Great to Bar to be STUCK IN when STUCK IN Spokane
SITREP
On a mean-scale, I think this may actually be the BEST of the AVERAGE BARS I've been in! Â
SETUP
To be blunt, Spokane's entertainment infrastructure is not all that. Â Other than the awesome River Front Park, there really are only some decent music venues (including the Knitting Factory nearby, which is why we came here, cooling our heels for a show), a convention center (a leftover from Expo '74), and some pretty decenter shopping.
But if I find myself in Spokane for more than a few days, I'm missing Seattle and San Francisco something fierce. Â What I will give Spokane is that it is some of the best of that "fusion"-community that is still rural on the outskirts, has some excellent 'burb-like sleeping communities, and it does have a gentrified downtown area that is getting better.
Baby Bar is one of those places that makes this new developing "fusion"-Spokane more bearable.
DRINKS
Whatever you want, they have. Â What you ask for, they'll make. Â Whatever they may NOT have, they will do their damndest to try to re-create from mixers & alcohol on hand (like the old Alchemists & Wizards who make GOLD).
And the prices are always decent. Â You really don't have to wait for a happy hour to get a good deal here.
THE PEOPLE
One thing Spokane has got going is some awesome people, with a fun-spirit and a friendly attitude. Â And this is never more evident then in Baby Bar. Â To be blunt, being in Spokane, this IS one of the places to be and to meet locals. Â And so I enjoy it.
THE LOWDOWN
One of the best bars in Spokane!
I went to this bar after seeing it on Drinking Made Easy. Â We got to the bar at about 10pm. Â It was very full which I thought was a good sign. Â We worked our way to the back bar which I noticed was the bar featured on the TV show. Â We ordered a drink from a not so friendly female bartender. Â We didn't necesarily fit in with the crowd but it seemed to bother her more than it did us. Â I asked her if this was the part of the bar the TV show was filmed in and she said "YUP." Â I asked her if many people come there and ask about the TV show or if it had done more for buisiness....She just said "Not Really." Â Well not very friendly! Â We finished our first drink and I noticed that there was an advertisment for a "Special drink" on the wall. Â I asked her what was in the "Special Drink" Â She said "Anything you want." Â I was like????? Â She didn't care to explain and then she said "You should have a water." Â I was like???? Â I had had 3 beers to that point in the night and wasn't about to be done drinking. Â So we just left to go somewhere else. Â It was dumb. Â I would think twice before going there. Â I think it's for townie's only!!
Review Source:LOVE Neato Burrito. Â The thai chicken burrito is the BOMB!. Â However, this review is not about burritos. Â I've been to this bar many times over the years and it continues to disappoint me. Â It's not so much the bar itself, but the people that frequent it and would be considered "regulars". Â Not a friendly or welcoming place, and that is what I look for in a good dive bar. Â Dive bars are generally the kind of place where the staff is happy to see you and everybody else is happy that somebody else is ok with being seen there. Â That is not this bar. Â
Love those burritos though :)
Right next to the Neato Burrito is one of your more smaller bars in town. The Baby Bar. Very cozy especially on weekend nights! Whatever you want, the bartender is always ready when called upon. Also, has probably the only jukebox in town that features the Dead Boys, Dead Kennedys, and Black Flag, (No Nickelback thank goodness!) It does get a little crowded in there but after a few drinks it won't matter. You'll be in great company!
Review Source:Probably one of the best bars in Spokane.
Yeah, you may not get all the fancy liquor options that you might in bigger *ahem Seattle* cities, yeah you might be tightly squeezed into a corner getting to know your company or a stranger really well, Â and yeah you might even have issues finding it. But you know what? This place rocks.
Great strong pours and service. Awesome tunes. Freshity fresh juice for your mixed drinks. Dark moody lighting. Always faboosh conversations with whoever you are pressed against. And oh hey, there are boobs permanently installed on the wall over there...
Fresh squeezed juice for all mixed drinks! Fugazi and Jawbreaker on the jukebox! (If you don't know who those bands are, you probably won't like the place....) Burritos sold out front! Â
I was in Spokane for one night, traveling alone. I met really nice people and had a great time. This is an awesome bar and if I lived in Spokane I would hang out there regularly.
I love this place. It's very small, very dark, they serve up strong drinks with fresh squeezed fruit juice, and they have one of the coolest juke box selections ever. Happy hour, or late night, this place is like stepping into a secret pocket of downtown Spokane that should only exsist in books written by alcoholic authors who prefer the company of queer artist types.
Review Source:This is the single greatest bar in the history of ever. Â I miss it every day, and my life is just a besotted quest to find some sad semblance of a bar that can stand in, even on rare occasion when the light is perfect, as a week facsimile. Â Patty is a deft bartender and an unparalleledly fantastic human being.
Review Source:There are no babies here. Do not call Child Protective Services.
There is, however, an intimacy that feels like being in your friend's parent's rec room bar, while your parents are out of town.
And that really cute girl you've wanted to talk to is RIGHT THERE, you keep brushing her boob with your elbow and it almost seems like an accident the first 30 or so times.
Order a delicious drink from the skilled 'tenders behind the bar and when you slide back into place next to her, don't be shy, do more than brush.
