Decent music? Check
Friendly crowd and staff? Check
Drink specials? CHECK! $2 for any drink on Friday nights!
Sounds like a sweet spot, huh? Rusty Barrel is the new bar that took over St James Place on 18th street in South Side. They do have phenomenal drink specials so that alone is worth the walk off Carson. The reasons I rate this bar a hard 3 are...
-smoking permitted. Drag :(
-$10 min on CC. With the cheap drink prices, I get it but on a night like Friday, that's 5 drinks per person to pay with a card. That rule doesn't leave room for patrons who are looking for a mild night.
-The DJ...the music is good, yes, but it sounds like royalties are not being paid based on how quickly the songs change. The moment the crowd starts to jam, boom- next song begins. The mix is good but the songs need to be enjoyed for more than 30 sec each!
I don't frequent Rusty Barrel but I stopped in for a friend's holiday party tonight & I was happy to see how accommodating the bar was with enough space for 30-40 to comfortably mingle, dance & drink. I'm sure I'll stop in again for drink specials when I'm feeling saucy for a boozy night out.