Décor: Eye Spy has a couple entrances around Orange and Washington, the most obvious one being right next to Planet Pizza, which leads you into an open-air floor with a bar and lots of spots to gather with friends and chat. Another entrance is through the back of Bar-BQ-Bar and will take you into the main bar. Inside you'll find a few secret rooms and two-way mirrors scattered about, and that's where the intrigue begins and ends. I'm not counting the surveillance monitors behind the bar, because they are more fetishistic than spy-like.
The biggest disappointment with Eye Spy is that, despite a solid attempt to construct the place like a spy haven, it all comes off as feeling like a small bar with smaller rooms and creepy cameras everywhere. On the bright side, it's still a bar, which means there's booze (also known as the poor spy's truth serum).
The Bar: Eye Spy has a full bar and a decent selection of beer. Mixed drinks are a surprisingly good value, as they start around $4 for single wells with a pour that makes the mixer merely a garnish. Beers are between $2 and $5, but keep an eye out for specials, like Friday nights where Yuengling pints are a mere $2. But like any good spy, keep another eye out - this time for the clock, as the specials may double-cross you at 11 p.m. and leave you with higher-priced suds.
The place is generally packed, and the bartenders do their best to get to everyone, but it helps to be tall and visible, and not necessarily a good tipper.
Sounds: Though I'm sure there's a jukebox around somewhere, weekends tend to have live DJs (and rarely a cover) that spin primarily to make the crowd happy and excited, not to get their feet moving (which is good, because there's not a whole lot of room to dance when it's crowded).
The Crowd: There's a lot of spill-over of hipsters and indie kids from Bar-BQ and Independent Bar, but most people wind up at Eye Spy for the chance to grab a pint special and a hidden room with their friends so they can watch unsuspecting patrons.
Add a comment