Dive Bar Thursday

Dive Bar Thursday – Patterson Pub

July 6, 2017 By Brian Petro

Welcome to the Patterson Pub!

When I moved to the Dayton area in the late 1990’s, one of the first places I frequented for an adult beverage was Taggart’s Pub. It was close to my apartment and had a friendly atmosphere with inexpensive beer. Perfect for someone in a new city just out of school! As a bonus it was also a Browns bar, adding that little touch of home. Every Sunday, I would head over with other masochistic fans of Cleveland football and watch our team struggle, enjoying complimentary food far more than the football games. We were happy the team had returned to Cleveland, but it was painful to watch. In 2014, the owner of Taggart’s Pub announced he was going to move to a larger venue. Unfortunately for Dayton, that new space never materialized. Even as they were leaving their seventeen-year home, they announced there was going to be a new owner taking over the space. After an incredibly short closure, the Patterson Pub opened up and has been going strong ever since.

If you have not been to Patterson Pub (970 Patterson Rd Dayton, OH 45419) in a while, you need to come and visit. Other than the ownership, little has changed in this Belmont area staple. There are two main areas to the pub: the spacious front room and the much more intimate back bar. The front room holds three large televisions and all the dart boards you could want. Six steel tip and three plastic tip board are there for the throwing, with multiple dart leagues through the week and the occasional tournament. The back bar is just that. It is the place where the magic happens. There is plenty of room to belly up and watch television or play some digital golf while enjoying a beer or cocktail. They have held on to their Irish roots as a pub. Their reverence for a good Irish whiskey and all things green, white, and orange still shines. Along with the orange of the Irish flag, they are still proudly (or, after last season, not as proudly) displaying the orange and brown of the Cleveland Browns. Whiskey and football are two of their great loves. Yes, they still are a Browns bar and show their games on Sundays in the main room. Other games are shown in the back bar area, for reasons that will become clear.

So much to offer a thirsty patron.

They offer beers for every palate, from $5 Miller High Life pitchers (when they have it on tap) to a nitro tap to infuse extra smoothness into a beer. While some craft options, like Rhinegheist’s Truth, are always on tap, they bring in a variety of other selections that rotate through the seasons. If that is not enough, there are bottles and cans that expand on the tap offering. They even have a variety of specials through the week, including happy hour pricing from 3 to 7 PM daily. That pricing includes cocktails as well. And yes, they do have a cocktail menu to order from. As with the beers, it changes with the seasons but always has at least one Irish whiskey cocktail on the menu. Their liquor selection is continuing to grow, with plans to add some local Belle of Dayton gin and expand their selection of whiskeys. They do offer the normal bar foods like pizza, nachos, pretzels, and pepperoni and cheese breadsticks known as Bosco sticks. You can bring your own food as well, and their neighbors at Corleone’s Pizza are willing to deliver right to the bar.

How friendly is this bar? Very. They are friendly to the service industry, with Monday night being their Service Industry Night. On a slow night for most bars, they offer special pricing for all of the other hard-working bartenders in the Dayton area. They are also still very friendly to Browns fans. They have continued the tradition of the Browns Club for the diehards that have suffered through over two dozen quarterbacks and one minor logo change.

Cocktail and beer specials! Just waiting to be enjoyed…

The games are shown on the televisions in the main room along with food, cooked by one of the patrons, for members of the club. For a small fee, you get a t-shirt, a lanyard with an ID card, a magnet with the schedule, and a host of other specials and benefits. If you have a group of fans that want a table for the season, there is a way to buy that as well. Not only that, but any patron who comes in for those Sundays can imbibe a special house made Bloody Mary. Not just the Browns fan. The spacious front room is also available for other events as well, with a small deposit.

Many of the traditions that made Taggart’s Pub a beloved staple in the community have been carried over to the Patterson Pub. The staff is as friendly as I remember and the atmosphere is just as comfortable. They are making their own inroads into the community, embracing their neighborhood and offering a friendly barstool and pint to anyone who stops there.

The Patterson Pub, located at 970 Patterson Rd Dayton, OH 45419, is open 3 PM to 2:30 AM daily. You can call them at (937) 296-9476 and follow them on their Facebook page for more information about events and specials at the pub!

Dive Bar Thursday: King’s Point Pub

June 15, 2017 By Brian Petro

Feast thine eyes on King’s Point Pub!

