Vital question about Bozeman Bars.................

grizhatr · Post by **grizhatr** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 3:30 pm

How about in the old days when they would have free drinks for chicks on Friday's from 4 to 6pm. I loved the old R and have fond memories of being drunk and fighting. But, I sort of like the new one, only because its non smoking. And by the way, Ralph is a nice guy and so is Mike.

Hello Kitty · Post by **Hello Kitty** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 3:45 pm

grizhatr wrote:How about in the old days when they would have free drinks for chicks on Friday's from 4 to 6pm. I loved the old R and have fond memories of being drunk and fighting. But, I sort of like the new one, only because its non smoking. And by the way, Ralph is a nice guy and so is Mike.

The new R bar is nice becuase of the smoke free thing but is a bit yuppie for me, I think the cocktail napkins are north face fleece.

grizhatr · Post by **grizhatr** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 4:01 pm

Its not that yuppy. That's next door at Boodles. I sort of like checking out everyone, kind of like I used to do. Still has the same eye candy. Only most of the candy is busting out at the waistlines. Not sure how the ladies can look in the mirror and actually think they look good.

mquast53000 · Post by **mquast53000** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 4:02 pm

WolfPtCat wrote:There is still good ol' fashioned Montana beer and whiskey drinin' that takes place nightly, right down the street....The Crystal. I've always liked the Crystal better anyway, especially after I met Ralph Ferraro, owner of the R-bar. What a complete jackass!

Grunge, the owner of the Crystal is far better.

I will always remember quarter beer night. That taught me that Thursday was part of the weekend. It also taught me how to go to class with a killer hangover.

Oh, and whoever said the Huaf was a “hick” hangout was told something totally different then what I have heard and know. The Hauf is Bozeman's home to dirty hippies!

grizhatr · Post by **grizhatr** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 4:05 pm

good burgers too. plus you can eat those peanuts and through the shells on the floor.

CelticCat · Post by **CelticCat** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 4:30 pm

mquast53000 wrote:
WolfPtCat wrote:There is still good ol' fashioned Montana beer and whiskey drinin' that takes place nightly, right down the street....The Crystal. I've always liked the Crystal better anyway, especially after I met Ralph Ferraro, owner of the R-bar. What a complete jackass!
Grunge, the owner of the Crystal is far better.

I will always remember quarter beer night. That taught me that Thursday was part of the weekend. It also taught me how to go to class with a killer hangover.

Oh, and whoever said the Huaf was a “hick” hangout was told something totally different then what I have heard and know. The Hauf is Bozeman's home to dirty hippies!

I'm sure our definitions of hicks are two entirely different things Quast.

I went in there and felt really out of place.

Ponycat · Post by **Ponycat** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 4:35 pm

This is making me thirsty. I getting pissed tonight.

I said these Pretzels are making me thirsty.

Post by **kmax** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 4:41 pm

mquast53000 wrote:
WolfPtCat wrote:There is still good ol' fashioned Montana beer and whiskey drinin' that takes place nightly, right down the street....The Crystal. I've always liked the Crystal better anyway, especially after I met Ralph Ferraro, owner of the R-bar. What a complete jackass!
Grunge, the owner of the Crystal is far better.

That's what I was thinking quast!

brother_bluto · Post by **brother_bluto** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 4:44 pm

man, this is making me sad. The R Bar is gone, and the wonderful $5 cover for all you can drink pitchers at the Paw with live music is gone.

But we do still have the Crystal. I go every time I'm back. Hopefully, it stays unchanged when I return again. I also like the Scoop for a cheap drink and game of pool.

Btowncat · Post by **Btowncat** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 5:36 pm

Okay, I have come to grips with my fossildom. When I was a freshman, I can remember quarter beer night at Strombolis (near the Hinky Dink) and not having to worry about being carded. For those who remember the vintage R-Bar, I know one guy who "dropped anchor" in the men's room and received a well-earned a t-shirt to commemorate the event (the bathrooms were one step up from New Dehli -- about the same chances of catching the plague). I'd vote for the Crystal now. The Cat's Hole used to be good for cheap pitchers and all the second hand smoke you could eat. Is Little John's still in existence? Anyone?

