The Green Door

When you think of Napa, what are the first words that pop in your mind? Pretentious? Full-Of-Winos? Expensive? Well let this place de-bunk ALL those myths!

This place is pretty much the opposite of all the misconceptions about Napa. It's dive-y, casual, rowdy. It's like the fun-loving-alter-ego-that's-been-exiled-to-the-­boondocks-to-go-in-hiding to Napa's more elitist, pretentious bars downtown. It's the kind of establishment that I can see Guy Fieri randomly popping in to just for a quick drink or pit stop to Flavortown. It's the kind of establishment that doesn't care if you're a waiter, or the owner of the restaurant it's all good in this neighborhood. I guess the copious amounts of alcohol helps too...

I was brought here unexpectedly by a friend. I was a little bit mortified when I found out this was the, "cool poppin' little spot no one knows about." I've always seen the green sign on the side of the highway on the way back from high school, and it wasn't until then that I went inside. The decor was typical of any regular dive bar, there was a jukebox, a couple of sticky tables, sticky floors, and a vending machine that vends those American Spirits. Don't come dressed to impress. Just come as you are, as a friend, as an old enemy, come dowsed in mud, soaked in bleach, as a trend, as a friend, as an old memoria, memoria...

Speaking of Nirvana, you'd hear an eclectic mix of music here. Sometimes there's a live band, and at times its at the mercy of whoever has the quarters for the jukebox. But let's be real here, you don't go to The Green Door for the music, you come for the drinks and stay for the entertaining local flavor. The drinks are strong. I ordered my go-to gin and tonic. I kid you not, it was gin, with the tiny-est splash of tonic, and small wedge of lime. It was great, what a big bang for my buck. Come here for the local flavor and see what's Napa's really like beyond the pages of Bon Apetit or Sunset magazine. We're not always classy, we have our sloppy days too (and here's where we go on those days.)

I'd go here again for the kicks and giggles... or if I was having a Don Draper melt down (I'm hoping that won't come for another thirty some odd years.) Until then Green Door. Keep it classy, or not.

Nothing good happens when you go to the Green Door.  Strong, cheap drinks, and music on the weekends.

I love that Napa still has a dive bar, just wish the city would crack down on the smoking inside there.

As a man of a certain, off-white color and conspicuously slanty eyes, I'm no stranger to joking with my friends about walking into a bar and having everything stop; the record stylus scratches to a halt, a barfight wherein a man is being slid down the bartop momentarily ceases, and the bartender overflows a beer in amazement as we walk in. All mouths are agape.

No joke though: I've had it happen before. And it sort of happened again. But undeterred, I walked up to the bar and ordered a Bud, a PBR for my friend, and asked WTF is up with the Giants. Everything was cool. It's a smoking bar, but my neighborhood joint is the Geary Club, so I'm used to smoked out bars. As such, this didn't really bother me, but I can see how it could bother some.

The beer is cheap... and it should be. Cash only. The company is very familiar with each other, so be cool. If the barstools could talk, they might tell stories, or maybe they would just out you for farting on them. Vast and wide is the universe. Endless are its possibilities.