AWFUL! Â The hub bub about the decor, well, it's cheap and trashy. The place REEKS of stale cigarette smoke (and this is coming from a smoker) that hits you like a ton of bricks the moment you walk in the door.
On a whim, we decided to try Bob's Garage for the first time on Saturday, July 13, 2013. The place was all but empty and no one greeted us or told us where to sit, we just kind of stood by the door waiting to get noticed before finally choosing a table on our own. No verbal greeting or acknowledgment of any kind as we stood there. Ordered a glass of wine and beers for my companions. I suddenly felt ill (didn't know at the time, but it was a sudden attack of vertigo), alas, I digress. I felt as if I were going to pass out. Sent one of my companions to get me some water. The waitress came over and said "Oh, I would have gotten that for you" in a very snotty tone, as if we breached some etiquette by NOT asking her for it when she was clearly not attentive. We ordered cheese sticks in case it was low blood sugar, but it was not. They were frozen and certainly not worth the price. The waitress could tell I was having some sort of issue and brought our check over "in case you need to leave suddenly"...REALLY? She never asked if I was okay, needed her to call someone, needed help or anything, but was more worried about collecting the bill than a customer's well-being. I will NEVER go back there again. Oh, by the way, 2 draught beers, 1 glass of wine (that I did not even sip) and an order of cheese sticks (frozen and not very good) was almost $22, what a rip off!
I've driven by this place so many times that I decided to try it for lunch one day. It's not exactly inviting from the exterior or, for that matter, at the front/side door. But if you're hungry or thirsty, you'll overcome any initial reservation you might have just developed. Once inside your visual senses are overwhelmed by what appears to have been an explosion of confetti and Christmas decorations that magically seem to be suspended from the ceiling like psychedelic stalactites. Once you accept that you're in an alternate universe, you can mosey up to the bar or find a seat at one of the small tables. I chose the former and noted the abundance of ash trays scattered all over the bar. Since I'm not a fan of eating where there is a heavy layer of cigarette smoke, I nearly got up and walked out. Luckily, no one at that particular moment was firing one up so I stayed.
I needed a beer (one of those days at work where I felt I owed it to myself to just have one...) but alas, the tap selection consisted of two lite beers (never!) and two summer ales (blue moon and summer shanty - neither of which will ever pass my lips). So I figured it was gonna be one of those days from start to finish and just ordered water.
Perusing the menu left me feeling like this wasn't my day at all so I opted instead for a burger. While it was ok, it wasn't great. Maybe I was so distracted by all the crap hanging over my head and worried for my personal safety that I couldn't properly focus on my meal. Service was good and friendly but the atmosphere and I don't match. And, for that matter, Â equivalent bar food can be found at your neighborhood tavern and you won't have to have your senses assaulted. I won't be back.
I've only been here once, but it was on December 23, which is about the equivalent of strolling into Mecca during the Hajj. In wintertime, Bob's Garage becomes a local destination because the two-room building gets completely overloaded with holiday decorations. The effort apparently takes two full Sundays and about 250 man hours. It doesn't get pulled down until the first Sunday after Valentine's Day, which is about how long it takes for the holiday hangover to pass.
Three phrases you won't hear inside:
- "I come for the food."
- "The air in here is just so fresh!"
- "Don't put that decoration up. It's too tacky, and we don't have any more room."
What makes it all especially nice is that it's all part of a massive December fundraising effort on the part of the Spirit of Christmas charity which aims to buy toys, clothes and food for needy North Hills families. As if the lights aren't enough to dull the senses, we experienced an overpacked bar and bad karaoke (redundant, I know) that evening. Lots of shouting about raffle tickets and door prizes. A talking Santa train overhead. Not exactly a place to sit and have a normal conversation, but that can be foregone in favor of the joyful cacophonous maelstrom of holiday revelry.
They have 4 gourmet cheese sticks with marinara sauce for $7.95. No, I lied, they're not gourmet, they're the frozen kind and they're awful, why would they charge so much for them?