The well drinks are fantastic, cheap and stiff. Wednesday brings $1 PBRs. Besides Pabst there are maybe 4 other beers, and they're all pricey. Their jukebox is the best in town; who would expect Neutral Milk Hotel at a bar? That said, The Baby Bar is the most hipster place in Spokane, which is not as extreme as other Northwest cities. So far the place sounds pretty good, but as the name implies, this is a very small space. It gets quite loud and is almost standing room only, making ordering from the bar difficult and time consuming. People spill can spill out into the hallway and next door into Neato Burrito, which helps. Â Live music and poetry readings occur often next door making for an awesome place to hang out, but does nothing to help the lack of seating.
Throw a couple more taps and seats and the baby bar is 4-5 star status.
This place is tiny, but awesome. I typically only go on weeknights because it's so tiny; if there are fifteen people in the bar, it's packed.
They pour strong drinks, but only have a small selection of beer- however, there are usually at least a couple of decent brews on tap and of course, the hipster-standard PBR.
And the jukebox...my god, I love the jukebox. It's one of the older ones that play discs and have a limited selection, but it's cheap. It's the only jukebox I've ever encountered that has Jawbreaker, Bad Religion, Jets to Brazil...and it has all three, in addition to many other awesome bands.
The Baby Bar is also attached to Neato Burrito, which is also pretty awesome. Hungry and inebriated? Just walk down the hall and grab yourself a burrito.
As an out-of-towner looking for new places to check out, I found the Baby Bar care of the reviews here on Yelp. Â I have to say that folks are spot-on with their assessment of this being an awesome place. Â My brother and I walked into the burrito bar, and it felt exactly like going into some sort of speakeasy. Â The guy behind the counter gave us a knowing look and said "You looking for the Baby Bar? Â It's around back."
As we followed the dimly lit passage through to the bar, it opened up to the smallest bar space I've ever been to - dimly lit, seating all squished together, and eighties music (the good stuff) coming out of the Laser Disc jukebox. (Laser Disc! Epic!) The bartender was fabulous, and poured the stiffest well I've ever had. Â I swear there was a time delay set into that drink - maybe the bartender has secret evil magic powers - as it hit me an hour and an hour after that and I'm going "Oy! That was one strong drink!"
The Baby Bar is a slice of rad in Spokane's downtown, and I wish I could fold it up into my pocket and take it home with me.
OK, to be honest I liked this bar. Â I just don't think it is quite as great as everybody makes it out to be. Â There's not much of a selection of beers or drinks, though there is enough to keep any normal person perfectly happy. Â These people simply aren't as friendly as I was expecting either.
I was coming from Massachusetts, and was looking for a place I could absorb some local flavor and have a few drinks and maybe a good time. Â I found some cheep drink deals and a dark unwelcoming bar. Â I arrived on a "poetry" day. Â Only some of it was good presented in an open mic night format (it was a wednesday). Â
Honestly I have been to better bars, even dive bars. Â I'm only holding this bar to the standard it strives for and it's a dive bar. Â Nobody made any effort to learn my name because i was clearly not one of their normal clientele. Â Other reviews will lead you to believe they are a very genuine bunch but I would testify otherwise. Â It seems to me that a typical bar goer here would be a "credit card hippie" Â People clearly wanted to look the part.
As a member of The United States Military I felt uncomfortable the entire time I was there. Â I can understand being democratic, but I felt downright disrespected at this establishment I don't think that's necessary. Â I don't make policy decisions I just serve this country...
I think that eveyone that reviewed the baby bar and gave it 5 stars hit the nail on the head. At the end of the day just a special bar with super friendly people. Both Cory and Patty knew my name after my first drink ( I spent a few nights here when I was in Spokane) and allways smiled as I had them squeese citrus fruit for me all night.
Live music, open mic and the lilac city punk compilation I used to skate around town to in the juke box. Just the extras I'm into. And when I left my credit card behind my last night in town, Patty remembered the hotel I was staying at and delivered it to the front desk. Next time I make it into Spokane the Baby Bar has a new traveling regular. Thanks for a fun few nights.
When I first pulled up I saw the place was empty. I read the reviews about ow busy and crowded Baby bar was so I was really grossed out by the empty space I saw. I walked around the block to see if I could find anything else but no bars were open so I figured I'd pop in. To my surprise -the place I thought was empty was actually a restaurant that was attached. For the first time in Spokane: I found a place that was actually busy!!!! My little heart smiled.
So I went in and ordered a pint of beer. The cost? $2!!!!! WTF! It kept getting better and better.
I noticed everyone around me were all drunk... I'm guessing the uber-inexpensive pints had something to do with that. At one point I heard a customer ask for a "cheap shot... not whiskey." I watched the bartender work on a drink for at least a minute and pour her masterpiece in to a shot glass. I thought "She said CHEAP!" Then I saw the customer hand the bartender $3... WTF?! I'm guessing $1 was a tip so she walked out with an AMAZING looking shot for $2. Bravo Baby bar!
My only point of concern: it was a sausage fest. The bar was packed on a Tuesday night yet there were only 3 girls. The good news: they were all attractive so at least they could bring in pretty girls!
