Kansas Crimson

I don't agree.

1. Harbour Lights
2. 8th street tap room
3. Bullwinkles

( i can't quite put Louise's downtown in here b/c it was always TOO collegiate - other candidates could be West Coast Saloon or Ricks Place but I just don't like them )

Also there's Astros, which has the right clientele, but straight up pool halls can't fit in the category for me.

I remember in high school getting bussed in to what I think was just called The Pool Room by Bucky's for 'Lifetime Sports' at 11 AM ( Lifetime Sports included pool and bowling ). There were 6 or so chain smoking drunks playing pool, cracking wise - were my heroes that day.

West Coast for sure. Forgot about trust place. And 8th St. Tap is good too. I’ve forgotten more about Lawrence than most millennials know.

Harbor and Bullwinkles are college bars.

I used to bartend (well just pour 25 cent draws) at Benchwarmers on 23rd. Gurely got hammered one night probably 1994 and I drove him back to the Towers. He puked right as I pulled up. This was during the summer.

There was a bar on Vermont about 7th or 8th. Can't remember the name. Bogart's maybe? The owner of the Cornucopia used to take the staff there after work occasionally and buy drinks for us. Then he'd try and pick fights with the biggest guy in the room and tell him that we were his backup. He'd start to get the guy pissed and then buy him a drink. Good times.

I think a college bar can also be a dive bar ( tougher to make it in, sure ).
I don't frequent Harbour now ( obviously ) but back in the day, you'd have regulars in there right when it opened, old locals just drinking the day away, with shitty beer, on stools that were falling apart ( Geezer's requirements checked ), with a men's restroom with no stall. And some of those locals would just plop themselves there taking up space at the bar while the crowd got younger.

The last time I went to Harbour during the day ( a couple years ago ) sure enough, there were 3 old dudes posted up by the window, drinking mugs of beer and then all going out front to chain smoke. They fixed the back and the men's restroom, which counts against it, but i still think it's hanging on to dive.

The fact that you're in a college town and college kids will inevitably go to a bar that is downtown doesn't eliminate it from a dive bar in my book.

shindig wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 7:21 pm I used to bartend (well just pour 25 cent draws) at Benchwarmers on 23rd. Gurely got hammered one night probably 1994 and I drove him back to the Towers. He puked right as I pulled up. This was during the summer.

Thank you for your service.

shindig wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 7:21 pm I used to bartend (well just pour 25 cent draws) at Benchwarmers on 23rd. Gurely got hammered one night probably 1994 and I drove him back to the Towers. He puked right as I pulled up. This was during the summer.

Lawrence summers, man. The memories I have are among my happiest.

me too.

Not that I remember.

Yeah, I don't disagree completely, PDub, but still don't think as most places in Lawrence as 'dives'.

When I lived in Cap Hill in Denver (pre-gentrification, my rent was $600, same place now is $2000, 6 years later), Nob Hill was my favorite bar to go to on way home from work. It's a dive bar for sure. I think they take CC's now, but didn't while I was frequenting the place.

Did anyone do KC BBQ top 3 yet? Incorporating both the various meats AND sides AND sauce(s) in my rankings.

I would go:
1) ABs
2) Gates
3) ???? Can't decide here. Joe's, Q39, and JS all were very good (none of the name brand KC BBQ spots aren't "good" imo...i could eat BBQ for every meal) but none really separated themselves imo....there are a some I haven't been to like slaps, bbs lawnside, LCs, etc.

ABs tops Gates for me probably because I love the baked beans so much LOL.

Top 3 BBQ Portland ME surrounding ( meh )

1. Elsmere ( decent )
2. Salvage ( fine-their sides are good-Mac and cheese is killer )
3. Wilson County ( the pulled pork was soggy wet - the beans the only good thing there )

I haven’t been to Noble yet but I guarantee it’d be in the top 3. I am also not counting Terlingua as it’s Argentinian BBQ but if we’re to count it, it’d be no. 1, easily.

Top 3 in KC:
1. Bryant’s
2. Joes
3. LCs

pdub wrote: ↑Sat Jun 13, 2020 8:42 am Top 3 BBQ Portland ME surrounding ( meh )

1. Elsmere ( decent )
2. Salvage ( fine-their sides are good-Mac and cheese is killer )
3. Wilson County ( the pulled pork was soggy wet - the beans the only good thing there )

I haven’t been to Noble yet but I guarantee it’d be in the top 3. I am also not counting Terlingua as it’s Argentinian BBQ but if we’re to count it, it’d be no. 1, easily.

Top 3 in KC:
1. Bryant’s
2. Joes
3. LCs

For the KC spots what is your go to meat?

I like everything, but typically don't get things like a pulled pork sandwich. I alternate ribs, brisket, rib tips or a mix of all 3. I definitly eat my fair share of pulled pork, but it would be down my list a notch below those others.

ABs sliced brisket is amazing. White bread is my preference over buns typically.

Pulled pork in KC is relatively new. You really didn't see until the 90's. Pork was cooked to a lower temp and sliced. I blame foodtv and the internet for homogenizing not only barbecue but other regional foods.

Top spots in KC depends on what I want. There is no better 'cue in KC than LC's burnt ends. Brisket; SLAPs, AB's, Brobeck's and Q39* are all really good. Ribs; Joe's or Woodyard.

*Q39 doesn't really feel like a BBQ joint. It's a nice restaurant that happens to serve really good barbecue.

Top 3 Thai/Chinese/Vietnamese restaurants:

Portland ME surrounding:
1. BODA
2. Empire
3. Cong Tu Bot

Oh dang.

1. New Hong Kong. Little bit of everything Asian, killer lunch special. Only place that serves Pad Thai or Pho to know.
2. Pearl Dragon. Many locals will argue this one over New Hong Kong. It’ll do, but they recently moved and jacked up their prices to tourist levels.
3. Pepe Osaka’s. Asian-Mexian fusion, sashimi grade fish tacos. Really good but long waits and/or they often sell out of the fish, and expensive as eff.

as always, honorable mention:

Happy hour potstickers at the Crooked Creek.

I found the best ramen noodles place ever right before covid. It's near Culver City. Not a big fan of ramen, but this Japanese place is insanely delicious. If you're ever in LA, I recommend.

Mogumogu

J2C
Panda Cuisine
Pho Saigon

It drops off pretty dramatically after that.

J2C Asian Bistro dish:


Walrus jumped the gun.

Best Japanese Portland ME and surrounding:

1. Pai Men
2. Izakaya Monato
3. Miyake ( most will say this is the best - but for the price you pay, you can have a better experience at Pai Men )

Pai Men: