Ask The Chief Episode One

Unless this guy is an expert at kneeling and holding a clipboard, I really don't know what his expertise would be. Looking like a douche maybe?

Here at the PBR, I rarely get emails from people that have questions or comments but recently a gent named Ryan Norgart a.k.a. PeoriaKid sent me an email with some questions about some of the South Peoria dives I've reviewed here. Here's what Ryan had to say...

I just discovered your blog. I love it. I moved to South Carolina a few years back, but I grew up Peoria. I went to Woodruff and then Bradley and have always loved Peoria's drinking/ bar/ distilling/ hookering/ brewing/ and generally shady history. During and shortly after college I started exploring Peoria's diverse bar scene. I grew up about 2 blocks from the Red Barn and it has always been my "home" bar. I can still walk in the door today (after having left town some time ago) and know everyone at the bar.


Anyway, back to my point. Back in about 1997 or 98, a couple of friends and I started doing our own exploratory bar tours. We would basically drink our way around town trying to hit as many bars as we could that we had never been to before. However, there were a few places that I was always curious about but was a little nervous about checking out due to the part of town they are in combined with the fact that I am white. A few that come to mind are Dome, Earp's hideaway, Jan's, Roger's, and Garden Gate. After reading your reviews I want to check them out more then ever. Especially Dome tap. Like I said, I love Peoria's brewing history and I sort of collect old Gipp's stuff. I never knew Dome had the Gipp's tile entryway.


So, do you think a regular guy (Im not a douche, definitely not a hipster, not from Chicago, etc) would ever have any problems at these type of places? I have been to plenty of dive joints around Peoria, in some shady areas, but to me, places like the Dome sorta take things to another level of ghettoness. (due to the neighborhood) Im not stupid and have decent street smarts, know when to keep my mouth shut, etc. So, have you ever felt uneasy in any of these places?

Well, you asked for it and here ya go Ryan, I hope this helps!

Dome Tap - The Dome is a great place for an afternoon beer and with all the pay-out poker machines they have you might end up getting one for free. I've been to the Dome on Friday and Saturday nights pretty late and I was DEFINITELY the only white person in there other than the girlfriend of some black dude. I've never had any problems with anybody other than one time some guy kept trying to get me to buy him a drink because the bartender had cut him off. My girlfriend was even with me at the time and no one fucked with her. That being said, it's probably safer to get outta there before 10 or so. While I've had a good experience there I could totally see some guy wondering what the fuck a 27 year-old white dude is doing in there that late and wanting me out of there. Maybe I've been lucky and maybe people can tell that I'm no threat to anyone and not worth beating up, (like I said white, 5'7" 150 = you've proved nothing by whooping my ass.)


Earp's - Basically like most bars in this area, Earps is a white trash hangout and honestly, I've felt more uncomfortable in these types of places than I ever have at "black" bars like Dome Tap and LA's. This place is alright, definitely a neighborhood joint and you'll get some looks on the weekend when ALL the regulars are there. If you're gonna get fucked with in this bar, it'll probably be over a pool game.

Jan's - Don't be fooled by the location, Jan's is absolutely harmless. Any bar where a 60 something year-old lady who isn't even 5 feet tall tends bar on a Saturday night is somewhere you don't have to worry about. Jan's is a neighborhood place for sure but this is the bar where the laid back folks from the 'hood go, while Earp's is generally reserved for the rowdy croud. Last Saturday night when I was in there (from 9 - 10) and Jan's grandkids were playing pool in the back room, nothing to worry about here.

Roger's - I've hung out at Roger's Place quite a bit and I've never had any problems. The key to avoiding trouble here is to get in good with the bartender (Booter) because there are definitely some crazy fuckers that go in here. Like neck tattoo, coked out, crazy eyed people. But Booter keeps everything under control, he doesn't put up with any shit and there are several "normal" (and I use that word VERY liberally) regulars that..well, regulate on any trouble makers. Also, this bar always seems to be busiest in the after work hours (4 - 7) after that, it's pretty dead. Even on the weekends, it's rare that Roger's is open much past 11.

