Bud's Bar

My father-in-law is one of those 'old timers' that Geoffery B referred to in his review. He's down there every day by 11:30 to meet up with his friends to share 3 rounds.

It was clean, and didn't stink (how I love that Laramie is non smoking!) and everyone was friendly. This is Cheers, Laramie style.

What a great surprise to find I knew the bartender. She had been my boss 22 years earlier  (1986 for the math impaired) when I worked in the Student Union Beer Gardens.

Not a place I'd recommend for the college crowd, but it was fun to stop in and have people know my name, even though I'd never been in the bar in my life. (Father-in-law's bar buddy knew me in diapers)

I had a round of drinks at Bud's Bar when I turned 21. That would be the only round I had that night because I had a midterm the next day that I was trying desperately not to fail. It was a slow night at Bud's so I really got to take it all in.

This is where West Laramie residents, old-timers, and the blue-collar workers of Laramie come to have a good time. You won't find many college kids here. It's got a special atmosphere along the lines of your grandfather's den (last remodeled in the sixties) mixed with the rural comforts of taxidermy on the walls and a jukebox full of country music. This probably epitomizes what most people think of as Wyoming and the management and staff seem comfortable with that. As a result the place has a charm and an authenticity that some of Laramie's other bars seem to lack. Nothing fancy, and admittedly few people who aren't used to the way rural Wyoming is will find it comfortable.

Keep it up, Bud's.