What changes would you like to see in bars?


  1. I don't think most people would mind as long as you don't allow them to be obnoxious, self-centered little sh*ts who think the world is their personal playground.
  2. In this computer age there is no reason for outdated menus. I was just at the Brew Kettle in Strongsville OH today, when we got there the waitress crossed two unavailable beers off the list. By the time we got the third list those beers were replaced and all 30 taps were listed with available beer. Kudos to the Brew Kettle!
    hombrepalo likes this.
  3. Right. More than anything, just understanding that most parents today don't give a shit and that ruins it for everyone else.
    Kerrie likes this.
  4. rgordon

    rgordon Savant (420) North Carolina Apr 26, 2012

    I've seen full grown human adults be obnoxious, self-centered big sh*its who think the world is their due. I love kids, but some places I know would be a poor choice for a kid to drink a soda. Depends on the place.
  5. Engine 15 here in Jacksonville, FL uses two tv screens to display their current taplist, 50 taps, 25 beers listed per tv screen. Display switches to show brewery, style, abv, symbol for the type of glass it's served in, color of beer is displayed inside glass symbol, for most beers there's even its BA rating, as well as pricing for each beer.

    Would love to see these displays in more bars.
  6. Get on a plane and fly to Hartsfield Airport in Atlanta, GA. Drive 70 miles to Athens. Go to Trapeze Pub downtown. Take notes.
    paulys55 and Petey_the_Quiet like this.
  7. That's pretty awesome.
    Petey_the_Quiet likes this.
  8. Harnkus

    Harnkus Savant (395) New York Oct 31, 2013

    Less beer beard nerds talking about barrel programs. More men drinking good beer and talking about other things. The pussification of beer enthusiasts sickens me to the core
    paulys55, jmw, wingedeel and 8 others like this.
  9. rather

    rather Savant (305) California May 31, 2013

    what about a hookah and beer lounge :O pair flavors of tobacco (or hops awesome relative) with beer.
  10. Jonny41

    Jonny41 Savant (305) Maine Dec 9, 2012

    Welcome to Heaven the craft beer bar.
  11. Tut

    Tut Savant (425) New York Sep 23, 2004

    It's not "kid hate". Kids are fine and I enjoy having them around - just not at a bar/tavern. I'm not talking about large brewpubs, etc. with restaurants, but typical bars. They are adult places and customers consider them refuges. Like someone else already said, If I'm out for a few with my friends, I don't want to feel like we have modify our behavior and vocabulary because some guy brought his seven year old daughter in and plopped her on the stool next to us. It's very inhibiting and throws a wet blanket on our get together. Take your kids to more family type places - there are plenty of them.

    The British have long understood this. While many of their traditional pubs are very accommodating to families, and have areas set aside for them, the main bar room is off limits to kids and often has a sign saying so.
  12. Two points:

    1. The bars that you all seem to think that kids shouldn't be allowed in already card people at the entrance and don't allow in anyone that is under age. I wouldn't bring my kid to such a bar anyways.

    2. I think it's funny that you consider yourself an adult with a conclusion like that.
  13. BMitch

    BMitch Aficionado (235) Virginia Jul 10, 2012

    I can't believe I agree with Tut on something.

    If you want to go out for beers and feel the need to bring your kids, at the very least sit at the nearby tables; don't be ignorant and have your kids take up 3 stools at the bar. Besides ruining the vibe of adult patrons and taking up seats from people who are there to actually drink, you're also screwing over the bartender who is banking on the tips he's making from serving beers, not from refilling free sodas for your children.
    BrettHead and Tut like this.
  14. Definitely. Works for food too. I don't like giant food menus that read like telephone books. If you all remember what a telephone book looks like.
    Providence likes this.
  15. This is more along the resturant line, but have some employees/servers that kow what the hell they are talking about and can actually make recommendations for food parings for the beers you currently have available.
  16. Lfty357

    Lfty357 Aficionado (205) Florida Jul 24, 2013

    I would like to see to go cups at the doors like in Savannah,Ga
  17. Sponan

    Sponan Savant (280) Tennessee Jan 20, 2008

    I agree, but I have found people with children tend to have a different definition of well-behaved than those without.
  18. Aye! I think that the latter would only work in WA or CO. Yet I would love to see that! Pair that Sour Diesel with Port's Older Viscosity. Yes Please!
  19. umm... get a fucking baby sitter if you want to go to the bar. Your kid doesn't belong there. If it's a family restaurant that happens to serve good beer, that's one thing, but if it's a bar it is not an appropriate place for kids. BTW it's not you kid's behavior that folks are concerned about. People behave in bars in ways they aren't comfortable behaving in front of children. I don't want your kids hearing me talk like a sailor and I wouldn't do it at the playground
  20. The coffee shop idea is my fantasy bar. I would live there. The rest of this post is stuff I don't personally care about, but fantasies are personal, right?
  21. no tv
    Providence likes this.
  22. don't amend your comment. kids don't belong at bars. It's bad for the kids.
  23. where are you finding this free glassware?
  24. you sound like a good bartender
  25. Point one isn't true where I live. Point two is just slinging insults because you don't like opinions that aren't your own
    BrettHead and HRamz3 like this.
  26. Brenden

