Great Review of Area Bars (shamefully plagiarized!)

Shamefully plagiarized from "Mellow" @ royaloaksoundoff.com -- but useful to those new and not so new to the bar scene in Royal Oak:

Nate~ quick low-down on the bar scene……..

Memphis Smoke~ unfortunately the economy seems to be hurting them right now but they have great live entertainment Friday & Saturday nights mainly blues. Not positive of week day specials I don’t usually go there much other during the summer. They have the busiest deck in town during the summer. The food is okay with mainly southern cookin’ ribs, pulled pork, fried fish but the fried pickles and pepper-jack cheese sticks are my favorite.
Little Tree~ has an early evening bar crowd during summer time. I’m not a big sushi eater but my friends that are say its good not the best but good. Not really a “bar” crowd.

Andiamo’s~ usually 27+. Live entertainment Wed-Sat. Happy Hour 4pm-6pm with ½ off bar appetizers, domestic beers and wine. Good food and great wine list! They have a Millie Grazi program that gives discounts on all locations. Their special wine tasting/ dinners are usually fabulous! Quite atmosphere and casual ~ good for a date or chatting.
Mr. B’s Pub~ generally 25+ but a few 21’s. Large food menu selection, not for date night but okay for casual get together, and tons of taps but not a lot of specialty selections. They just recently went to a revamp and removed most of their games but a few tables and golden tee are time passers. They also are really trying to bring the bar crowd back with some great drink & food specials. Happy Hour 4pm-7pm with half off pizza and appetizers, drink specials: bottle beers $2, draft beers $3 and call drinks $4. They also run daily beer specials anywhere from $2 - $4 on draft & bottle beers along with a shot and drink special (I think they change monthly). Good sport viewing venue.

Rock on Third~ Great little corner bar! Best Pizza in town (I think)! Juke box for tunes, big range of age groups from teeny bobber to cougar, Mike is a great bartender who from time to time tells a good joke but can definitely make great shots! Thursday is their biggest night with $1 Labatt & Labatt Light from 8pm-12pm then up to $2 until close. They run a few great Sunday specials also and have a wide variety of beers (just not on tap mainly bottle). Good sport viewing venue.

Monterrey’s~ bar scene is more of waiting diners or quick bit to eat seating but a good selection of tequila if that is what you like. Food is okay but not fab! If you don’t plan on hitting Mexican Town or the “D” for Cinco then that is the place to go but go early!!!!

Tom’s Oyster Bar~ you can say 30+ easily but a good hang out! Wednesday is Satellite Skins if you are a music buff but that is all I can write you will just have to visit to find out more on that subject. Jeff & Frank the bartenders can be a little rough but get friendlier as you visit more. Good mingling spot but not a lot of drink specials. They just added a Juke Box a few months ago but no dancing that I have seen.

Town Tavern~ Smoke free, 30+, good food and service, nice wine selection, a little pricy and a bit snooty. I really never go there to be boozing more of a casual get together venue. Not there often enough to give an accurate low-down.

Bastone~ Bastone itself is more of a restaurant but the wine bar is a great lounge! Smoke free, comfortable seating, great little appetizer menu and if your into cheese and wine let the waiter make the selections on the cheese platter and match your wines and you won’t be disappointed. A great place for a date! I don’t really drink micro beers so can’t help you their….sorry.

Blackfinn~probably don’t need to say much seeing they are all over this board. 21+ with DJ & dancing. They are the new kids on the block and tend to be the busiest earlier. They run $2 Miller lite drafts almost all day any day although they say it is for sporting events. They have good happy hour drink and food specials but if you can get to chatting with anyone that has a wrist band on then they can order drinks for $2 U-Call-It all night! Wednesday night is Jerry Sprague (if you’re a MSU fan). Good sport viewing if in the right seat.

Gusoline Alley~ its own category! You will see everyone there from inked up, more piercing then you want to see and then suits all mixed in! No food other than the good ol’ Jiffy Pop but between Gus and Rock they have almost every beer you would want. Occasionally they do open mic night but most tunes come from the Juke Box. Good people and better people watching.

