Those of you already living in District 4 may already know, love and frequent the various bars on Main Street. They offer a different feel from the bars found on University Avenue or State Street: a drinking atmosphere that's not necessarily activated by the weekend, and that's almost always more laid back.
In the name of journalistic inquiry, I set out to experience all of these bars on a brisk Wednesday evening recently. Here they are, in relatively chronological order.
Gennas Lounge
105 W. Main St.
This is definitely a 'cool' bar, and I will definitely be going back. Not to discourage you from reading further, but Gennas had the best jukebox I found all night. The presence of the Replacements' Let it Be would have cemented this, but there was an admirable range, from Luscious Jackson to Hank Williams. Gennas doesn't seem like a place to get trashed at so much as a place where you could take either a date or a book and look equally cool.
My Tanqueray and tonic went for $3.75 and was well worth it. There's a wide selection of liquor to satisfy any thirst here, although this isn't really a drink-special kind of place. This was a well-made gin and tonic, served in a sort of mug with ice cubes (as opposed to those unclassy bag-ice crescents). Gennas specializes in martinis.
Bartender quote: 'Best atmosphere in any bar in Madison.'
Tornado Room
116 S. Hamilton St.
Man, I have got to have a steak here'they look fantastic. I don't know yet, but I will get back to you soon. This bar is both well-stocked and well-clad: Drinking at the Tornado Room is a black tie affair for the waiters and bartenders. Not all of the clientele was dressed as respectably, so don't be afraid to come as you are. My Berghoff pint was a respectable $3, but the beer selection is lacking. I enjoyed the booths stocked with candles.
The drinkers were an odd lot of middle-aged men and a couple of hipsters. The best the bartender could do, quote-wise, was:
'Come back on the weekend and find out.'
Can do!
Shamrock Bar
117 W. Main St.
This is a very large, very well-lit and very gay bar, just so you know. The liquor selection was admirable. The crowd on this particular Wednesday was mostly middle-aged men and a couple of women. The jukebox is mostly dance mixes. Shamrock also features the Turbo Force arcade game, which was looking pretty damn good about then.
While the bartender was scanning my ID for imperfections, I believe we both forgot about me paying for my Jack and Coke. After a last check at the jukebox, I left, and didn't realize my mistake until I was already five blocks away. Of course, I turned around and went back, but the bartender refused to take my money. He claimed that the Shamrock was home to the 'friendliest bartenders in town,' but I wasn't about to take him at face value: There was more drinking to do. He described the bar as a 'place where you can come to relax without being bothered by other patrons.' I concur. There is no fighting here, only love.
Paradise Lounge
119 W. Main St.
I began going to the Paradise over the summer, when I found out that it featured $1.50 rail drinks Tuesdays. Wednesdays they offer $1 bottles of Pabst, which, of course, I had.
This is a bar where people go to get drunk. The drinks are strong and generous. The bartenders are friendly, and the unofficial policy there is if the bottle empties during the pouring of your drink, you don't pay.
The pinball selection switches every couple of months to keep interest up. Currently the 'dise features the Elvira-themed 'Scared Stiff,' which is a very good pinball machine.
During the summer, the lane between the bar and the booths becomes the hottest place on Earth, but it's always cooler in the back by the pinball machine, the pool table and the dartboards.
This is where the hottest rock 'n' roll people of both sexes hang out. The jukebox is vast, containing all sorts of heavy metal, punk, ska, jazz, and rhythm and blues, my second favorite jukebox to get drunk to. There's a convenient alley to sneak out to for a couple of minutes, should you need to.
This is my favorite bar to get wasted at.
Why? In the words of the on-duty bartender: 'Bar food at 1:30. Cheap and strong drinks.' So true.
Rainbow Room
131 W. Main St.
This was the only bar I didn't drink at. I was running low on money and, even on a Wednesday, the Rainbow Room was very busy. I must assume this is THE place to seek out same-sex hookups in Madison. The jukebox was playing some good country music when I stopped by, but I never made it in far enough to see what else was on tap.
When the bartender found out I wasn't going to get a drink, he directed me to get a quote from the owner, who was sitting on a nearby stool. Bathed in orange light, I asked him why people should drink at the Rainbow Room.
'It's alternative and friendly,' he responded, slyly rubbing his stomach, and I could not agree more. Someday I will return to sample the libations, but tonight I was fighting deadline and didn't have time to waste. I was a little uncomfortable, being young and alone in a place of so much love.
Echo Tap and Grill
544 W. Main St.
This Wednesday, the Echo contained an odd crowd of twentysomethings and bus-station people; I also noticed obvious sports-fan and hippie contingents. One of the most laid-back and spacious pubs on Main Street, this is one of the few places where one can reasonably expect to be able to get a game of pool or Galaga in without fighting off frat boys. The jukebox is mostly good rock albums, plus the new Weezer album.
The Echo has the best beer selection on Main Street, by far. Pale ales, hefeweisses'whatever you want, they've got it. The prices aren't the lowest, but the bartenders are friendly: They refused to let me pay for my drink when they noticed me taking notes. Both bartenders, clad in South Park shirts, argued about what quote to give me. Ultimately, they agreed on: 'We're not the prettiest, we're not the cheapest, but we've been here for 60 years so we must be doing something right.' A regular patron at the bar growled, 'I'm on the search for Chandra Levy.'
'She's out back in the dumpster,' offered a regular patron.
Main Depot
627 W. Main St.
It took quite a while for me to get my drink here the night I went, as it so often does. I fully enjoy the Depot, with its jukebox and strange assortment of people. This is the only jukebox I know that features both Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream and Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks, two fantastic albums. The walls are lined with framed jerseys, the most notable belonging to Gary Suter and Brett Favre, although neither inscription is made out to the Depot. Alas.
I had an impossibly strong gin and tonic there, akin to the impossibly strong Long Islands it also serves. Beer is not the best deal here, but there is a decent selection. The Depot claimed itself to be the 'Best bar on Main Street.'
I found many new homes that night. I hope to see you all there.
Go, and drink in peace.
