Far in my past are the days of rushing to the Gritty the moment it opened on my birthday and getting started on my free beer in the short time -- ok, hours -- before my friends arrived. However, a group of us comes here on summer Thursday nights quite regularly to take advantage of the outdoor patio with a lovely parking lot view on $3 craft beer night. If you're there for the 10 o'clock Power Hour, it's almost like every day is your birthday because the High Lifes are just a buck. Throw in some appetizers (the wings are great for a non-wing place) and of course, the occasional Gritty Burger because for the love of all things iconic to Madison, we are at the Gritty! The staff, from the bartenders to the servers on up to management, has been great to us every time. West Side pub options are somewhat limited, but the Gritty helps solve that problem.