Roughest toughest bar

[P T]

In the "Frozen Pizza" thread, someone suggested avoiding a certain bar
since it was dangerous. Got me thinking... might be a good topic for a
late winter thread.

What's the toughest bar you've been in?
--- --- --- --- --- --- ---
I don't drink much anymore. I once went to a place called Stand Up
Frank's, I think, near Broadway and Washington in N Mpls. The only
noteworthy thing that happened was some black chick said we could go
back to her place, for a price. I declined the offer.

A couple of years ago, the Reader had a story about a bar in S Mpls, on
Bloomington or somewhere. It was supposed to be a hangout for the lowest
scum of society. A friend and I drove by one night, seeking excitement,
but didn't stop. I thought I could probably enter and emerge safely, but
my friend limps pretty badly and comes off as a softy: I thought he'd
look like too big a mark. I think it's good to have a swagger, or at
least stand tall when you walk into some of these places.

It sure was a friendly neighborhood though. Lots of black men called out
or waved to us as we drove through.

I used to go to the Joint a lot, but it's like Sturgis: not really
tough, more show than go. You might get a guy with colors in there once
in awhile, usually HAs, but those guys are like everyone else usually,
mind your own business, and they do the same..

Once I was sitting at the bar and a HA sat next to me. He was older,
perhaps late 40s, and he looked more jovial than dangerous, but I wasn't
about to start chatting. What was noteworthy about him was his
companions. He had a woman and one or two guys with him, so much younger
that I thought they might be his kids; clean cut and much out of place
in the Joint. They stood behind him and warily scanned the bar.

I've been to the Hexagon too, once long ago. Not sure if it's a tough
bar or just a hard drinking working man's bar.


So, any good bar stories out there?

[Edward Bertsch]

there used to be a bar of various names, including "Norma Jean's" and I
believe it was at 26th and 26th in S. Mpls. This location was affectionately
referred to as the "hub of hell" and aparently had more than its share of
shootings and various other sorts of mayhem. In St. Paul there's a club on
university called Arnellia's which should consider adding guns and ammo to
the menu, as the patrons seem to go for that sort of thing more often than
other places..

Post by P T
In the "Frozen Pizza" thread, someone suggested avoiding a certain bar
since it was dangerous. Got me thinking... might be a good topic for a
late winter thread.
What's the toughest bar you've been in?
--- --- --- --- --- --- ---
I don't drink much anymore. I once went to a place called Stand Up
Frank's, I think, near Broadway and Washington in N Mpls. The only
noteworthy thing that happened was some black chick said we could go
back to her place, for a price. I declined the offer.
A couple of years ago, the Reader had a story about a bar in S Mpls, on
Bloomington or somewhere. It was supposed to be a hangout for the lowest
scum of society. A friend and I drove by one night, seeking excitement,
but didn't stop. I thought I could probably enter and emerge safely, but
my friend limps pretty badly and comes off as a softy: I thought he'd
look like too big a mark. I think it's good to have a swagger, or at
least stand tall when you walk into some of these places.
It sure was a friendly neighborhood though. Lots of black men called out
or waved to us as we drove through.
I used to go to the Joint a lot, but it's like Sturgis: not really
tough, more show than go. You might get a guy with colors in there once
in awhile, usually HAs, but those guys are like everyone else usually,
mind your own business, and they do the same..
Once I was sitting at the bar and a HA sat next to me. He was older,
perhaps late 40s, and he looked more jovial than dangerous, but I wasn't
about to start chatting. What was noteworthy about him was his
companions. He had a woman and one or two guys with him, so much younger
that I thought they might be his kids; clean cut and much out of place
in the Joint. They stood behind him and warily scanned the bar.
I've been to the Hexagon too, once long ago. Not sure if it's a tough
bar or just a hard drinking working man's bar.
So, any good bar stories out there?

