Weekly Volcano - Bar ExamLatest articles posted in Bar Exam
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2008-05-16T23:24:10+01:00text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosaO’Malley’s Irish Pub
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/2198
<p>I had been to O’Malley’s a few times in my old Femme Fianna Dockyard Derby Dames days. It was always late at night, dark, crowded, and reeked of beer and sweat. I loved it. The best throw downs, punk bands and bartenders have graced O& ...text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosaThe Friendly Duck’s Decoy Room
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/2170
<p>I swear to blog, I have never in my expansive 36-year-old life seen so many damned liquor bottles on display. At least that is, for a dive bar. Leave it to Bandito Betty and me to stumble upon a metaphorical glass decanter metropolis called The Fr ...text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosaAcme Grub Cage
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/2142
<p>About a year ago The Acme Grub Cage was purchased by an eager bartender and his customer. Together they are changing the way Tacoma views this once dilapidated dive bar. <br />
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New wooden cabinets are stained and ready for the multitude o ...text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosaTerry’s Office Tavern
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/2102
<p>We’re still not quite sure if Terry’s Office Tavern is a real and true dive. It certainly looks as though it would be classified as a dive, but it sure doesn’t feel like one.<br />
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Instead, Terry’s feels like the n ...text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosaIda's Pub
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/2066
<p>It was in the bar at Puget Sound Pizza that Bandito Betty and I overheard a somewhat toothless lady talking. She was venting her outrage about how she had been 86’d (kicked out) from Ida’s.<br />
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Wait a second.<br />
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...text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosaThe Corner Bar
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/2038
<p>Bandito Betty, as I’m sure most of you know, slings beer part time at the Parkway Tavern. For our dive bar experience this week she suggested we stop by The Corner Bar, which is the bastard child of Jeff, Parkway Tavern owner.<br />
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...text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosaThe Harvester
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/2017
<p>The KAke had to rent a movie the other night for her needy, sick boyfriend, so we stopped by Stadium Video to check one out. Bored out of our minds and eager for some action, BanditoBetty and I split upstairs to toss one back at the lounge behind ...text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosaDiamond Jim’s
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/1990
<p>Jim Moore built Diamond Jim’s Restaurant & Lounge from the ground up in 1971. A few years ago Jim sold his creation. Now in his 70s, Jim works as a boat salesman. Once a week he comes in to visit Kelly, the lounge’s bartender of si ...text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosaHob Nob Sidedoor Lounge
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/1958
<p>I had heard my friend Karla Corona was now working at Hob Nob’s Sidedoor Lounge, so I had to bust in on her and have a drink. I told her I was reviewing it for a dive bar column, and I think she wasn’t sure whether to be insulted or pr ...text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosaWestgate Inn
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/1940
<p>If I were a candy bar, I’d be a Snickers. And if I were a coffee drink I’d be an Americano. But if I were a dive bar, I’d be <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&dq=Westgate+Inn+loc:+Tacoma,+WA& ...text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosaTower Lanes
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/1878
<p>I had heard from a friend who heard from a friend who heard from a friend that one of the highest concentrations of fecal matter was found in the finger holes in bowling balls.<br />
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BanditoBetty and I were looking for a huge helping of c ...text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosa2 J’s Saloon
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/1905
<p>I pass by 2 J’s Saloon frequently and the front door is always busy with people going in and out. From the outside, and from the looks of the patrons, you get the feeling that you would need to take a hot shower after visiting this establish ...text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosaThe Pup Room
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/1845
<p>I’ve found another fantastic “dive bar” quality: Iron gates. Upon entrance there are floor-to-ceiling large, heavy, decorative iron gates to lock out any potential beer burglars. I noticed last week at The Pegasus’ Unicorn ...text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosaPegasus Restaurant and Lounge
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/1830
<p>I’ve always said the earlier they open, the better the dive bar, right? I stopped by Pegasus Restaurant and Lounge at an early mark of 9:30 a.m. With my dive-bar radar, I located the stereotypical “side door” to the lounge. The f ...text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosaHome Plate Tavern
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/1785
<p>Let’s stop pretending you don’t want to know what’s inside Home Plate Tavern. You pass by it on a regular basis as you drive down South Sprague Avenue. The sign catches your eye, but you’re too scared. Is it the neighborhoo ...text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosaBumpy's
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/1753
<p>It was only a matter of time before I graced the tiny tavern named Bumpy’s in Puyallup. <br />
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My gal-pal JustJen had been telling me to visit this joint since the first day we did the Bar Exam at Wayne’s Inn. I very rarely li ...text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosaKing Solomon's Reef
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/1732
<p>I immediately want to compare this quaint diner to Tacoma’s very own Harvester. Add a bit more history, a cozy feel, and you have King Solomon’s Reef. One of the biggest comparisons is the hidden hole behind the dining area that houses ...text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosaFlying Boots
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/1707
<p>Bandito Betty and I took a little trip up to the South 38th and Pacific Avenue area last weekend to check out Flaming Dragon Tattoo. Directly across the street I see a neon sign that dons a blinking boot with wings. I can literally hear it screami ...text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosaU.P. Station Bar & Grill
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/1668
<p>When Bandito Betty first moved to Tacoma, and began looking for a bartending job, she often contemplated U.P. Station Bar & Grill. Unfortunately, she was too chicken shit to go inside and check it out. It looks quite small and uninviting from ...text/html1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00http://www.weeklyvolcano.comSteph DeRosaWayne's Inn
http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/1612
<p>Slap on your body Trojan and lube up the Purell, we’re jumping head-first into South Puget Sound’s official list of unofficial dive bars. Who made up this official list? Me. Who’s going to risk life and limb to explore and grade ...