Garden Gate - Another South Peoria classic that's patronized by (mostly) older white guys. A bunch of country on the juke box and old timers sippin' their beers. The Gate is really a day-time bar, they close early at night because they're afraid of getting robbed. If you're gonna get fucked with in here it'll be because you told some guy that his racist joke wasn't funny..and that he's a racist and you're not. You're better off to just fake-laugh awkwardly and change the subject.

Well Ryan, I hope this post answered all your questions. I certainly did my best and if any of you out there on the internets have questions shoot me an email, message me on facebook, or send me some snail mail to 1060 W. Addison St. Chicago, Il.

That's all for now people, if you want to hang out, you can find me at Dorothy's this Friday or Saturday night between the hours of 8 and 11. Cheers!

Dorothy's Dew Drop Inn

Yah, we're open, why would you think otherwise? Yah, I guess it kinda looks like an abandoned building, maybe we should do some remodeling HAHAHAHAHAHA YAH RIGHT!

Dorothy's is located at 1819 S. Laramie St. and is probably the southernmost bar in the city of Peoria. The only challenger to that claim might be Cheers and Beers on SW Adams. The tavern is jammed into a run-down strip of buildings in the southern corner of the neighborhood which probably has a name that has long been forgotten save by the elder residents of the area. If you drive past the tavern heading south, Laramie St. dead ends into Trewyn Park and on a winter's day with no leaves on the trees you can see I-474. If you didn't grow up in this area or aren't a weirdo like me who drives around the usually ignored neighborhoods of Peoria, you would probably never know about this place. You can thank me for telling you about it by sending me cash, thanks.

I've only been to Dorothy's twice and have literally had two bottles of Bud Light ($2) during my trips there. I'm going to say that the Dew Drop Inn is Peoria's number one dive bar for several reasons. The criteria for great dive bars is as follows.

Location - must be a bad one
Oddities - weird shit laying around that you don't usually see in a bar
Patrons - neighborhood lifers and usually several bitter old men in the middle of the day
Employees - gruff and workmanlike or friendly and talkative, dive bars can go either way on this one
Cleanliness - there is no such thing

We've already covered the location and while it may not be the worst neighborhood in Peoria it certainly ranks pretty high. When you first walk into Dorothy's, you will be confronted by a vicious guard dog yipping Chihuahua named Charlie. After a minute or two and several attempts to send him to the back room, Charlie will eventually give up and trot away, letting out a few more barks as he goes. Now, with that out of the way you can have a look around. One of the first things I noticed was the 90's era desktop and monitor at which Dorothy was seated playing solitaire. The main area of the bar is occupied by a pool table, a recliner that looks like a it came straight from Al Bundy's house, and a small table with four chairs. Why there is a recliner there, I don't know but one day I will sit in it and it will be glorious. The bar itself runs almost the full length of the building and is unique in its construction and by unique I mean crappy. When you sit at a bar stool, you must spread your legs like you're on a horse because the bar is one long rectangle with no ledge that hangs over your lap like, oh I don't know, every bar I've ever seen.

According to manta.com, Dorothy's has an estimated annual income of $75,000 and has approximately two employees. Those two employees would be Dorothy and a man I'm assuming is her husband, a gruff looking guy who appears to be in his 60's and probably has more fingers than teeth. Dorothy herself is friendly looking grandma type with her gray hair fashioned in an equally grandma-like perm. She can't be more than five feet tall and looks like she's dealt with a lot of bullshit in her life which isn't surprising considering her occupation.

The decor of the bar is pretty spartan, with most of the nick-nacks having to do with either booze or Nascar. On my last trip there, the old man was watching Sprint Cup practice (that's right practice) despite the fact that it was in March and there were plenty of important college basketball games on. If there isn't any Nascar event being televised, you're likely to find either Dr. Phil or Walker Texas Ranger on the tube. I doubt if either Dorothy or her husband work during the later hours on the weekends but I could be wrong. I'd really like to see what the crowd is like on a Friday or Saturday night but that will just have to wait for now.