[Jim Cullum]

Post by Edward Bertsch
there used to be a bar of various names, including "Norma Jean's" and I
believe it was at 26th and 26th in S. Mpls. This location was affectionately
referred to as the "hub of hell" and aparently had more than its share of
shootings and various other sorts of mayhem.

Across the street from Norma Jean's, when it was Duffy's and
later, was Pearson's, which _was_ a pretty hard-ass bar.

For many years they would not serve a drink that contained
fruit juice. No Bloody Mary's, no screwdrivers.

Just a year or two before they closed, I noticed a guy with
a Bloody, and went to the bar and ordered one.
"We don't serve Bloody Mary's," the bartender said, "we got
vodka and tomato juice. Anything else you add yourself." He
pointed out a bottle each of Tabasco and Worcestershire on
the bar. Some folks just don't want to change.

They tore it down, and now there's a women's center or some
such thing in its place.

[LJ]

Post by Jim Cullum

Post by Edward Bertsch
there used to be a bar of various names, including "Norma Jean's" and I
believe it was at 26th and 26th in S. Mpls. This location was
affectionately
referred to as the "hub of hell" and aparently had more than its share of
shootings and various other sorts of mayhem.

Across the street from Norma Jean's, when it was Duffy's and
later, was Pearson's, which _was_ a pretty hard-ass bar.
For many years they would not serve a drink that contained fruit juice. No
Bloody Mary's, no screwdrivers.
Just a year or two before they closed, I noticed a guy with a Bloody, and
went to the bar and ordered one.
"We don't serve Bloody Mary's," the bartender said, "we got vodka and
tomato juice. Anything else you add yourself." He pointed out a bottle
each of Tabasco and Worcestershire on the bar. Some folks just don't want
to change.
They tore it down, and now there's a women's center or some such thing in
its place.
--
Jim Cullum

When I was dating my wife we drove by and saw a sign for a lingerie show at
Duffy's and wanted to stop in. She was thinking that they were actually
modeling lingerie. I didn't say anything. Needless to say, she was a bit
surprised.

I used to hang out at a lot of the places mentioned, and others, and never
really thought them tough, just dives. Not mentioned are Joe and Pete's,
the Triangle, Five Corners and the toughest non-alcohol spot, Richie's Pool
hall on Lake

[Melba's Jammin']

Post by P T
So, any good bar stories out there?

Only being refused a drink when I couldn't produce any ID. OK, so I was
only 20 at the time. Picky, picky, picky. The Manor in Mendota.
Thirty-nine years ago.

[unknown]

Post by Melba's Jammin'

Post by P T
So, any good bar stories out there?

Only being refused a drink when I couldn't produce any ID. OK, so I was
only 20 at the time. Picky, picky, picky. The Manor in Mendota.
Thirty-nine years ago.

Lots of excitement at Moby's, many many many times.
But I liked it there.

The kewl thing was that if someone tried to take a shot at you, the very
large bouncers were there in seconds and made them pay a very high
price. I learned to get out of their way and enjoy their work.

[Mike O'Brien]

Ah yes...Moby Dicks, 200 Club, Stand Up Franks, Haleks and lest we forget
Waldo's.

Regards.

Mike O'Brien

life is full of choices; choices have consequences

[Scott]

Post by Mike O'Brien
Ah yes...Moby Dicks, 200 Club, Stand Up Franks, Haleks and lest we forget
Waldo's.

Stand Up Frank's is a "roughest toughest bar"?

I still go there with co-workers once in a while, and while it's
most definitely a dive, it's not all that rough or tough, IMO.

Plus, they have good chicken wings every once in a
while...and they still pour one of the stiffest drinks in town.



- Scott Smith: ***@sludgereport.org
Sludge Report: http://www.sludgereport.org

[Mike O'Brien]

Post by Scott

Post by Mike O'Brien
Ah yes...Moby Dicks, 200 Club, Stand Up Franks, Haleks and lest we forget
Waldo's.

