Welcome!
Some people collect autographs, some collect antiques, others collect stamps. My hobby is a little different, I collect bars. This site represents my collection, documenting each bar I visit.
This is not a review site, there's plenty of those already. Most posts in this bar diary are slice-of-life recaps of the half hour or so I spent having a beer. I hope you enjoy browsing through my collection!
--ScooterJA Few Random Favorites
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Mitchell Street Pub
08 October 2024(Downtown, Petoskey, MI) Scooter’s 1817th bar, first visited in 2024. We had parked a couple of blocks away and shopped and a candy shop and a clothing store. I took...
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Saint Paul Brewing
31 March 2023(Dayton’s Bluff, St Paul, MN) Formerly Flat Earth Brewing Scooter’s 1616th bar, first visited in 2023. My first stop of this day was something absolutely spectacular! Originally named Flat Earth...
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Midnight Mine
26 May 2018(Downtown, Fairbanks, AK) Scooter’s 1239th bar, first visited in 2018. I never would have guessed that the very first bar I would ever visit in Alaska would be my favorite...
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*Favorites* Archive
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#573: The Cellar
Posted on July 2009 | No Comments(Lincoln, NE) Scooter’s 573rd bar, first visited in 2009. A retro lounge (in decor, not theme) with a regular, laid-back vibe. The bartender was really into what we were doing... -
#551: Little Bar
Posted on April 2009 | No Comments(Leavenworth, KS) Scooter’s 551st bar, first visited in 2009. We weren’t sure if this was really open or not, the Google Maps Street View did not look promising. But, because... -
#523: Nick’s Saloon
Posted on November 2008 | No Comments(Newark, OH) Scooter’s 523rd bar, first visited in 2008. This was a classic, rustic dive bar. The bar was covered with photos of the regulars, an internet juke box provided... -
#519: Full Moon Bar & Grill
Posted on November 2008 | No Comments(Vandalia, IL) Scooter’s 519th bar, first visited in 2008. Been in business since 1988. Friendly local dive with pool table, jukebox, and an aquarium behind the bar. 120 S 6th... -
#511: J and J Roadhouse
Posted on November 2008 | No Comments(Belton, MO) Formerly Jaudon Hideout Scooter’s 511th bar, first visited in 2008. This was a surprising find. Who’d have expected to find a bar at 203rd & Holmes? And how... -
#505: Frederick’s Tikki Bar
Posted on September 2008 | No Comments(Turner, Kansas City, KS) Scooter’s 505th bar, first visited in 2008. Tiny private club in the railyards. Serves pizza and canned beer. Karaoke on Friday nights. 4448 Speaker Rd Kansas... -
#440: Big John’s Corner Bar
Posted on March 2008 | No Comments(The Square, Independence, MO) Scooter’s 440th bar, first visited in 2008. A very tiny, long-standing institution in the heart of downtown Independence. Since this was my first visit we were... -
#363: Johnnie’s On Seventh
Posted on August 2007 | No Comments(Strawberry Hill, Kansas City, KS) Formerly Johnnie’s Club, Johnnie’s Sports Bar Scooter’s 363rd bar, first visited in 2007. aka Johnnie’s On Seventh We’d tried to come here 3 weekends ago... -
#266: The Scheme
Posted on May 2007 | No Comments(Salina, KS) Scooter’s 266th bar, first visited in 2007. B had a Bud Light, I had a Miller Lite. Bottles, I believe they were $2 each. B’s was an insulated... -
#253: Twilighter Country Club
Posted on May 2007 | No Comments(Topeka, KS) Scooter’s 253rd bar, first visited in 2007. We had been searching for a bar recommended by a bartender at an earlier stop, following a set of scrawled instructions... -
#208: Back Door Lounge
Posted on December 2006 | No Comments(River Bend, MO) Scooter’s 208th bar, first visited in 2006. This is a tiny dive bar on the back side of a gas station at 291 & 210 Hwys. Access... -
#189: What’s Happen’n Lounge
Posted on September 2006 | No Comments(Marlborough, Kansas City, MO) Scooter’s 189th bar, first visited in 2006. Formerly a trolley barn, this run down old building next to the railroad at the southern end of Prospect... -
#165: NE Palace
Posted on August 2006 | No Comments(Northeast Minneapolis, Minneapolis, MN) Formerly First Chance, Last Chance Revisited 17 years later in 2023, scroll down for more. Scooter’s 165th bar, first visited in 2006. This place used to... -
#161: Dusty’s Bar
Posted on August 2006 | No Comments(Nord East, Minneapolis, MN) Scooter’s 161st bar, first visited in 2006. The bar was pretty busy so we sat at a table and the smell of Dago Burgers was mouthwatering.... -
#159: Stand-Up Frank’s
Posted on August 2006 | No Comments(North Side, Minneapolis, MN) Closed, but a new bar has opened in the same location. Painted lime green, redecorated with a zombie theme, shows horror movies, and now called “Donny... -
#145: Liquor Lyle’s
Posted on August 2006 | No Comments(Uptown, Minneapolis, MN) Scooter’s 145th bar, first visited in 2006. Yep, it was happy hour, so we had no choice but drink two beers. This place had a cool, funky,... -
#126: Elly’s Lake Front Tap
Posted on August 2006 | No Comments(Clear Lake, IA) Scooter’s 126th bar, first visited in 2006. It was a warm, overcast Thursday afternoon in August as we walked around downtown Clear Lake, Iowa, enjoying cold drinks... -
#109: Berts Pub & Grub
Posted on August 2006 | No Comments(Afton, IA) Scooter’s 109th bar, first visited in 2006. Afton, Iowa is the former county seat of Union County, and has a nice town square to prove it. While people... -
#107: Darlene’s Place
Posted on August 2006 | No Comments(Ellston, IA) Scooter’s 107th bar, first visited in 2006. We sat at the short end of the L-shaped bar under the watchful eye of a mounted goat head smoking a... -
#106: G & L Bar and Grill
Posted on August 2006 | No Comments(Diagonal, IA) Scooter’s 106th bar, first visited in 2006. From the outside this was probably the most run-down looking of any place we visited but once we stepped in we... -
#81: PR’s Place
Posted on June 2006 | No Comments(Downtown, Kansas City, MO) Scooter’s 81st bar, first visited in 2006. Located on the eastern edge of Kansas City’s West Side, PR’s Place is a popular hangout for Kansas City’s...