If you've never been to Dorothy's you really must check it out. If the neighborhood gives you the willies, just stop in during the week for a nice afternoon beer, you won't be disappointed. The Dew Drop Inn is carrying on the tradition of classic South Peoria dive bars and in my opinion is the diviest of them all.

Cheers to Dorothy's for keeping the Peoria dive bar tradition alive and well!

Peoria Institution: Jan's Tap, the Best Cubs Bar in Peoria

Update May 20, 2012
I randomly found myself in the South End Wednesday night, and with the Cubs game on the radio and a few dollars in my pocket, I figured it would be best to stop in at Jan's.

First off, you should know that Jan's husband has been diagnosed with lung cancer. So, keep him in your prayers (if you do that sort of thing) or your thoughts (I think we all have those).

Wednesday provided a beautiful night for some late night scratch-offs and yet another devastating Cubs loss. When I walked in, there were only three people at the bar. One, I soon learned, was named Leland, who admitted he gambles "a lot."

"Not a winner, Leland," the bartender said.

"Damn. I've lost 60 dollars tonight."

Following that, Leland rambled on semi-incoherently about "notebooks" from "'47, '48 and '49" that he sold for $100 a pop. He told us they were actually worth $250 a piece. I'm still not sure what he was talking about but I think it was some kind of annual program for the Cubs. It didn't matter; ears were caught, and the bartender deftly slipped away.

I informed the bartender I won $4 on my $2 scratch-off.

"You sure?" she asked.

"The machine will tell you what it's made of," Leland chimed in.

Indeed, Jan's has a new machine that scans each scratch-off, ensuring that Leland-types can't pull any fast ones on whoever is behind the bar.

It's fitting that the most notorious Cubs bar in town also sells a ton of lottery tickets. The dream of winning is still alive and well at Jan's. And much like Cubs fans, these folks are in it for the love of the game.

Click below to read the original review.

Peoria Institution: Tina's Coach Stop

Tina's Coach Stop is located at 3522 West Lincoln Ave. in Peoria. I think technically this part of Peoria is known as Bellevue but could also be considered South Peoria as Tina's sits atop the bluff just a short drive from the southside. I'll tag Tina's as being part of both both.

Tina's is a bar with a lot of history. The building was constructed in 1840 and was originally an inn. The bar is below ground in what used to be the horse stables. The 1st and 2nd floors are vacant and Tina informed me that they are filled with her stepfather's antique collections. Rumor has it that Abraham Lincoln stopped here back in the day, but Tina could not confirm or deny this legend. One of the first things I thought upon entering the bar was "how in the hell did they get this pool table in here?" It must have been a feat of engineering as neither of the doors are at all big enough to squeeze it through. There are only two (2) explanations as to how the table got there. Either the building was built around the table (not likely but would be awesome), or the table was brought in piece by piece and put together inside the bar.

Tina's is cramped with only about 15 stools around the rectangular bar. Drafts are available through one of those old "keg in the wall" tappers. I had a Bud Light ($2.25 on Thursdays, $1.25 on Fridays) and the bartender brought me a can. I'm pretty sure Tina's doesn't have bottles. As I pounded down numerous beers, the bartender Randy kept up by ripping the tabs off and crushing each can in some kind of awesome can crusher I've never seen before. Randy did a good job at first but as more and more people poured in the cans started to add up on the bar. No worries though, Tina hopped to it and started crushing away. Everyone was really nice and Tina made sure that I learned as much about the place as she could tell me. Tina's was featured in a book by local historian and Journal Star columnist Jerry Kline (I think it is called "Played in Peoria"). The picture was taken sometime in the 50's and the only difference was the lack of the front breezeway which is a recent edition. Seeing as how Tina's is well over a hundred years old, the definition of "recent" is a little different than most places. I'd say the breezeway is approaching it's twentieth birthday.