Ponycat · Post by **Ponycat** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 5:45 pm

You would not recognize LJ's for sure. They gutted it and turned it into a dance club called Mixers. I've only been to it once or twice and never on the weekends but it looks like something you'd see in Denver, Minneapolis or San Fran. Nothing at all like LJ's but the bathrooms are at least clean and functioning. Really fixed it up but a completely Gay name. Reminds me of a George Carlin bit I heard a long time ago.

BobCatFan · Post by **BobCatFan** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 6:01 pm

There is a bar missing from the list. What happened to the Zoo bar?

Btowncat · Post by **Btowncat** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 6:18 pm

BobCatFan wrote:There is a bar missing from the list. What happened to the Zoo bar?

The Zoo passed on in about 1987 (you might be older than me -- that's awesome!) At some point it was a bar called Criquets or something similarly odd. Can't say what became of it after that.

gtapp · Post by **gtapp** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 6:18 pm

I always go to St George and the Dragon before hitting the Gold Rush!

Btowncat · Post by **Btowncat** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 6:20 pm

Ponycat wrote:You would not recognize LJ's for sure. They gutted it and turned it into a dance club called Mixers. I've only been to it once or twice and never on the weekends but it looks like something you'd see in Denver, Minneapolis or San Fran. Nothing at all like LJ's but the bathrooms are at least clean and functioning. Really fixed it up but a completely Gay name. Reminds me of a George Carlin bit I heard a long time ago.

Thanks for the info. As far as Gay names go (no offense to anyone), I'd have to say Boodles takes the cake. Particularly when it once was the Cowboy Cafe.

GOKATS · Post by **GOKATS** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 6:36 pm

gtapp wrote:I always go to St George and the Dragon before hitting the Gold Rush!

St. George and the Dragon has been gone for a long time. Fletch moved kitty corner across Main & has the Cannery (he also has Burger Bob's next door)- great bar & nice scenery. Crystal is always a stop on the way down the street. Don't care for the new R Bar- just isn't the same. Skip Boodles completely. Stop at the Legion, some old farts like me, but they're all Blue & Gold.

Other than that I hit Specs and the Hideaway.

PapaG · Post by **PapaG** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 7:51 pm

The Rockin R - a mere shadow of what once was. it's a nice place, but an absolute disgrace for those who went to school more than 4 years ago when they gutted it.

My wife and I were in Bozeman last month for the first time in years. After dinner at Ferraro's on a Wednesday, we went to the R-Bar for a tasty libation. I spent TOO MUCH time at that bar during college; if any of you were in Bozeman from '92-97 and spent any time at the R-Bar we probably know each other. Anyhoo, the youngsters in the place started talking to us about how Bozeman had changed. I pointed at the wall where the old photos were and said that was how we remembered the joint.

On a side note, it was nice to see the bathrooms remodeled. The men's room back in the day had to have been a health violation. I'm convinced that a certain friend of mine is/was the only person to drop trou in that abomination.

WYOBISONMAN · Post by **WYOBISONMAN** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 9:03 pm

PapaG wrote:The Rockin R - a mere shadow of what once was. it's a nice place, but an absolute disgrace for those who went to school more than 4 years ago when they gutted it.

On a side note, it was nice to see the bathrooms remodeled. The men's room back in the day had to have been a health violation. I'm convinced that a certain friend of mine is/was the only person to drop trou in that abomination.

The R should have dried puke on the floor.......or wet puke for that matter......a major part of the ambience......

BobCatFan · Post by **BobCatFan** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 9:07 pm

I leave school and the Zoo bar closes. Was I supporting the bar that much?

PapaG · Post by **PapaG** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 10:02 pm

WYOBISONMAN wrote:
PapaG wrote:The Rockin R - a mere shadow of what once was. it's a nice place, but an absolute disgrace for those who went to school more than 4 years ago when they gutted it.

On a side note, it was nice to see the bathrooms remodeled. The men's room back in the day had to have been a health violation. I'm convinced that a certain friend of mine is/was the only person to drop trou in that abomination.
The R should have dried puke on the floor.......or wet puke for that matter......a major part of the ambience......

I swear this, and you can ask my wife because she thought so too, but you can still smell bleach in the place.

I'm guessing the foundation is saturated at least 8" in bleach from the 'dive' days.