Remembering E-town Bars that are no-more

[Perfect_Drug]

Does anyone remember 25 cent highball night at bars like Thunderdome, Lush, Rebar and many others during the 90's?

Everyone's tables were covered in drinks. You'd spend $20 and look like a baller.

Oh god, I remember Lush.
I remember seeing on several occasions black-out drunk girls being taken home by random dudes who would carry them into their cars before 10pm.
(Back then I was too naive to know they probably all got raped)

Thunderdome I just remember some short skinny blonde waitress with implants the size of watermelons.


I quite liked Lola's off of Whyte.

I had just turned 18 though, and recently moved to Vancouver, but it was one of my old go-to places when I came back.
I had very little confidence, and not a lot of money, so it's not like the bar scene was much of my thing back then.

When we got older, got our shit together, and figured out who we were, with money, confidence, and swagger, our group used to go to Squires/Devlins to pick up randoms.
Most of my female friends liked going to The Druid, or E-Bar.

 

[joestevens29]

Just an FYI, Atlantic Trap also shut down earlier this year. They had a good donair.

It did? WTF

 

[McShogun99]

Anyone remember a bar/club called Standard? Been there a few times. The first time I went there, I was told to take off my hat, so I did. Then they didn’t like the shoes I was wearing (Jordan’s), so I left. Went back a few weeks later wearing skate shoes and got in. I have been to so many bars that you guys have mentioned. I’m old!

I think Standard took over Barry T’s now that I think of it. What about the Cecil Hotel? Lol

I used to work the front door at a popular country bar years ago. I was instructed not to let any colored people in unless they were dressed like a university student, were in a small group and had an even number of girls to guys with them. Even then if it starting looking like there was to many darker guys in the bar I would be instructed to not let in anymore.

 

[Mighty Makar]

I used to work the front door at a popular country bar years ago. I was instructed not to let any colored people in unless they were dressed like a university student, were in a small group and had an even number of girls to guys with them. Even then if it starting looking like there was to many darker guys in the bar I would be instructed to not let in anymore.

Crazy. I remember going to the Joint years ago with three of my black friends and none of them were allowed in because they had football jerseys and jewelry on.

Some places still have very strict dress code.

 

[Gord]

Crazy. I remember going to the Joint years ago with three of my black friends and none of them were allowed in because they had football jerseys and jewelry on.

Some places still have very strict dress code.

some places are also just racist.

 

[rboomercat90]

Crazy. I remember going to the Joint years ago with three of my black friends and none of them were allowed in because they had football jerseys and jewelry on.

Some places still have very strict dress code.

Sounds like the dress code was a convenient excuse. Different times for sure.

 

[rboomercat90]

Anyone remember a bar/club called Standard? Been there a few times. The first time I went there, I was told to take off my hat, so I did. Then they didn’t like the shoes I was wearing (Jordan’s), so I left. Went back a few weeks later wearing skate shoes and got in. I have been to so many bars that you guys have mentioned. I’m old!

I think Standard took over Barry T’s now that I think of it. What about the Cecil Hotel? Lol

The Cecil was torn down at least ten years ago as part of the gentrification of that area. It became an “urban/trendy/organic” Save-On Foods for a few years but shut down a couple years ago. I don’t think anything is in that spot now. There aren’t many of those old “skid row” type bars left anymore.

 

[Mighty Makar]

Just thinking about all the memories in these places. Good times and bad times. Is that after hours club The Y still around? Been there way too many times lol.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Anyone remember a bar/club called Standard? Been there a few times. The first time I went there, I was told to take off my hat, so I did. Then they didn’t like the shoes I was wearing (Jordan’s), so I left. Went back a few weeks later wearing skate shoes and got in. I have been to so many bars that you guys have mentioned. I’m old!

I think Standard took over Barry T’s now that I think of it. What about the Cecil Hotel? Lol

I mistakenly called it the Corona. But yeah, that place was funny.

One of my best memories there was watching some street guy with a shopping cart roll in bottles to the back where they had an informal bottle return operation for money. (From our table we had a view right to the back alley and saw all the action) What they apparently didn't realize is the industrious guy with the shopping cart was taking the Cecils own bottles they put out at the back side of hotel and wheeling them around the corner to get paid... He did this 3 times while we were there. The whole bunch of us went out to high five the guy. It was just funny as hell. Not sure if the staff taking the bottle returns didn't notice it was their own empties they were paying for or didn't care. The guy would even wait an hour before returning the bottles again so as to no be so obvious. He could've done it every 10mins..

