Stopped in here for a couple of drinks (~9pm) on a snowy, kid-free Saturday night. The legendary Ava wasn't there, and neither were many others. I think there were 5 or 6 people in total sitting at the bar. It was a friendly atmosphere though, and it wasn't long before we had struck up a conversation with the couple next to us and were on a first name basis with the bartender.
Based on the other reviews and word-of-mouth, it seems like we missed the full experience and need to give this place another try.