Stand Up Frank's is a "roughest toughest bar"?
I still go there with co-workers once in a while, and while it's
most definitely a dive, it's not all that rough or tough, IMO.
Plus, they have good chicken wings every once in a
while...and they still pour one of the stiffest drinks in town.

I was speaking in terms of past hence. Prior to it becoming a "yuppie -gen
x" hangout.

Regards.

Mike O'Brien

life is full of choices; choices have consequences

[Scott]

On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 11:37:11 -0600, "Mike O'Brien"

Post by Mike O'Brien

Post by Scott

Post by Mike O'Brien
Ah yes...Moby Dicks, 200 Club, Stand Up Franks, Haleks and lest we

forget

Post by Scott

Post by Mike O'Brien
Waldo's.

Stand Up Frank's is a "roughest toughest bar"?
I still go there with co-workers once in a while, and while it's
most definitely a dive, it's not all that rough or tough, IMO.
Plus, they have good chicken wings every once in a
while...and they still pour one of the stiffest drinks in town.

I was speaking in terms of past hence. Prior to it becoming a "yuppie -gen
x" hangout.

It's not really a "yuppie - gen x" hangout either. It's usually a
pretty hard drinking crowd, with a lot of blue collar workers
and locals from the North and Northeast areas. Probably
because it has some of the cheapest, but strongest, drinks
in the area.



- Scott Smith: ***@sludgereport.org
Sludge Report: http://www.sludgereport.org

[Mike O'Brien]

Post by Scott

Post by Mike O'Brien
I was speaking in terms of past hence. Prior to it becoming a

"yuppie -gen

Post by Scott

Post by Mike O'Brien
x" hangout.

It's not really a "yuppie - gen x" hangout either. It's usually a
pretty hard drinking crowd, with a lot of blue collar workers
and locals from the North and Northeast areas. Probably
because it has some of the cheapest, but strongest, drinks
in the area.

Yes, the still pour a cheap, strong drink but anyone younger than me is a
"yuppie - gen X er" <g>

Regards.

Mike O'Brien

life is full of choices; choices have consequences

[Scott]

Post by Mike O'Brien

Post by Scott

Post by Mike O'Brien
I was speaking in terms of past hence. Prior to it becoming a

"yuppie -gen

Post by Scott

Post by Mike O'Brien
x" hangout.

It's not really a "yuppie - gen x" hangout either. It's usually a
pretty hard drinking crowd, with a lot of blue collar workers
and locals from the North and Northeast areas. Probably
because it has some of the cheapest, but strongest, drinks
in the area.

Yes, the still pour a cheap, strong drink but anyone younger than me is a
"yuppie - gen X er" <g>

I suppose if you wandered into Stand Up Franks any night after
work and started calling the patrons "yuppies" and "gen Xers",
you could conceivably create a fight and fulfil your "roughest
and toughest" image of the place. ;-)



- Scott Smith: ***@sludgereport.org
Sludge Report: http://www.sludgereport.org

[m***@gmail.com]

What about BJ's?

[h***@gmail.com]

Irvs no mpls

[Brian Link]

