What is the worst pub you have been in.

[Jack Daw]

I can't say that it was the worst pub I've ever been in, but it looked to be a very rough place. It was a pub in Dunollie, Skye, Scotland, but I forgot the name. I walked in, saw the crowd of patrons, how they looked at me, and did an about face right back to my hotel pub.

[Detroitpete]

Worst pub? Well I don't neccessarily write off a place just for a few brawls now and then Perhaps I have this world view because I'm part Sicilian and part Scottish (Basically a bar fight waiting to happen-with MYSELF!)

When I think of the WORST place to take my wife into it HAS to be without a doubt...

"Mothers" in Chicago.

Wannabe pub, snotty yuppie patrons who actually ask "Why would you wear a KILT to a pub?" and 20-somethings who haven't learned to handle their spirits yet saying inappropriate things to Mrs. Pete. I have to say though--good bartenders.

I worked in the beverage industry for a few years in Chicago and HAD to go to this place. Later when I returned to the place now and then--it just got worse.
There are times when I'd trade yer average 'bucket-o-blood' biker bar with a trendy, yuppie wannabe pub any day.

[Heming]

I have had the worst treatment from the rudest staff I've ever encountered at "The Dubliner" here in Oslo. Having heard much praise about them I went back (everyone can have a bad day), but had the same shockingly bad experience. A few of my family and friends (my partner, brother-in-law and some friends) were there to see the live band and have some decent ale, but decided to leave after about an hour when the staff made it very clear to us that we weren't welcome. They said we were too noisy (just a normal conversation with a bit of muffled laughter). Apparently the ravingly drunk, singing football fans on the table next to us were not. Also, the staff refuses to speak Norwegian, and even though I personally speak English quite well, that's a bit like opening a sushi bar in New York and insisting on speaking Japanese only.

[sathor]

I have had the worst treatment from the rudest staff I've ever encountered at "The Dubliner" here in Oslo. Having heard much praise about them I went back (everyone can have a bad day), but had the same shockingly bad experience. A few of my family and friends (my partner, brother-in-law and some friends) were there to see the live band and have some decent ale, but decided to leave after about an hour when the staff made it very clear to us that we weren't welcome. They said we were too noisy (just a normal conversation with a bit of muffled laughter). Apparently the ravingly drunk, singing football fans on the table next to us were not. Also, the staff refuses to speak Norwegian, and even though I personally speak English quite well, that's a bit like opening a sushi bar in New York and insisting on speaking Japanese only.

What you need is to get a guy that only will speak Gaelic in there, and get him to vent and chew them out in it, rather than English or Norwegian.

[Heming]

Nah, I'll just not go back in. There are other ales to be had, and better places to get them. The shame about it is that this pub is HUGE and going very well. They deserve bankruptcy.

[Squeaky McMurdo]

A Pub with no Beer! (sorry, I couldn't resist)


--Chelsea McMurdo--

[Hellequin]

If this was a category on Jeopardy*, I would definitely run the board on it.

I better be careful because some of these joints are still around.

The Squeeze Inn. A bar built on a half of a Chicago lot. A regular lot is 30 to 35 feet wide so the Squeeze was basically built on a fifteen foot footprint. Thus, there was literally just enough room for a patron to squeeze in behind the crowd at the bar (it seems funny even referring to the crowd in there as "patrons"...way too nice a word for 'em). Beer in bottles and cans only since there was no room for tappers. I can't say what the men's room was like because I never stuck around this joint long enough to have to use it. Basically, if you stuck ten or twelve guys in a closet with a cooler full of Bud in the cans you would get the same effect. Definitely a "sip and sock": a two fight cover charge and a two punch minimum.

(Don't confuse The Squeeze with Chicago's famous Midget Bar...but don't forget that you didn't ever dare order "a short one" when you were in the Midget Bar.)

Lannigans. Only because the place was once a very regular South Side joint full of old locals and young guys who were straight from Ireland BUT I figure that they must have had a REALLY good St. Pat's Day and decided to spend the profits gussy-ing up the place. Really. I walk in one day and the whole place has been painted, decorated...all the lighting fixtures are new AND THEY MATCH! The ultimate insult was that all of a sudden the floor was level! I did eventually have to answer the call of nature and I note that they certainly didn't waste any of the money fixing up the men's room, though. I'm telling you, it could only have been worse if they hung up ferns in there.

Deja Vu. We really only went in there because we all loved the bartender, Jimmy Davies. The guy had tended bar through the 1950's, 60's and 70's and had more stories than the Brothers Grimm. The place was a pit, though. I seem to remember that there was one plank laid across the floor in front of the commode that was the only safe place to stand in the men's room. They also had one of those deodorant spritzing devices on the door of the loo that sprayed every time you opened or close the door. That helped a lot. That was sorta like hanging one of those pine tree air fresheners on the rear view mirror of a mens' prison bus. They had turtle races every Wednesday night so there was a huge aquarium full of the aforementioned thoroughbreds directly over the bar. Nothing like getting stared at by a bunch of turtles while you're drinking.

I'm going to give an honourable mention to the Cook County Forest Preserves here. Technically you aren't supposed to consume alcoholic beverages in the Forest Preserves and you are supposed to vacate the Preserves by sunset but try telling that to the gaggle of off duty cops that I was hanging around with one summer. When they threw us out of the bars at two o'clock, these guys just took a couple of cases and headed out to the Forest Preserve. One of the most annoying things was that they often tried to frag the odd raccoon out in the woods with their off duty piece. Charming. Obviously there can be no critique of the toilet facilities on this one as you only had your choice of ash, oak or maple. I'm sure that somebody would have called the Forest Preserve Police to report us but I think that their Chief was one of the prime instigators of these festivities.

Things have gotten so boring lately...

Best

AA

*Jeopardy, for the benefit of the non-USA members, is a quiz show where they give categories of questions for the participants to answer.

Absolutly spot on with all of these! But mostly the forest preserve one. If you grew up in Chicago, you can understand.

I spent a little time in central Arizona and the Miguireville Tap in Miguireville ,AZ takes the cake. Just your typical middle of nowhere, locals only (of which I was one at the time), sawdust on the floor kind of place. But, the topper was it was the place to take and get paid for the wild dog bountys. Wild dogs and coyote did a lot of damage to the newly birthed calves in the area and every rancher would pay a bounty for the animals. You would bring it in to the bar and they would throw a piece of plywood on the pool table so the fresh kill could be inspected as the light above the pool table was the only good light in the place. If you were in a game at the time they'd just toss you four quarters for the lost game. Now living there and drinking there, it wasn't a problem and was actually kind of amusing, but I could see an out of towner looking for a cold beer finding it a bit on the strange side.