[Print]
[Close]
After-work watering holes
By
Bernell Dorrough
Of the Post-Dispatch
Thursday, Aug. 04 2005
No matter how your week went, there's always a reason to grab a drink after
work on Friday. Get yelled at by your boss? Drown your sorrows. Get promoted?
Spend your entire raise buying everyone a round. And enjoying a post-work drink
is a good idea whatever the state of your love life. Going to the right bar
after work might mean running into the person of your dreams. End up marrying
that person? You can return to the same bar to avoid going home and hearing
"Aren't you going to ask me about my day?"
Within a mile of the office
Harry's Downtown (2144 Market St.) is one of best locations to head after a
long day at the office, yet I never cease to be amazed by how many people
haven't heard of it. The restaurant's spacious deck offers an amazing view of
Union Station, the Arch and the rest of the downtown skyline. There are plenty
of umbrellas over the tables to keep the heat at bay, and a large outside bar
makes it easy to order a second round. If you'd rather stay indoors, you might
want to splurge for some food, so you can enjoy the beautiful dining area. The
tall windows keep this classy, refined room well-lit, and you can still enjoy
the great view.
The one downside to Harry's is that it charges a fairly steep $6 cover on the
weekends. Fortunately, if you visit during happy hour -- Monday through Friday
between 4 and 6 p.m. -- you'll see some pretty respectable drink specials
without coming anywhere near a cover charge. Deals include $2 bottles of
Budweiser, Busch and Miller beers, $3 well drinks and $4 Cosmopolitans.
The diverse crowd in the CWE
Among the eclectic array of trendy bars and restaurants in the Central West
End, the blue awning and brick exterior of Tom's Bar & Grill (20 S. Euclid
Ave.) stands out as decidedly ordinary. But venture inside and you'll find much
more than a run-of-the-mill neighborhood bar. The wood bar and old-fashioned
lamps are reminicent of an Irish pub, while widescreen TVs and model airplanes
that hang from the ceiling mix in the atmosphere of a sports bar. However, the
best feature of this watering hole defies classification. A massive skylight
covered by a yellow canopy lets the brightness flood in while keeping direct
sunlight out of your eyes.
If the bar's atmosphere doesn't make you want to stay for a while, its diverse
patrons will. Tom's attracts everyone from construction workers to medical
students -- it doesn't matter who you are or what you do, so long as you
appreciate the post-work beer. Sweetening the deal, the happy-hour specials
include $2.25 domestic bottles and $2.75 domestic drafts.
Finding someone special in Clayton
No list of after-work spots would be complete without mentioning J. Buck's
Restaurant. The first two stops on this week's list are definitely worth your
time if you're just hoping to sip a brew with some co-workers, but if you're
looking to meet a future love interest, it's the only place to head. After the
offices in downtown Clayton begin to shut down, it becomes a veritable meet
market for the successful 20 and 30-somethings who work in the area, and it's
easy to understand why. The classy bar has plenty of modern, trendy touches,
and if you choose to stay for dinner, there are plenty of good (albeit a little
pricey) options to choose from.
Although the bar doesn't have a happy hour -- with so many end-of-the-week
patrons, it doesn't need one -- drinks prices are still fairly reasonable.
Domestic bottles are $3.25, and there is an ample selection of wines and
martinis.
Want to be the next 20-Buck Bernie? Find out how by clicking here. You don't
even have to be named Bernie.
Visit the 20-Buck Bernie home page to download some tunes to help you celebrate
the end of the work week.
Did I miss something? Think I'm way off? Drop by the 20-Buck Bernie forum to
offer feedback and suggestions for future stops.
_____________________________________________________________________
If you enjoy reading about interesting news, you might like the 3 O'Clock Stir from
STLtoday.com. Sign up and you'll receive an email with unique stories of the day,
every Monday-Friday, at no charge.
Sign up at
http://newsletters.stltoday.com
_____________________________________________________________________