The Bird Bar & Grill

The Bird is by far my favorite bar in Mt Pleasant. Good selection of beers on tap, chill atmosphere and the pizza is REALLY good! Also this place is CHEEP! Maybe that's why its called The Bird? Get it?!

Much like the first man she falls in love with, a girl's first favorite bar will always have a special place in her heart, regardless of how much time passes, or how many great bars come after it.  For me, the Bird is that first favorite bar....the bar that will set the standard of comparison for all other bars I set foot in.  Virtually none have lived up to the standard.

I discovered the Bird when I was an undergrad at Central Michigan University (fire up Chips!).  I loved it because it was nestled away downtown...a neighborhood bar that wasn't trying to impress anyone.  The bars right on campus were usually clubs, where the sorority girls hung out with their cleavage out and the boys filing in with polo collars popped.  The Bird was a refreshing "come as you are" scene.  The type of place where you could hang on a Friday night in jeans and a hoody, where students and townies, young and old, feel welcome and mingle like old friends.  Cheap beer, free peanuts (toss the shells on the floor), darts, pool, jukebox, and a friendly crowd....color me smitten.  

Since coming back to campus post-graduation, there's been some changes made.  They bought out what used to be the pizza joint next door and expanded to nearly twice the original size.  It's still not real large, and keeps that neighborhood bar feel.  The peanuts, darts, pool, mixed crowd, and cheap beer are all still firmly in place and keeping the Bird true to it's roots even with the expansion and a newer, fancier sign.  Friday happy hour time (and possibly other times during the week, I was only in town for the one day) you can get $0.75 pours of high life served cold in a mason jar ($3 for a pitcher full).  *sigh*  In the short time I was there having a pint for old time's sake, the conversation with the bartender and another Bird regular had me feeling like I never left.  Coming to the Bird feels like coming home.  

To me, the Bird embodies what my college experience was all about.  Even though it's been nearly 7 years since I've graduated and moved off campus (that long? ugh, I feel old lol) I still rock my Bird tshirts with pride and reminisce about the good times and fuzzy memories...

Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.

I miss the Bird