Heated discussions have occurred among friends about what constitutes a dive bar. The issues of size, food served, the motivation for going, and even spirit selection has been part of the debate. One thing that came out over time was the bar’s location. It had to be part of a neighborhood or some other small community. That could make it a biker bar, a Bengals bar, or a bar that most of Belmont are seen in after the end of a shift. Certain areas of town just do not lend themselves well to having a dive bar. They are too busy. In the center of it all. A place to go for the whole city to party, not just the people who live in that area. Some bars, like the Time Out Cavern, require a little extra effort to go there. There is one that, if you are not paying attention, you will miss as you head down Wilmington Pike. And King’s Point Pub is not a place you want to miss.

King’s Point Pub (4660 Wilmington Pike, Kettering, OH 45440) is a well-hidden prize located in the nearly empty Wilmington Height’s Shopping Center. Unless you know it is back there, it may be difficult for you to find. Based on the times that we have been there, plenty of people are finding their way back to this incredible space. The patio that greets you is a fair size, with plenty of room to sit outside and enjoy warm summer nights. Possibly with a game of cornhole. Yes, the patio is really that big. If cornhole is not your game, head inside to the roomy interior for plenty of dart boards and a few pool tables. Summer dart leagues are just starting to get tossing and keep an ear out for the cornhole leagues to begin. They currently are playing some Luck of the Draw games on Sundays at 2 PM, where you put your name into the hat and hope you get a good partner. They have been known in the past to hold the cornhole games inside if there was bad weather. Yes, the interior of the bar is really that big. One their neighboring party supply store shut down, they purchased the space and added it to their pub. There are a few pool tables inside for good measure.

Beer? Cocktails? What is your pleasure?

They have a healthy respect for the craft beer scene but are not going to deny a person a cold Coors Light if that is what they are after. They have eight taps ready and waiting for thirsty patrons, typically split between old favorites and the new brews in town. It is not a surprise to those in the know when they host a tap takeover by a brewery every now and then. If you prefer your beer out of a bottle or a can, they have a broad selection of those as well. Their liquor selection does not offer any incredibly rare or unusual. It does offer anything you could possibly want to drink while playing any one of a number of games there. While they do not have a cocktail menu to look over, most of the bartenders there have their own specials they offer to patrons. And if you get hungry from all that dart throwing and bean bag tossing, Troni Brothers Pizza is right next store and ready to help! They offer pizza (of course), wings, sandwiches, salads, and desserts. They will even deliver it to their neighbors! That is some service.

One of the many factors that make a dive bar popular is being an integrated part of their community. The people there know who is coming in and when, and what drink to have ready for them when they arrive. They give back to the people who keep their doors open in ways that go beyond just discounts on

Darts for charity? King’s Point may be open to that idea.

drinks or a place to come when difficulties roll in. They support the causes that are important to the patrons. The staff gets to know the patrons, and the patrons get to know each other. King’s Point Pub is no different. They have a board of all the causes they have helped, including the Wounded Warrior Project (it is a bar that very much appreciates the military), being a top fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Awareness, and various other projects around the community. Speaking with patrons and employees alike, everyone is very friendly and helpful, willing to chat with strangers about this little home away from home. They also support national and local bands by hosting them at their venue (did I mention the place is large?), with acts like Mad Hatter and Full Frontal showing up to entertain.

Taking a few steps off the beaten path is worth it. That is where you find all of the most interesting things. King’s Point Pub offers a great atmosphere with delightful pizza and entertainment for everyone in the family. Whether you go to root on THE Ohio State Buckeye or try your luck at corn hole, this is a pub that is well worth the effort to get to know.

Dive Bar Thursday – Theo’s Lounge

April 20, 2017 By Brian Petro

Welcome to Theo’s Lounge!

As the world keeps moving along, technology moves right with it. In the 1880’s, the first vending machines were released into the world. They were used to sell a wide variety of items, like postcards, candy, notepaper, drinks, and other small items. One of those items that were sold were cigarettes. As more and more were learned about cigarettes, the less and less you saw cigarette vending machines. They started to go the way of the phone booth and the metal-tipped dart board. All of them are items that started to disappear as the social need for them left as well. The ubiquity of cell phones turned phone booths into WiFi stations, and metal-tipped dart boards are dangerous! Cigarette vending machines disappeared as smoking also became more dangerous. You can still find one of these magical machines in very special places. Theo’s Lounge is one of those places.

