Down on Atlantic City's boardwalk
Now that it is officially summer, road trips are in season. Several readers have sent in stories about their beer drinking adventures. Here is one about a somewhat disappointing trip to Atlantic City from Jay Trucker, an assistant professor of English at CCBC in Dundalk. His e-mail is jetrucker@yahoo.com.
After a recent trip to the boardwalk, I am sad to report that Atlantic City is not a beer drinker's town. If you walk into a casino bar, you may find 20 different flavors of vodka, multiple brands of olives, and shakers of all shapes and sizes. But don't look to the casino bar for good beer on tap.
Traversing the boardwalk from end to end in search of the perfect casino beer, my friend and I found one bar that didn't have a single tap (Resorts' Twenty Five Hours) and another that had only one (Trump Plaza's Jezebel's).
The only casino bar with any beer selection to speak of was Caesar's Toga, a large bar that sits close to the casino's table games and clanging, multicolored slots machines. Toga features 12 beers on tap, well more than any other establishment we encountered on our journey.
Unfortunately, the Peroni I ordered tasted like it had been fermenting since Caesar walked the earth. The Leinenkugel Classic Amber that followed was even worse. Even though it cost my compatriot and I $6.50 a piece, the Leinenkugel was so old and distasteful that we walked away after forcing down only half of our 16 ounces. I am loathe to walk away from an unfinished beer, let alone an expensive one.
Perhaps the operators of other casino bars already know what we learned from Toga: People don't drink enough beer at casinos to warrant carrying a generous selection of anything not named Bud or Coors. They drink coffee, scotch on the rocks, martinis and a host of liquor, but they don't drink much beer.
If you're OK with standard American light beers and you're concerned about price, the cheapest beers are to be bought at the Mountain Bar at Bally's Wild West. For $3 a pop you can drink a tall mug of Coors Light.
Showboat's Spirit Bar kindly offered to give us complimentary drinks so long as we played the video poker games built into the bar top. We were happy to oblige. I've been given free drinks while sitting at a blackjack table, but I've never before walked into a bar and been ordered to gamble.
As for atmosphere, Tropicana's Rumba Lounge, a neon-speckled, granite-countered, new wave-looking place, was the youngest and liveliest of the casino bars we patronized. While college kids sipped red bull and vodka and talked up their winnings, we enjoyed $5.50 Yuenglings, the best of Rumba's 4 selections on tap.
The Quarter, Caesar's Pier Shops and a host of other new additions to old Atlantic City are being built in an effort to keep folks coming to the boardwalk. Even if one can gamble elsewhere, retailers are hoping that people will continue to travel to Atlantic City to shop, go to the beach and drink.
You can do a lot of things at Atlantic City that don't involve gambling. You just can't drink good beer unless you bring your own.
Anyone have an opinion on the beer scene in Atlantic City?
Photo: AP
Comments
There are lots of great places to grab a beer in AC. Try the Micros at the Tun Tavern, the tastiest Guiness ever at the Irish Pub, or the massive selection at Firewaters inside the Tropicana. Lobby bars never have a good selection regardless if its AC, Vegas, or elsewhere.
Posted by: Jonathan Zeminski | June 23, 2009 10:16 AM
It's a shame that the writer didn't find the good places for beer in AC. The Tropicana has a bar called firewaters that has over 100 different varieties of beer, and a wall that is covered with taps. Also, there are a few Irish pubs that have many good beers on tap. Trinity Irish Pub at the Pier Shops at Caesars, Ri-Ra Irish Pub at the Tropicana, and "The Irish Pub" just off the boardwalk on St James Place near Resorts.
Posted by: AC11 | June 23, 2009 10:33 AM
A few thoughts and I'll start w/non-beer recommendation, Red Square is a great bar in the Tropicana. The back half of the bar top is covered in ice to keep your martini chilled. It's definitely worth it for the experience.