Not surprisingly, there is a supernatural element to Tina's. Both Tina and Randy, as well as several regulars attested to seeing figures and witnessing odd events. Apparently, one night the pool table was empty, no balls and no chalk. Randy and one of the regulars were the only folks in the bar when they heard what they thought was something falling over in the back room. Both went back to check it out and found nothing out of place. When they returned to the bar, they found several balls and a cube of chalk on the pool table. Spooooooky. I'm not sure if I believe this tale but it still makes for good storytelling and with a place as old as Tina's I wouldn't doubt that ghosts could be hanging around.

I'm going to go ahead and add Tina's to the list of Peoria Institutions. It is a shame that I didn't put it on there to begin with but I honestly didn't know about it until recently. Well, I had heard of it before and seen pictures in the Bar Paper but I had no idea the historical significance of the building. If Tina had enough money to renovate the building with the proper materials it would be very easy for her to have it added to an historical landmark list. I guess I just didn't picture it in my mind as it exists in person. This is not just another South Peoria dive bar. Tina's, like Mike's has an historic element that makes it very special and when you walk in the bar you can feel it immediately. Everyone in Peoria should go check this place out. You might get a couple looks at first but it doesn't take much time at all for the regulars to warm up to you. Not to mention that Tina is as gracious a host as any barfly could hope for. I'm definitely going to make Tina's one of my regular stops and you, dear reader should as well. So, cheers to history and cheers to the Coach Stop!

Jimmy Earp's Hideaway

Jimmy Earp's is located at 1507 S. Laramie St. in South Peoria. It sits just a few blocks south of the Iron Rooster and a few blocks east of Jan's Tap, a nice little trifecta of neighborhood taverns. I'm not sure if this neighborhood has a name but it is frequently referred to in the bar paper as Limestone Township. I guess this is for a reason because the neighborhood in which these bars are located is bordered by Bellevue and South Peoria. Either way, it's a pretty rough neighborhood but definitely not the worst.

Long ago, in a galaxy far away (or right here in Peoria), when I was an amateur in the highly skilled game of bar frequenting, the Hideaway probably wouldn't have been my first (or second) choice. But one day, I just so happened to be in the neighborhood and decided to stop in. After a few drinks, some friends showed up and the regulars started pouring in. A short while later the band started setting up. Now, usually you wouldn't expect a neighborhood tavern to have a house band but the Hideaway does and they are lead by the owner Jimmy. I know everyone out there may not be as big a Kiss fan as I am but I think most will admit that some of there music is very likeable. Not to mention the fact that most cover bands don't play Kiss songs and if they do, it is almost guaranteed to be a cut-rate version of "Rock and Roll All Nite". Anyways, the rag tag group of musicians at Jimmy's that night started out their first of two sets with the Kiss classic "Strutter". I immediately fell in love with Jimmy's and can count this moment as the genesis of my love for dive bars.

That night was a few years ago but after going there this past weekend I can tell you not much has changed. The pool table still has some of the best shooters in town (male and female) and the shuffleboard table still sees a lot of action. By 8:00 the 5 poker machines are spoken for and the jukebox is cranked up to 11. The beer is cheap, $2 a bottle and mixed drinks/shots are cheap too, probably because the bar isn't crowded with all those fancy "top shelf" vodkas, tequilas, and whiskys. If you want a shot, your choices in those three fields of study would be: Smirnoff, Jose, and Jack, not a problem for most.

If any of my readers (all three of you) are reading this post thinking, "what's so special about this place other than your nostalgia" I have something that might peak your interest in the Hideaway. Actually I have three things; the Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday night cash drawings. To put it simply: Entry Fee-none, Top Prize-$1200. I'll let that sink in for a minute.