Theo’s Lounge (7890 Paragon Rd., Dayton, OH 45459, (937) 813-8580) is not a place you would find if you were not looking for it. The only thing that indicates it exists as you drive down Paragon Road to 725 is a sign above the door. It sits in the shadows of the Paragon Club, and it thrives there. The minute you walk in you can tell it is a comfortable space, from the complete lack of windows to the music quietly playing the background. It is not an incredibly well-lit space or an incredibly large space, but that is part of the intimacy. That may also be why there is a wall of mirrors on the right, to make it look larger. They have a small patio out back as well, which is nice to enjoy on a summer night. Walking into the space, it is nothing but comfortable. Like slipping into an old sweater.

Does it get more comfortable than this?

The televisions and conversation provide the entertainment here; there is not room for much else. Certainly not pool tables. In fact, on the lone sign out front states that conversation is one-half of what Theo’s offers. The other half is cocktails, which come with enough variety to satisfy any palate. Is there a menu you can peruse? No, there is not. Every bartender has their own specials, along with a few of the classics that they make. There are so many regulars that the staff “knows three-quarters of the time what they want.” And the cocktails we enjoyed had a healthy pour. The same holds true for the beer selection. The most exotic you can expect is a Sam Adams Boston Lager or a Guinness. The craft movements do not hold much sway here. The food selection is just as simple. The offer fresh-made, self-serve popcorn in the corner, but also offer chips and pretzels for a modest fee. They have pizza if you are looking for something a little more substantial, and tasty snack known as Hanky Panks. They are a combination of rye bread, spicy sausage, and cheese. According to the bartender at the time, they are a “hillbilly thing.” We took her word for it.

Let’s go back to the bar’s atmosphere. The comforting feel comes from many of the little details. Though dark, we could tell they really spent time taking care of the space. It was clean in there. The lack of outside light makes it easy to lose track of time. The dark wood, mirrored wall, and lowered shelves over the bar made it feel like we were walking into the

They have a patio as well!

1970’s. And there could be a reason for that; Theo’s has been at this location, in various forms, since roughly that time frame. There is no opening a new dive bar; it has to be groomed into one after years of love and use. Like that old, comfortable sweater, it only gets that way through constant use. All the conversation was relaxed and casual, and they were set up for some big groups of regulars to come in. They take care of the people that come to their bar.

With the approach of summer, Theo’s is working on adding some events. There is a dart league being created, as well as a Ladies’ Night. The Kentucky Derby is a fancy affair there, with ladies coming in their finest hats and everyone enjoying some food and drink. They have their regulars, including the employees at many local restaurants. You know that if industry workers are going there, the place is low key and the drinks are good. Theo’s not only added events for the regulars, they added spirits. When I asked about a lone bottle of saki sitting on the shelf, the bartender told me there was a regular that requested it. So now they have it. It may be one of the few dive bars we have gone to that has saki!

We are used to things that move at breakneck speed. It is great to know that there are no-frills, no drama places like Theo’s Lounge where the world slows down while we are there, and there are plenty of friendly faces to spend that time with.

Theo’s Lounge is located at 7890 Paragon Rd., Dayton, OH 45459. You can contact them through their Facebook page or at (937) 813-8580. They are open Monday through Saturday, 3 PM to 2:30 AM and Sunday from 3 PM to 1:00 AM.

Dive Bar Thursday: Flanagan’s Pub

March 16, 2017 By Brian Petro

Welcome to the pub!

With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, everyone looks to the Irish cultural touchpoints in town. When you are looking for a dive bar that is also Irish, the field goes down considerably. The Dublin Pub is thrown out immediately; it is incredibly Irish, but incredibly lovely as well. Paddy’s Irish Pub falls into the same category at the Dublin Pub. Tremendous and very nice, not especially divey. Harrigan’s Tavern? Difficult to classify it as a dive bar. Their menu is pretty extensive, which digs into the debate of what earns the distinction of a dive bar vs. a diner. At the moment, Harrigan’s still fits into the diner category until someone convinces me otherwise. I would make the same argument for O’Leary’s Pub and Grub, though most of my experience there was admittedly for trivia. Which left us one place suggested to explore: Flanagan’s Pub. This staple is best known for being part of the party atmosphere in Dayton every March 17^th, but did you know it was also open the other 364 days of the year?