When I'm playing, I like to go to the House of Blues @ Showboat because they have Stella on tap and in bottles. Just ask and you'll receive.
There used to be a place called Firewaters @ the boardwalk entrance to the Tropicana that was great. 50 taps, lots of Belgium's. Sure they never had the correct glassware, but the prices were always right, and it seemed to be a locals place where people would go on their break or at the end of their shift. It was also nice to be able to go and get an Abita Andygator of a La Chouffe @ 4:30 in the morning.
Finally, I gotta give some love to Irish Pub. It is right off the boardwalk at St. James Place (right behind the Guinness Book of World Records Museum). The place is open 24 hours a day, has a good Irish selection and is always crowded. They even have rooms upstairs that are extremely cheap. Food is greasy bar food, but it is the type of place to go at all hours.
Posted by: Eutaw Street Historian | June 23, 2009 10:50 AM
AC11, Thanks for the tips. I have been to Firewaters and they do indeed have a great selection. It's not my type of crowd for a Friday or Saturday night, but a nice place to go during off hours. Ri Ra has pretty good food as well as a strong selection of beers, and during my latest visit I also tried Irish Pub for the first time. I thought their service, prices, and atmosphere were impressive.
The goal of my latest journey, however, was to find a casino bar with good beer selection. That is, to find a bar that was in the actual casino and had good beer on tap. Thus, each bar that I visited was within view of the table games. Unfortunately, none of the casino bars outside of Toga had any type of selection, and Toga's kegs were quite flat. You are right, though. Good beer is available in AC. You just have to get out of the casino.
Posted by: Jay Trucker | June 23, 2009 5:50 PM
ESH, I did not know Irish Pub was 24 hours. That is certainly good news. Mountain Bar and 25 Hours are also around the clock establishments. I have never been to the HOB, though I enjoyed my first trip to Showboat. I'll have to give it a try next time around.
Posted by: Jay Trucker | June 23, 2009 5:58 PM
I know this quiet little place called firewaters. Its a nice place to go and have a drink with a few friends. There's also a place that sells 40's 24 hours a day.
Posted by: gregg | June 23, 2009 6:21 PM
I have to agree that the Tun Tavern in AC has some really tasty microbrews. The food is a little pricey, but the beers are worth it. I stop in everytime I'm in AC. But it is off the boardwalk (near the convention center), so maybe that's why it wasn't mentioned above.
Posted by: mikepcfl | June 24, 2009 10:22 AM
Yes, all of the bars I visited on this particular trip were in casinos. Tun's sounds very interesting though. I would like to give it a try next time around. Do you know what street it is on?
Posted by: Jay Trucker | June 24, 2009 1:31 PM
I believe Tuns is on Miss America Way. It shares a building with a hotel next to the Convention Center. You cant miss it if you come out of the front of the Convention Center. You will love their microbrews.
Posted by: mikepcfl | June 24, 2009 1:48 PM
Tun Tavern is connected to the Sheraton which is right across from the train station/convention center. I usually end up there while the wife is shopping at the Cordish Outlets that are between the train station and the boardwalk.
Since we are on an Atlantic City theme here, I will also suggest that all men who are staying there for a few days indulge in a hot shave at the Borgata men's barbershop. There is nothing better than this after a long night of beer and gambling. They also have a large quantity of beers available for patrons while you have your shave. I think the last time I had a Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout after my shave.
Posted by: Eutaw Street Historian | June 24, 2009 1:59 PM
Thanks for the advice. I know exactly where The Sheraton is. I'll have to give Tun's a try. Not a bad idea about the barbershop, either. As my great-grandmother used to say about beer (and bread, and most anything, really): it puts hair on your chest.
Posted by: Jay Trucker | June 24, 2009 2:08 PM
House of Blues Spirit Bar (in Showboat) also has Pilsner Urquell on tap. Just had one there Tuesday night.
Posted by: SF | June 27, 2009 6:45 AM