However, this place is fantastic! Lots of Christmas decorations everywhere, and I mean everywhere! They also have karaoke at 8:30, the crowd is older (your parent's age), they dance and sing along; it's a great time. They get packed so expect to stand around, the place is small but no one cares and they will hang out for a while, it's hard to get a table at this smoky "garage". If you don't smoke, you can hang out at the add on but it's not as fun as the bar area. This is the place to have a good time!
I love this place. Â It is midway between your favorite dive bar and your friendly neighborhood bar. Â The decorations are crazy over the top - you can't believe your eyes when you walk in for the first time. Â Definitely one of a kind, and a fun atmosphere. Â Also, there is plenty of parking which is nice.
Bob's Garage has karaoke several nights a week (I believe Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). Â There is always a super friendly crowd, relaxed and unpretentious. Â Bartenders and wait staff are also friendly, and offer pretty good service even when the place is crowded (and it gets packed nuts-to-butts some nights). Â People REALLY have fun with karaoke here...one person is great and the next person stinks, and they get equal applause.
Drinks are reasonably priced, but the beer selection could be better. Â They offer a limited menu of nothing special, which is fine for munchie attacks while drinking - but I wouldn't have dinner there. Â A popcorn machine can be accessed by patrons all night long, too.
The only thing I really dislike about Bob's is the fact that it still allows smoking. Â And man oh day, it is REALLY smoking......I don't think there's any ventilation. Â The room is just engulfed with smoke, thick and stale and suffocating. Â I enjoy going there, but leave with a pounding headache every time. Â You feel like you are force-fed smoke when you're there, because there's really no escaping it even in the side room. Â Gross.
Another issue is that the karaoke providers have an extremely limited list of songs. Â Every other karaoke place I've been to accesses a nearly unlimited song list online, but it seems the people here haven't quite hopped into the 21st century on that.
I would have rated Bob's four stars for the fun atmosphere and crowd, but the smoke is torturous thus the downgrade.
Go to Bob's Garage. Â You have to see it to believe it.
A must see in Pittsburgh. Â Â If you have not been , it is a little hard to explain but I will try.
This place is theme decorated (to a particular holiday) for lengthy period of time. Â Example - January - they were still in their Christmas Theme. Â The sensory overload on the decorations within the bar is very amusing similar to the feeling you have when you are looking at a house decorated with 10,000 Christmas lights. Â Â Some of the pictures on Yelp do not do the place justice.
This particular night was our third stop and it was Karaoke Night. Â Â The place had a great vibe.
My only knock on this place is that they still allow smoking. Â Beware if you are not used to smokers because your sinuses will go into overdrive. Â Â I will go back but need to pace myself.
I love this little bar for a couple of reasons. Its a very friendly place full of unpretentious regulars, mostly the 30 plus crowd. Drinks are cheep. I'd almost call it a dive but not quite because the place is always decked out beyond belief from whatever the last holiday might have been. When I say decked out beyond belief, I seriously mean just that. Ya' won't believe it. The bartender's are always nice and actually know how to make drinks. The bar itself is cool; its a rectangular shape  so everybody is facing one another. The food is very top notch although regular bar fair. The only knock I've got on the place is that it gets a little too smokey for my taste and they sometimes have karaoke, which I'm not always in the mood to hear.
If you're driving through that part of town, stop in for a drink. You'll enjoy it!
This place is a don't miss for a different kind of holiday night out. Â It is pretty much unmissable on the side of Freeport road because of its amazing amount of lights. Â They actually close down for 4 days to put up the decorations in here, and it shows. Â When you enter you come into a bar area with seating all around a rectangular bar - this bar still allows smoking. Â There is also a side room (similar to a glassed in porch) where it is non-smoking and they serve food. Â Beer fans beware as they have a wide selection of American let downs (see: Miller Lite), but you can get away with the Yuengling on tap. Â I got a burger and fries which was large, round, pinkish, and not at all juicy, but still pretty tasty, and very cheap (I think $4.50) and the fries were not bad, and also cheap (maybe $1.50). Â We had a good waitress and although we sat in the 'non-smoking' area I still felt a little bit like I left a smoky bar when I got home.
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