I think he was taking the money and going to the Beaverhill Liquored up store between his hard working shopping cart rounds to reward himself. He could have bought offsales at Cecil every 15mins but again that would be too obvious.. We all appreciated the thoughtful scam. Our whole table was breaking up about it for hours.

 

[Gord]

can't believe nobody has mentioned the Cromdale hotel..

 

[Drivesaitl]

can't believe nobody has mentioned the Cromdale hotel..

I did, first page of thread,..heh, I'm mentioning too many places..

I might get a rep..

 

[rboomercat90]

can't believe nobody has mentioned the Cromdale hotel..

I could tell you stories...

Not sure there’s anybody still alive with fond memories of that place.

 

[Gord]

I did, first page of thread,..heh, I'm mentioning too many places..

I might get a rep..

sorry! look at us though. we're all mentioning too many places from our misspent youth.

the other one (which only recently closed down)
was the good old transit hotel.
I regret I wasn't old enough to go there until after they stopped the gerbil races.

 

[joestevens29]

I could tell you stories...

Not sure there’s anybody still alive with fond memories of that place.

The only thing fond for me was I was a minor.

Same with the Transit, although I was there during the day a month before they closed and it was a decent crowd

 

[Gord]

The only thing fond for me was I was a minor.

Same with the Transit, although I was there during the day a month before they closed and it was a decent crowd

most likely people like me, who went back one last time to say goodbye.
some of the best times I had in a bar were places like the transit or the cecil.

 

[joestevens29]

most likely people like me, who went back one last time to say goodbye.
some of the best times I had in a bar were places like the transit or the cecil.

Only bar I've seen that there is a picture of a man with his head down and the poster talking about domestic abuse happening to men too.

Made sure to go home by myself.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

It did? WTF

Yup a few weeks ago.

 

[Seedling]

M.J.'s Roadhouse.

 

[Jepprey]

Anyone remember a bar/club called Standard? Been there a few times. The first time I went there, I was told to take off my hat, so I did. Then they didn’t like the shoes I was wearing (Jordan’s), so I left. Went back a few weeks later wearing skate shoes and got in. I have been to so many bars that you guys have mentioned. I’m old!

I think Standard took over Barry T’s now that I think of it. What about the Cecil Hotel? Lol

Yeah Barry Ts then The Standard then it became the Ranch then Billy Bob's? then back to the Ranch Roadhouse.

 

[Frank the Tank]

Does anyone remember 25 cent highball night at bars like Thunderdome, Lush, Rebar and many others during the 90's?

Everyone's tables were covered in drinks. You'd spend $20 and look like a baller.

It's the only way I could afford to drink while at the U of A. $10 would be enough to get a few triples (plus tips), get a great buzz going, and then dance until closing.

 

[GodPucker]

I believe the sidetrack was where the 80's Oilers went a lot.

They kept a hole in one of the chandeliers as a souvenir from one of the Oilers breaking it from a champagne cork.

 

[Up the Irons]

Are you sure that wasn't the Grinder? my buddy owned that bar in the aughts and showed me the light fixture/chandelier that apparantly was damaged from contract with Gretzky's head. don't know if its true, but the Ol' boys on the Bus did hang out at the Grinder on 124th street.

 

[Up the Irons]

The Peoples pub became the Inn on Whyte. Or maybe it was the other way around but it was a great spot for $5 jugs of beer every Monday night back in the day. Me and my NAIT buddies took full advantage of that.

People's pub!! now that one takes me back. I remember Nickleback playing there.

 

[joestevens29]

Are you sure that wasn't the Grinder? my buddy owned that bar in the aughts and showed me the light fixture/chandelier that apparantly was damaged from contract with Gretzky's head. don't know if its true, but the Ol' boys on the Bus did hang out at the Grinder on 124th street.

The old boys on the bus had a lot of drinking/drug issues. Pretty sure they had more than one establishment. They use to frequent the forum as well

 

[Gord]

The old boys on the bus had a lot of drinking/drug issues. Pretty sure they had more than one establishment. They use to frequent the forum as well

what was the name of the strip club again? I dimly remember an on stage shower, but not the name of the place.