jukebox). However, on weekends it turns into crazy drunken hillbilly fun. It is mostly older people and don't expect any type of good beer (i.e. Boulevard products).

Wilshire Club - Thanks to Michelle I know about this gem. Again don't expect any wide beer selection.

How about others?

I have had some good times at Bison Witches in Norman.

While we are talking about Norman, The Deli is a live music bar that I have has given me plenty of nights of drunken fun.

I used to enjoy the TapWerks that was @ Western and Grand. It used to be a pretty good little hangout. It has since been "Chesapeaked."

I now prefer a nice comfortable living room or a good back porch to any bar.

The Habana Inn offers an eclectic blend of great company and fun atmosphere. You'll almost always find what you're looking for at the Habana. They've got one of the best fruit drink lineups in the southwest, great live entertainment, quality food and a wide variety of village people music

My favorite part about the Habana experience is if you get too drunk to drive, there's always several dudes who'll go the extra mile for you and offer to let you stay in their room. And if thats not your thing, it's just a small stumble down the road to DO's or the Brown Eskimo's place.

Really diggin the non-smoking joints these days. I have a lot of trouble justifying a place like Cock o the walk, which has provided me many good times, when VZD's is just down the road, has better beer

VZD's kicked ass when all pitchers were $10, including some great imports. It's up to 12 or 14 now, but it's still pretty good.

Other good non-smoking hot spots with good beer selection:

Flip's
Bin 73 (pricey and snobby, but I don't run into the high school assholes I would at Cafe Nova)
Galileo

to be continued...

I second the Galileo's and Deli. I have had many a good night at those two fine establishments

I don't frequent the bars as much as I used to, or even close. I agree with skyhook, the couch is where i like to be. Bars kill conversation, and I like to converse. However, sometimes I like to go out, be seen, and people watch. I also like to meet strangers, or new people depending on how you want to look at that.

I third the deli for one of the finest establishments and best local music venues in the OKC area. The smoke does bother me though.

Unlike eskimo, I haven't really been to any smoke free bars. I guess at this point in my life, going out is too much of a frivolous expense, that I just don't do it as often. I would like to sometime though, especially a smoke free establishment.

Is Louis any fun? I have heard that it is smoke free. I was thinking sometime we should all go to the LooneyBin. The early show is smoke free. It's a comedy club, in case you have never heard of it. We went once to see a hypnotist and had a great time.

I still think we should open a classy, smoke free, high profile strip club in edmond. Martini lounge style without the smoke. We would be rich! Unfortunately, edmond people like to go to church in edmond and party in the city. But it's never too late to start a change.

I've checked into it, and opening up a strip club north of 23rd would require an endorsement by Jesus himself.

We should put it on the prayer request at church! It's the baby jesus' birthday soon, so perhaps it would be our gift to the gods.

51st. street Speakeasy is a new bar that is pretty cool. The bar is downstairs and allows smoking. upstairs there is a series of rooms set up as living rooms. it is all decorated in antiques. feels like your grandma's house. you can take your drinks up there for a good conversation. also, no smoking upstairs.

I saw the sign for the 51st street speakeasy and was immediately intrigued. I'd like to check it out.

Carbon, bars do not kill conversation. Bars so packed as to make them very loud kill conversation. Also, bars with live music or shitty canned music played too loudly over speakers kill conversation. Generally speaking, a bar can be a fine place to have a conversation.

There is nothing about being called a bar that kills conversations, but there is something about being "bar-like" that kills conversation. It is not the fact that they take money and serve alcohol that makes it less suitable for conversation, it is the environment that bars generally tend to promote. I have had good conversations at bar, but only when the conditions Eskimo pointed out are absent.

There are bars that have outside seating or other areas that one can occupy to engage in conversation. But I think that is the point Carbon is getting at. You have to escape the "bar-like" atmosphere in order to get into an environment that is more suitable for conversation. Another thing you can do is go to a bar during hours or days that it is not likely to be so populated. But all of this serves to make the bar more like a living room or a back porch that it does to make it like a bar.

That being said, conversation is not the only joy life has to offer. While I am not the most ardent patron of bars, I do enjoy the occasional added social interaction they have to offer. After all, variety is the spice of life.

I think you would enjoy Speakeasy. you can escape the bar-like atmosphere by simply going upstairs.

We went and checked out Speakeasy. Had a great time.

It was on a Sunday when we went so the crowd and noise were kept at a minimum. It was a bit smokey, but my group could probably account for nearly half of the smokers in the bar. The music was a tiny bit louder than I would prefer, but it was refreshingly good music. And as Do mentioned, you can head up stairs to escape all of the crowd/smoke/noise.

As long as it is not on a crowded night, I would love to visit Speakeasy again.

old topic, new reply

I went to the speakeasy and it was crowded as shit, couldn't move or hear myself think. I still had an alright time. $ 2.50 PBR's will do that. They also had the 40 oz. version of red stripes.

However, I did kinda feel like I was at a house party.

Should have converted the house on hurd to a bar.

Visited speakeasy last Friday night. Skyhook showed up with Carbon and we had a great time. We were upstairs the whole time in the best room up there. Chairs and couches. The beer selection was fantastic. Downstairs got ridiculously crowded and even the upstairs got pretty tight for a bit. But we were insulated in our room except when we had to go down and wait for beers (the line is too long on a friday night and there's no waitstaff walking around). I liked the mix of house and party.

When that place gets packed it can get a little hard to get to the bar. better order two drinks at a time. anyone up for grabbing a beer tonight?

that sounds fun to me. Not sure how those people who work 9 to 5 feel about it, but I am in.

I really have enjoyed both times that we went to the Speakeasy. Even ran into Hannah Wolff. That was a good time.

About the long lines, I considered making a little money by taking people's orders, getting their beer, charging a dollar extra, and bringing it to them. Do you think anyone would mind? A little extra spending money to pay for my drinks. I thought it was a good idea. Wonder how the owners would feel about it. I just need to bring a tray with me next time to try it out.

I was waiting to reply until I checked with the Carbon, I am down for a beer or two.

I prefer earlier to later.

I wouldn't be too surprised if the owners didn't mind. Especially if you could increase the amount of beer sold by distributing efficiently it through out the house. (Of course liquor licensing type regulations would put a stop to this thought experiment pretty quickly)

Also ran into Hannah at the speakeasy

would be down for a beer, so someone give the brother in E-town a call.

mabye around 830. I still have to check with maggie, but I should make it

Just to throw it out there. I went to ISIS the other day and had a great time. It's a hookah bar. So there is smoking allowed but usually it smells like cherries and vanilla

But we will be ready around 7 ish,

Damn.

We're off to Cain's for the evening to see Ryan Adams. Have a good time. Let's do something like this again soon.

i have a liquor license. no problems there.

And on tonights festivities, i invited hannah wolff. She said she would try to make an appearance.

Speakeasy, 8-8:30ish.

This should be in "Local".

Isis in Paseo.

Carbon and I have been there a couple of times in the last month or so. Pretty cool place. Small, relaxed, and there are hookahs there. The prices are a bit steep [$10 per bowl] but other than that, I recommend checking it out if you have not already.

The whole time I was sitting there smoking that hookah, I could not help but think.....if only...

I here ya brotha. It felt like I should be lifted.