The bartender was great - everyone there knew her name and she was friendly with all of us.
Matt R. had the right idea but I can't, in good conscience, write a bad word about this place.
I finally gave this place a shot and now I can't stop going. Good prices on booze is enough for me to go anywhere and you can't really beat one dollar Pabst. The bartenders have all been really kind and I haven't bumped into anyone I didn't like in there. The jukebox great and every bar should have something like it, pretty good music selection too. They have James Brown!
I've been back here multiple times and will be back many more times in the future.
This bar is small, dark, and awesome.
This bar is so small, if you have a place to sit, you are lucky. Once you get used to the crowded space, you may even meet some cool strangers. Go ahead, talk to strangers here. You are going to need to share your table too.
It's dark inside this bar. That's good. It's like wearing a disguise. The music's good, the drinks are damn good. Yes, they make their own drink juice freshly.
Almost every time I come here I have a good time. I should go there now.
What can I say...we waddled over to the Baby Bar after our show a pace down the road and we were amazed and delighted by the warmth and sweetness of the proprietor. I wish there was a place like this where I live on Vashon Island, or even Seattle for that matter. It reminded me of the wee tiny bars in the farflung corners of Tokyo. And from what I was told the bar has been there since Day One! I "lived" in Spokane a long time ago and it was grim as shit there. I had no idea that such an fabulous place existed! The only thing that could POSSIBLY make it better is if was located in Peaceful Valley!
Thanks for your hopspitatily Baby Bar....it really meant alot to us!
stan
You know those cheesy ass country songs about where you had your first kiss or drank your first beer?
That's how I feel about Baby Bar.
I met and made some life-long friends here (and I'm picky) just hangin' out by my lonesome.
$2 Tuesdays were a way of life.
I'm currently looking for something similar in Portland, but like ancient Scottish warriors THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE!
I miss you Baby Bar, I still think about you....every day.
Top notch! It's very small, yes, but reminds me a lot of some places I've been to in the Netherlands. Great juke, $1 PBRs and grilled cheese, decent taps. Apparently they squeeze their own juice for mixed drinks, nice touch. Friendly crowd, skews sorta hipster without the elitist douchebaggery you'd find in a bigger city. Friendly folks, super cool bartender, I will be back.
Review Source:Baby Bar, you were the calm amongst an otherwise stormy night out with some girl friends. Â It was cold for June and we were dressed to impress, not insulate. Â You were warm with an awesome vibe. Â No creepers trying to hit on us while simultaneously telling us how he's just turning 30 with four kids and an ex wife. Â A good atmosphere, but not so loud you can't talk.
Fresh squeezed juice for the mixed drinks. Â Comped drinks for the DD. Â My only complaint is that it's too small, but I guess a good thing like this should only be experienced in small doses. Â If it were any bigger it would have to have a different name, anyway,
If you don't mind a cozy setting, Baby Bar is great. Good music, good drinks, and great ambiance! The artwork displayed is always interesting and makes you think while sipping on a gin & tonic.
I went another night when they had a DJ. I witnessed some extremely memorable and unique dancemoves by this middle aged guy that seemed to feel the music running through his blood. Good Times.
Super intimate style. This was my first stop of the night while visiting Spokane, and I wouldn't have had a problem spending the whole night here. Small and intimate = tons of fun when you come with your friends.
Also, some really sloshed old lady fell onto some kind of sloshed old dude while I was here and they ended up slow-dancing, even when no music was playing. The two eventually went home together.
Yes, this place is magical.
Ugh, this place blows. Â If you're in Spokane, this is the last place you want to go for a drink. Â People try to talk to you, and, like, be all friendly and stuff, so if you value your personal bubble, don't even think about coming here. Â There is room for like six or seven people tops. Â Trust me, don't do it.
(Other people that reviewed this place, how did I do? Â Do you think anyone bought it?)
I am not in the least bit happy about this... I am going to give the baby bar it's third 5 star review... now its going to pop up on the yelp front screen for Spokane. Â
Why is this a bad thing? Â Because it's called the baby bar for a reason, it's small. Â How small you ask? Â TINY... so small you have to go outside to change your mind. Â In all seriousness it is no more than 250 square feet. Â If everyone finds out about this place I'll never get one of the 6 seats at the bar.
This place is exactly like sitting in your buddy's tiny basement bar. Â With such a small number of seats, there is no way you won't get to be friends with everyone else in the place. Â So.. come on in... grab a $2 PBR and make some new friends.
This bar reminds of my favorite bars at home - dark, loud, good crowd, and an awesome bartender, whose name totally escapes me, must've been all the stiff drinks!
Baby Bar is tiny, duh, so try not to bring a big crowd, yo. Â I might not have a place to park my keester next time I'm in town.
There is really no way to describe this place. Â You just have to go. Â All of my favorite people in one small room. Â Two of those people are the bar tenders, Â Patty and Bob. Â I wish I were there right now eating a grilled cheese and sipping a PBR with ice and lime on a hot summer afternoon during my self imposed work break. Â
Go and say "HELLO!" to the kindness.
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