Post by P T
In the "Frozen Pizza" thread, someone suggested avoiding a certain bar
since it was dangerous. Got me thinking... might be a good topic for a
late winter thread.
What's the toughest bar you've been in?
--- --- --- --- --- --- ---
I don't drink much anymore. I once went to a place called Stand Up
Frank's, I think, near Broadway and Washington in N Mpls. The only
noteworthy thing that happened was some black chick said we could go
back to her place, for a price. I declined the offer.
A couple of years ago, the Reader had a story about a bar in S Mpls, on
Bloomington or somewhere. It was supposed to be a hangout for the lowest
scum of society. A friend and I drove by one night, seeking excitement,
but didn't stop. I thought I could probably enter and emerge safely, but
my friend limps pretty badly and comes off as a softy: I thought he'd
look like too big a mark. I think it's good to have a swagger, or at
least stand tall when you walk into some of these places.
It sure was a friendly neighborhood though. Lots of black men called out
or waved to us as we drove through.
I used to go to the Joint a lot, but it's like Sturgis: not really
tough, more show than go. You might get a guy with colors in there once
in awhile, usually HAs, but those guys are like everyone else usually,
mind your own business, and they do the same..
Once I was sitting at the bar and a HA sat next to me. He was older,
perhaps late 40s, and he looked more jovial than dangerous, but I wasn't
about to start chatting. What was noteworthy about him was his
companions. He had a woman and one or two guys with him, so much younger
that I thought they might be his kids; clean cut and much out of place
in the Joint. They stood behind him and warily scanned the bar.
I've been to the Hexagon too, once long ago. Not sure if it's a tough
bar or just a hard drinking working man's bar.
So, any good bar stories out there?

There's a place on the East Side of St. Paul, near the 3M plant, where
I'd stop after work while I was in college... I don't remember the
name, but it's on the apex of one of those "wedge" city blocks.

There seemed to always be some loud arguments, though I only saw one
of them turn into a fistfight. I also recall that the bouncers were
possibly the largest humans I'd ever seen.. straining credulity that
they could even move under the earth's gravity.

One night I stayed a little late, and a biker club came in. It was
just like the scenes from those old westerns where the bandits showed
up. People grabbed their coats and left, others headed for the
bathrooms, the rest made sure their chairs were pointed where they
could watch them.

There were two fights that night, and the police were there after the
second. As I recall, there was never anyone there, save myself, who
had a full set of teeth, ever... even the bartenders.

BLink

[d***@gmail.com]

I believe that would be Spanky's

[s***@gmail.com]

What was the name of the bar on Washington and Broadway that had country music? It sat where 94 is now.

[Cyli]

Post by P T
In the "Frozen Pizza" thread, someone suggested avoiding a certain bar
since it was dangerous. Got me thinking... might be a good topic for a
late winter thread.
What's the toughest bar you've been in?
--- --- --- --- --- --- ---
I don't drink much anymore. I once went to a place called Stand Up
Frank's, I think, near Broadway and Washington in N Mpls. The only
noteworthy thing that happened was some black chick said we could go
back to her place, for a price. I declined the offer.
A couple of years ago, the Reader had a story about a bar in S Mpls, on
Bloomington or somewhere. It was supposed to be a hangout for the lowest
scum of society. A friend and I drove by one night, seeking excitement,
but didn't stop. I thought I could probably enter and emerge safely, but
my friend limps pretty badly and comes off as a softy: I thought he'd
look like too big a mark. I think it's good to have a swagger, or at
least stand tall when you walk into some of these places.

Wrong. You'll mark yourself as poser or a target if you swagger.
Standing tall is no problem if you mind your own business.

Post by P T
It sure was a friendly neighborhood though. Lots of black men called out
or waved to us as we drove through.

Don't go out too far out of your ethnicity to find tough bars.
They'll think you're a narc. Nothing is apt to happen while you're
there, but after you leave?

Post by P T
I used to go to the Joint a lot, but it's like Sturgis: not really
tough, more show than go. You might get a guy with colors in there once
in awhile, usually HAs, but those guys are like everyone else usually,
mind your own business, and they do the same..

Last time I was in the Joint, it was full of people who were going to
1st Ave later or coming back from it. The ones who used to hang out
at 1st Ave on Club Degnerate night. But that was over 5 years ago.

Post by P T
Once I was sitting at the bar and a HA sat next to me. He was older,
perhaps late 40s, and he looked more jovial than dangerous, but I wasn't
about to start chatting. What was noteworthy about him was his
companions. He had a woman and one or two guys with him, so much younger
that I thought they might be his kids; clean cut and much out of place
in the Joint. They stood behind him and warily scanned the bar.
I've been to the Hexagon too, once long ago. Not sure if it's a tough
bar or just a hard drinking working man's bar.