D’Amato’s & Gracies~ Awesome food @ D’Amato’s! 30+ always. Thursday-Saturday they have live music at Gracies and then move the tables out and a DJ rockin. Name DJ’s so usually really good. Cigar smoke is welcome. Great martini and wine selection and during the summer they have the coolest little outdoor area in the back main floor and one tucked away roof top (roof top is usually invite only). This is a great mingle hang out but doesn’t get started until 11-11:30pm. Wednesday Happy Hours is a must.

Ronin~ Have yet to really eat there but cool during the week hang. Although, I was there Friday night it really isn’t my crowd but they are busy and have a VIP lounge upstairs with couches and loungy chairs. Drinks are not on the cheap side!

Sangria/ Sky Club~ Sangria has the BEST espresso martini in town! Sky bar is 21-28 crowds with late rock tunes by a DJ. Lounge furniture but not a lounge feel and make sure you check your tab if taken care of by a waitress they tend to add or up your tab. One of the boys in blue of duty hang out.

Lily’s Seafood~ The best rootbeer out of the breweries! I wouldn’t call this a bar in anyway……a few regulars but no mingle joint. Good for the holiday brunch/ dinners. Again, I don’t do micro beers….sorry.

Woody’s~ and again you have heard a lot on this board but a good during the week deck bar! Monday is $1 beers but it never really took off but $5 pizza is good (for cheap pizza). They have pool tables, dart boards and dancing galore! This is 25 and UNDER!

O’Tooles~ Mainly 25ish but you will find some 30+ on a regular basis. Happy Hour Mon-Friday 4pm-7pm, $3 Cheeseburger & Fries Mon-Friday 11:30am-4pm, the best Sunday all day specials with $4 premium bloody Mary bar w/ complementary brunch then rolls into $2.50 calls, $2 drafts and $2.25 domestic beers. Then you have Mug Night on Thursday’s up to 52oz of Labatt & Labatt Light w/ DJ (no dancing). They have outdoor seating and play top 40 remix most of the time. Right now they have Comics on Sunday night for FREE starting at 10pm-ish. A good weekday spot or starting and ending with probably one of the best sport viewing venues.

Fifth Avenue~ Usually a great location but times have been rough with the latest denied dance permit at the last LCC meeting. Hasn’t been real busy lately…..we will just have to wait and see what happens……a shame what happened to a good venue!

Oak City~ 35+ always. Live entertainment Tuesday-Saturday- good tunes too! They have happy hour Monday-Friday 3pm-6pm with ½ off selected appetizers and sandwiches, $3 off martinis, $2.50 off wine (by the glass), $1.50 off mixed drinks and $3 drafts. Lounge area is usually busy so go early to grab a seat but doesn’t last til 2am so make it a first stop of the night. Stiff drinks, good crowd and good music.

Pronto~ well……is a gay….but the dining area is very mixed and the busiest lunch crowd. Not a Jewish deli but a good one! If you have a sweet tooth then definitely visit for the endless treats displayed in the deli counters on the dining side. Karaoke on Wednesday can be fun and a sight to see!

Ye Old~ under new ownership. Ladies night on Thursdays with a DJ and dancing. Cute little girl’s bartend the busier nights which is a guess is okay for eye candy but the service may be the deal breaker on that decision. Over all, a good dive bar with shuffle board, pool table, dart boards and a few electronic games. Use to be a great place for a stiff drink at unbelievable prices but times have changed and that isn’t the case now. It’s hard to say what it will become with the new owners time will have to tell yet. But from what I’ve seen so far they have chased away the good ol’ boys to 10 ½ High Tops and replaced with a 23+.

Oxford Inn~40-45+. Nice, quaint patio during the summer, good food, always good live entertainment and fun people. A lot of the older who’s who of RO hang there. Bobby the owner and his wife, Mary, are almost always there and a pleasure to chat with and make everyone feel welcome. I don’t eat ribs but it is said they have the best in town.

