Ain’t Misbehavin' packs
a lot of stuff into a little space. The neighborhood bar sits inside a
converted Long John Silver’s, which is coincidentally right next door to Greek
Flame Taverna, a neighborhood restaurant that’s converted from a Pizza Hut.
Ain't Misbehavin's bar sits in the same spot as the counter that must have seen
a million Fish & Mores.
Two pool tables and a
bunch of chairs fill the former dining room. The place doesn't have Wi-Fi, but does
have a whole PC on a shelf if you need to check e-mail. Over in the corner,
there’s a couch and a dentist chair. I didn’t see anyone sit in it, but I did see a guy who was numb enough. Joe
Walsh and 38 Special play unironically on the jukebox and a print of John Wayne
hangs near the karaoke sound mixer. Out back, there's a little outdoor tiki bar
that's (for now) only open on Friday nights.
Scoping: The bar's MySpace page
says, “THIS IS NOT A PARTICULAR TYPE OF BAR ... We welcome anyone and
everyone.” I don't know who felt left out. I see at least one rainbow sticker
among the hundreds that cover the bar and while the photo gallery by the
bathroom is largely white, it's not exclusively so.
Back to MySpace. ”If
you for some reason are not comfortable here and decide to leave, thank you for
stopping by, Otherwise, if you stay, you can meet some really cool people and
make some friends.” The only people I know will have a tough time at Ain't
Misbehavin' are those who can't stand a little (OK, a lot) of second-hand
smoke.
Drinking: Someone came up with a
great way to save counter space while still displaying all the bottled beers.
They're jammed, neck first, into the ceiling. A bottle of Bud is $3.25, a draft
Yuengling is $4 and a draft Stella is
$6. Happy Hour runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.
to 6 p.m. on Sundays – knocking 50 cents off all drinks.
If you’re a hard liquor
guy/gal, well drinks are 2-for-1
from 3-7 p.m., Monday through Friday. There are so many other rotating drink
specials that the bar prints a monthly calendar. Mondays, it's $2 sea breezes from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and
$5
Chewing: Depending on the day and the time, you might hit the 40-cent wing
special. I didn’t, so I had to settle for 10 wings at the regular price of
$6.75. A lot of the fried stuff here is “dry fried,” which means it’s actually
roasted in a convection oven. The process is lower in fat and saves restaurants
expense, but also leaves food a little drier that true frying.
The homemade “dirty Girty” sauce made up for any lost moisture,
covering the wings in a thick, honey-based barbecue sauce. If you want your
wings as an appetizer, order them when you first sit down. I ordered at the
same time as my sandwich, but the wings arrived last – after the sandwich was gone.
The menu also touts “
Like the cheese steak, my cheeseburger ($5.75) arrived
steaming hot. It's a pre-formed patty, but still flavorful. A side order of
fries is $2.50. I thought the dry frying made the outside too crisp, but a
friend liked them better than “real” frying. To each his own. For the lunch crowd, there's an ever-changing
daily special that includes a draft beer (or a soda for those wimps who don't
want to face the boss with Bud on your breath).
Going: So much stuff is
hanging on the walls near the bathroom doors, that it took me 30 seconds to
find the sign for “MEN.” I'm certainly not going to be the one who ruins a
little joke on the first-timers, but when you hear a buzzer out in the bar,
there's a reason for that.
Departing: Ain't Misbehavin' is the kind of bar
where a woman can walk out from the kitchen with a pool cue in her hands. If
that makes you smile, then it’s your kind of place.