You can buy yourself a lot of trouble at those bars if you want to.
Most of them carry work tools that would just happen to double as
weapons.

Post by P T
So, any good bar stories out there?

You can find yourself trouble almost anywhere you go that there's a
crowded bar. Your friendly neighborhood tavern probably has some
tough people there. They just don't act tough until they think they
need to, especially if they're connected.

If your idea of excitement is watching fist fights, you might hit it
lucky by hanging out around the warehouse district or the U of M at
closing time. If your idea of excitement is watching someone get
stabbed or shot, I'm not going to be any help to you, even if I could
be.

Cyli
r.bc: vixen. Minnow goddess. Speaker to squirrels.
Often taunted by trout. Almost entirely harmless.

http://www.visi.com/~cyli
email: ***@gmail.com.invalid (strip the .invalid to email)

[Adam Maloney]

Post by P T
In the "Frozen Pizza" thread, someone suggested avoiding a certain bar
since it was dangerous. Got me thinking... might be a good topic for a
late winter thread.
What's the toughest bar you've been in?
--- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Jimmy's Pro Billiards...oh wait, that's not a bar.

Really though, I mentioned The Foundry on Maryland and Jackson. It's in a
bad part of town, but it really isn't a rough bar. There are some
unsavory types that show up, but for the most part everyone leaves each
other alone.

But this discussion does bring up an interesting question. In many of
these rinky-dink neighborhood bars, the bartender works alone until close.
An empty bar, lone bartender, and possibly a few $hundred in the
till...all it takes is a little liquid courage for that to turn into a
dangerous situation.

[melody dawn]

Post by P T
What's the toughest bar you've been in?
--- --- --- --- --- --- ---

The old Charlie's on St. Peter street in St. Paul. It was a 3.2 place but
very tough back in the 70's.
Anyone remember it?

[Sully]

Post by P T
What's the toughest bar you've been in?
--- --- --- --- --- --- ---

The toughest bar I was ever in was a blue collar/construction worker
type bar called the North Star in Rochester, MN. This was many many
years ago; not sure if it even exists anymore.

I worked construction for a few summers during college and heard so many
stories about the place. One of the guys I worked with claimed he had
"his barstool" that he homesteaded from Friday after work til early
Sunday. I had to check it out.
(This guy had "issues". He once, really this is true, drove his car(a
Chevy Corvair, I know this dates me) up the front steps of the city
hall/police station and put his front bumper against the double doors
that opened outward. He started honking his horn and bumping the doors a
bit. Several cops were looking out at him, pissed, but couldn't get out
to nab him. He began flipping them off. He ran off, but left his car
there. Running even. Duh! He did a few days in jail. More than once on a
Monday morning the police/sheriff showed up at the work site looking for
good old Dave.

Anyway, some friends and I went to the North Star on a weekend night and
were having fun I think. (like I remember). It was a very macho place
and I bumped into a guy on the way to the bathroom. He pushed me, I
shoved him back. He was as out of place as I was, probably another
college kid. We started scrapping, dumb move. I don't think either of us
did any damage, but two BIG bouncers descended on us; one twisted my arm
to where it had never been before and literally used my head to push
open the front door; threw me on the side walk. I was told later that
the other guy was thrown out the back door.
I decided not to go back and whup that bouncer's butt and instead went
home to bed.
Sully

[n***@geniegate.com]

Post by P T
In the "Frozen Pizza" thread, someone suggested avoiding a certain bar
since it was dangerous. Got me thinking... might be a good topic for a
late winter thread.
What's the toughest bar you've been in?

My girlfriends apartment when I'm late and the dinner she carefully prepared is
cold.

It's a sooo hard core, even the toughest pit bull would run away with his tail
between his legs.

Trust me, you don't want to go there without a pre-planned escape route.

Jamie