Arts & Entertainment

Tavern alternative to clubs

By Gigi Khadivian
The Daily Cougar

Here's a bit of advice for those of you trying to get out during the week: Give up those overcrowded, $20-cover-charging sweatfests called clubs. Move on over to the easygoing side of things and check out The Tavern. Itis a good choice for any weeknight, even Monday.

So, go ahead and hit The Tavern. Located at 1340 W. Grey St. at Waugh Drive in the Montrose area, this spot has a few good evenings in store for you.

First, letis establish that it's 21 and up, but practically any joint worth going to is. So if you're looking at one to three years in the 18-and-up-club hell, it might be a good social investment to find your older siblingis ID.

However, donit try that at The Tavern -- the door guys there (though sometimes they talk on their cell phones for up to 20 minutes a call) usually pay attention.

The Tavern is one of the few bars in Montrose that caters to an older crowd -- more like 22 to 28 than 20 to 25 -- but Coogs will still fit in.

The baris dark wood décor doesnit look like anything special, but it does offer a lot of elbow room for drinkers. The Tavern is large and always packed.

On Monday nights, free pool always draws a large crowd. The eight pool tables lining the rear get snatched up quick. Get there early to snag a table.

Tuesday nights get rowdy for karaoke. Some patrons arenit fans of this type of drunken debauchery and have never participated in the embarrassment of karaoke, but some good singers were on the stage last time I attended. One girl sounded so much like Tori Amos most people thought it was a CD.

Another perk of this bar is the NTT Trivia starting every hour. Trivia geeks are strategically spread out through the bar, racking up points incognito on handheld game pieces. Several gamers were seated at the best table in the house, the big round table surrounded by televisions, with easy access to the complimentary bar popcorn.

If trivia, karaoke or free pool isnit your cup of tea, there's also darts, foosball and tons of people to check out.

One complaint -- and it's a big one -- is that no parking is available. Parking can make or break a hang out and if they don't fix this problem it might drive away customers.

Since I live one block away from The Tavern, I can attest to the fact that not one night has gone by when the place hasnit been packed. Your best bet is to get friends to drop you off.

The Tavern

1340 W. Grey St.

The verdict: A great place to hang out on lazy weekday nights.
 Send comments to dcshobiz@mail.uh.edu