Flanagan’s Pub (101 E. Stewart St., Dayton, OH 45409) is off the beaten path. But not by much. Nestled on the side of the road with a gas station for a neighbor, it is possible that as you explore the University of Dayton area, you could miss it. It has been a staple in the neighborhood for over twenty-five years, predating most of the shiny businesses that are there now. It has always been a friendly place for hard working people to get a drink, whether your work was done on a factory floor, the streets of the city, or in a library huddled over a book. Before it became the staple it is now; a laborer could get a beer topped with a raw egg and a shot of whiskey for just one dollar. How do you beat that deal? The discount has changed a little: if you are a police officer or firefighter, you can get 20% off your food bill. There are other ways Flanagan’s supports our first responders, but that is for later.

Ask for a cocktail, and you shall receive one.

Those that remember the days that Patrick ran the place also remember the beer selection. While favorites like Pabst Blue Ribbon ($2.50 pints every day), Stroh’s, and Red Dog are still available, the rest of the menu has expanded considerably. There are now craft beers of all stripes on tap. From the hoppy Bell’s Two Hearted IPA to the rich, dark smoothness of Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Blackout Stout, there is a little something for everyone. Pull up a stool on Saturday and you can enjoy $3 pints of local favorite Warped Wing all day! They are not afraid to experiment, either. Bubbles, the new rosé cider by Rhinegeist, was provided some space on the lines. There is also still plenty of Schöfferhofer Grapefruit Hefeweizen on draft they would not mind you coming in and finishing off. Possibly for brunch?

Brunches are popping up all over, and Flanagan’s Pub offers a dandy one from 11 AM to 4 PM on Saturdays and Sundays. If you are studying, you can get it (and anything else on the menus) to go back to your dorm. Omelets, sandwiches and specialty Belgian waffles are on the menu, along with any other breakfast food you could want. Their lunch, very popular with the hospital workers, police, and teachers during the week, has just as much variety. Pizza, wings, sandwiches and other bar fare is readily available until 10 PM every day, because you are going to need something to soak up the drinks while you sit and watch the University of Dayton play.

Is it an Irish bar? You tell me…

Games pre-empt almost any other event there, and they host the Flyer Feedback Show after each match. Wednesday night trivia, one of their most popular evenings, often loses its home when the Flyers are on the court. If you head in on a Friday or Saturday night, live music will be playing while you enjoy the cozy atmosphere. They are also open to any other events that may suit your fancy. The bar is available for private events. Rates depend on the number of people you are bringing, and what night you plan on hosting your little shindig. A Friday night gathering is going to be more expensive than crashing the place on a Tuesday night. But the opportunity is there, and they may even make a good deal on the food for you!

Of course, all this is nothing compared to the one event they are best known for: St. Patrick’s Day. WTUE makes their headquarters there for the day, and this year they will be joined by ALT 103.9. Doors will open at 6 AM for the festivities that will go on well past the end of the last March Madness first round game. From six to eight AM, the proceeds from the $10 cover fee ($15 if you want in and out privileges) will go to the fine men and women of the Dayton Fire Department. The public will also be allowed to participate in a live auction, also benefitting our friends at the DFD. From 8 AM to 10 AM admission is FREE. That’s right; you can enjoy live local bands and tasty pints of Guinness without having to pay the entry fee. If you need to get out and stretch your legs, maybe give your liver a break, you can catch the shuttle to the Dublin Pub and see what they have to offer. Maybe rush over and see another set by one of your favorite bands. While you are there, you can revisit past St. Patrick’s celebrations by looking over the pictures they have hanging on the wall by the stage. Those images go back decades and are now shown to a new generation of real Irish (for a day) folk.

The calm before the storm…

Sitting on the edge of a neighborhood in the center of a college campus, this emerald has sparkled for everyone. The regulars here still have their voices heard by the new owners, which has kept the feel of the bar the same as it was back in the day. They have had their creations added to the specialty cocktail menu, and they are in just as regularly as always. When the green dust settles on March 18th, and your liver is ready to head back out, be sure to add Flanagan’s Pub to your list of venues. Or just sneak back in for a hearty breakfast the next day. We hear it is the perfect cure for a hangover.

Flanagan’s Pub is located at 101 E. Stewart St, Dayton, OH 45409. They are open Monday through Saturday from 11 AM to 2:30 AM, and Sunday from 11 AM – 4 PM. You can call them at (937) 228-5776, or email them at flanagansdayton (at) gmail (dot) com. You can follow their shenanigans on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.