10 ½ High Tops~ Cool little off the beaten path watering hole. Feature sports viewing but not the best seating in the area, but good appetizers, shuffle board and pool table with a golden tee and mega touch. Very laid back crowd ranging from 22+ - 45+ (regulars). They run a 99¢ burger but I have never had it. I like this spot as my still in RO but away from RO venue.

Snookers~ All range of age pool hall. Busiest night Wednesdays, Free pool Monday-Friday lunch time, good bar food and good service. Not really a go alone spot but good if you want to shoot some stick with decent booze prices.

Dugan’s~ the place to be during Woodward dream cruise if you stay in town. The upstairs is the main attraction with the windows open during summer time. I’ve never made it for a happy hour but I’m sure they have some specials as all bars do. 28+ and family atmosphere, overhead music (classic rock), golden tee, dart boards and pool table. Mainly a gathering spot rather than a pick-up joint so to speak. Okay sport viewing.

The Mt. Chalet~ A GREAT off the beaten track venue! True barmaids and they aren’t scared to put you in your place! Tight seating so you have to almost talk to the people next to you otherwise they are just going to listen to what you are saying. Good drinks, Great bar food and good times! A must go if you haven’t been yet.

Four Greenfields~ The only place that shows all the soccer games on TV if you’re into soccer! They sponsor a few Rugby teams so it can be wild when they are in (if you know anything about Rugby players you will know what I mean). I don’t really like their food that much but it is bar food so it won’t kill you. They close early during the week and there is a cover ($5) after 8pm on Friday & Saturday. They have happy hour Monday-Thursday til 6pm and Friday until 7pm with a late night happy hour on Sunday’s. Crowd is geared by the live entertainment so can switch regularly. They feature some good classic rock solo players that are always good drinking and signing nights.

Luna~ is the original U-Call-It bar from way back in the day! 25 UNDER and very alternative. No food, Wednesday-Saturday only, cover (not sure what it is), a unique spot that you should just go even if it’s only once.

Blarney Stone~range of ages from 25-50. Karaoke on Tuesday & Thursday nights starting at 9pm, another good spot for the Woodward dream cruise, they get a extra tent in the next parking lot for St. Patty’s (although I have never made it there), one of the original Duggan & Woody’s sister bars. Not a whole lot goes on there but if I was looking to hide I would go there.

Inn Place (aka IP)~is a great neighborhood bar! Karaoke on Thursday & Saturday nights starting at 9pm with some of the best in town……really! I hate Karaoke but they really do have some good signers and don’t get me wrong there are a few you would love to gong but for the most part they are good. Opens at 7am and usually filled with Beaumont employees (a lot of nurses) then moves into your older crowd and ends with a range of 25+ (heavy 28ish). The place is full of regular patrons so after a few visits you too will know everyone in there.

DB Coopers~ If you go – go Tuesdays…..the busiest night for them with $2 U-Call-It’s from 3pm-2am. Wednesday’s are Disco Karaoke with $1 bottles, Thursday is Ladies Night ($2 drinks for the ladies); Friday & Saturday they host live entertainment usually heavier rock n roll. Decent happy hour crowd, good people watching and mainly a blue collar bar. They use to do beer pong but I’m not sure if they still are right now.
I have only been to the Royal Inn a few times…….dive, 40+, local dine and booze kinda place.

I’m not rating anything but the hotter spots are: Blackfinn, O’Tooles, Mr. B’s, Rock on Third, the Inn Place, D'Amatos/ Gracies and Commune as bar scene.

Good people watching: Luna, Gusoline and DB Coopers.

Dives: Blarney Stone, Ye Olde, Blarney Stone, Mt. Chalet and 10 ½ High Tops.

Dancing/ Club: D’Amato’s, Woody’s, Sky Bar, Commune and Blackfinn.

Live Entertainment: Fifth Avenue, Memphis Smoke, Gracies/ D’Amato’s, Oak City, Four Greenfields and Oxford.

Cool “Date” places: Wine Bar of Bastone's, Gracies, Town Tavern, Tom’s Oyster Bar (more for late drinks) and Andiamos.

Hope this was some what helpful……and yes I go out a lot......