-



Done? Okay. Now, if you're thinking that this is just a ploy to fill the bar on a Saturday night I can tell you you are wrong. The girl who won two weeks ago was present Saturday night. Well, she didn't actually win, but her name was called for the top prize, unfortunately she was not there. So, when the time came (9:00) to draw a name the bartender gave her the honor. The person whose name was called wasn't there so every hour for the rest of the night a name is drawn for a $600 prize. I wasn't signed up but I gave the bartender my name and you can bet your freezing cold ass I'll be there as often as I can, barring extreme physical injury, jail, death, or the off chance I check in to rehab (not likely). I think what's most commendable about the weekly drawings, is the fact that Jimmy's has been robbed twice in the last month. The second robbery being the worst as the crooks got away with almost $1500. Any bar owner who takes a hit like that and still tries to give away large sums of money every week is my kind of guy and possibly a socialist.

Jimmy Earp's is great neighborhood bar and if you're not from the neighborhood, it can be a great place to hide away (god I'm fucking clever). So, sign up for the drawing and maybe you'll win some cash. If you do win however, I would advise you to buy a round of drinks for everyone in the bar, or else you might not make it out of there alive. Cheers to the Hideaway.

Peoria Institution: Dome Tap

The Dome Tap is located at 2305 W. Lincoln Ave. in south Peoria. I think it's safe to say that this is a pretty rough neighborhood, especially at night. I don't think I would ever be concerned unless there weren't that many people in the bar or I closed the place down. I went down to the Dome about 4:00 to catch the after-work crowd and ended up staying till about 9:00. The crowd got significantly more rowdy as the night progressed, especially when the karaoke started.

I'm going to go ahead and add Dome Tap to the list of Peoria Institutions for several reasons. First: it's age. This place is probably one of the oldest bars in town that has operated continuously I couldn't find anything online that actually confirms it's age but there were a few clues. The entrance to Dome Tap is adorned with a tile mosaic with the Gipps Beer logo on it. I'm not quite sure when they closed the Gipps brewery here in Peoria, but according to a Q&A with Pete Vonachen and the Journal Star in 2003 it was somewhere in the mid 50's which would have been MANY years after the height of its popularity, here's the excerpt:

Q: You ended up in an ad for Gipps?

A: Yes, I did an ad for Gipps in like, 1951 or '52. I was probably one of their best customers so they used me in an that tried to promote Gipps beer. Now right shortly after that they closed down.

Q: You jinxed them?

A: Yeah I guess I must have.

If I had to guess I'd say that the Gipps mosaic is original (or close to it) and that Dome Tap has been around since the early 20's. Above the bar is a stained glass Dome, hence the Dome Tap. The Dome is definitely original and I don't think I've ever seen a more original ornament hanging above a bar.

The drinks were cheap, $1 PBR and Old Style drafts, Bud family we'll cost you 2 bucks. Thursday night at the Dome means $2 Cuervo shots. I did not partake in any tequila because unfortunately it doesn't make my clothes fall off as much as it makes me want to fight anyone and everyone in the room. The $1 PBR's were working out just fine and a good time was had by all. The bar seats 12-15 and the sign above the bar said the maximum capacity was 47. By the end of the night there were definitely 47 people in there, maybe more. Also, this bar is Altoid tin friendly for you 20 percenters out there. The Dome is a typical dive bar so the bathrooms are small and dirty. Which makes me wonder were people smaller back in the day? Or was space at a premium, because every old bar I've been into has tiny bathrooms. The Dome was no different. I'm only 5' 8" and if I had sat down on the toilet, I'm pretty sure my knees would have touched the door.

So, the Dome Tap is definitely an institution and a must see for any native Peorian. If you are at all intimidated by the neighborhood, go check it out during the day. The neighborhood may not be nice but the folks in the Dome Tap sure are, they even clapped at my drunken off-key rendition of "Pride and Joy"! That's got to count for something, right?

Cheers to Dome Tap!

Update: The Dome has apparently closed due to unpaid rent, no word yet on when it will re-open.

According to this note left on the front door of the Dome, this amount of rent was due in late March. Hopefully the bar will re-open soon.

Update II: There is now a for rent sign outside the Dome, hopefully someone will take up the challenge of running this joint as it's been around forever. But for now, R.I.P. Dome Tap.