    Brenden Champion (815) Ohio Feb 25, 2008

    I don't really have much to add, and there are some good ideas as well as some that probably wouldn't work logistically. What I will say is in regard to children at bars. For one, if a parent wants to shelter his or her child from the world, homeschooling and home-cooked meals are where it's at. It's asinine and nonsensical to think a bar is a safe haven from the general doucheknobbery that is most of humanity. On the flip side, though, a lot of the people complaining about the noise they make probably frequent some bars where their drunk friends are at least as obnoxious. Personally, I prefer the 4 pm crowd, but I enjoy the liveliness of the late-night crowd so long as I can hear myself and my friends speak.
    Generally, people don't like dealing with misbehaving children in public whether it's at a strip club, biker bar or library.
    admobeer34 likes this.
  27. 1. Tap list clearly posted with beer name, brewer, ABV, pour size, price
    2. Knowledgeable bartenders
    3. Proper glassware, never frosted
    4. Beer mats (hate those damn little drink napkins)
    5. No TVs (interferes with the conversation)
    6. Barely noticeable music
    7. Hooks for coats and handbags
  28. No TVs at all. They just discourage conversation.
    StuartCarter and JohnCassillo like this.
  29. Donco

    Donco Savant (465) Pennsylvania Aug 12, 2013

    True and true!
  30. I'd change that to no kids under 16 years old or at least no one under 7. Infants and toddlers have no place at a bar or even a restaurant, if you want to go out it's called a baby sitter pretty simple if you ask me. Why should your kids get to ruin me and my gfs evening? If this isn't possible at least have one room with closing doors where kids aren't allowed. If a casual place had a no kids policy, it would become our go to restaurant/bar instantly.

    The other thing I'd like to see is BYOB allowed whether you want wine, beer or spirits. It would make choosing a place so much easier since too many places with great beer lists, don't have good wine, and many great wine places don't have good beer. Since my gf doesn't like many beers we often choose a wine place over a beer place since I love both.

    Also have to agree on the music turn it down or preferably off, if I wanted to go to a concert I would have!!!!!!!

    Last when a bar has multiple TV's don't have the same sports game on every TV. Let people have a choice, and if a customer asks to change one of them, do it I've left places many times that refused. Gotta wonder when bars will learn the customer is right, not the other way around.
    HRamz3 likes this.
  31. Also fair. Wouldn't mind that development either in legit craft bars and breweries. Would actually make it easier to go to bars by myself if the expectation was conversation with fellow bar patrons.
    abcramer likes this.
  32. Homple

    Homple Aspirant (40) Iowa Nov 6, 2013

    Amen, brother.
  33. BlindSalimander

    BlindSalimander Savant (250) Texas Aug 16, 2010

    I understand what you are saying but it really comes down to how well you practice the art of conversation. It's not hard to steer conversation amongst people with a pint or two in them.
  34. BlindSalimander

    BlindSalimander Savant (250) Texas Aug 16, 2010

    OK, then no Wi/Fi/Smartphones. These are bigger discouragers of conversation.
    vurt, jmw, dedbeer and 1 other person like this.
  35. Tut

    Tut Savant (425) New York Sep 23, 2004

    This shows how young you are. Only bars that cater to students and people in their twenties check proof at the door. It might surprise you that many of us here are in our 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, and older and don't frequent bars that check proof at the entrance. The kind of bars we're talking about are adult bars. Nobody sane tries to bring a child into a bar that proofs at the door.

    Give it time,, you'll eventually understand.
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2014
    BrettHead, HRamz3 and vkv822 like this.
  36. Anyone say craft beer?
  37. No TVs and a ban on all social media, no sports paraphernalia, no BMC in any form, no cocktails or mixed drinks, no kids,no vending machines, no overly stylish interior designs, no cider, no nitro, no food and no bottles. Just draft. And just a trough in the washroom which can be found in a small hut a hop, skip and a jump outside of the bar.
    That otta do it.
    jmw and Tut like this.
  38. Pintofbrown

    Pintofbrown Advocate (540) Iowa Jun 25, 2011

  39. Ysgard

    Ysgard Savant (325) Virginia Mar 5, 2008

    Seriously. The entitled attitude of "screw you, this bar is for me" is offputting.

    By and large, parents understand which places are appropriate for the kids. There will always be the outliers, being parents that aren't quite familiar enough with a place and parents that straight make bad decisions, but by and large, a parent feels enormous pressure not to have their kid crimping everyones style. Does this mean they'll never take their kid to the bar? No. It means they'll try to make it work and sometimes it will and dad gets to have a beer with dinner, and sometimes it turns into a shitstorm. They're still just people.
    Pug, rab53, champ103 and 3 others like this.
  40. People will just sit around tapping on their smart phones more heavily discouraging conversation. I see more people at beer bars too consumed with rating there beers, posting them up on untappd, or taking pictures of the glass,than I see people too consumed with watching sportscenter with no sound.

    I prefer televisions. I will sometimes stop in to a place and grab a few drinks while my wife is in the area doing some shopping or what have you. I hate posting up at the bar by myself and having nothing to look at.

    If you sell beer, wine and liquor at you establishment and allow people to also bring in beer wine and liquor, what is the incentive for anyone to purchase yours at the marked up prices? That's business suicide. The only way a BYOB works is in the absence of actually selling alcohol.
    dedbeer, SunDevilBeer and BMitch like this.
  41. HRamz3

    HRamz3 Advocate (630) Pitcairn Feb 9, 2010

    There's are very few people who act entitled as do new parents.....
    jmw and jefffalcone like this.

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