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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Tartan Inn
31 December 2023(West Peoria, IL) Scooter’s 1739th bar, first visited in 2023. We decided to visit just one other bar in West Peoria, and it was a choice between Owls Nest and...
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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...