Ah, the Main Event! Â This is a great spot to stop for a break in the drive between Tahoe & the Bay Area to watch a game. Â Or at least have some beers and watch your friend watch the game and talk to other (very friendly) patrons. Â On the afternoon in question, people had all brought in food and there was a *free* BBQ happening. Â Everyone was so incredibly nice there - when I said I was vegan, the chef was sympathetic and put together a veggie sandwich for me that included tomatoes his wife had grown at home! Â
Beers are reasonably priced and cold, bathrooms are reasonably clean and it's tolerable cool inside on a hot afternoon.
Ain't nothin wrong with liking a good dive bar. Lets see....
Cheap beers? Check.
Fast and friendly bar tender? Check.
Juke box with selection of classic rock? Check.
Pool tables? Check.
Friendly and easy going customer base? Check.
Now this bar may not have some trendy theme or ambiance that makes is unique from other dive bars, but why should it? This is a place for those who desire a low key, inexpensive place to swill drinks and chill out in peace or with good spirited social company. That is all i need in life from a watering hole. I will be back when in the area.
The Main Event is an unfortunate example of what happens when a once thriving downtown becomes blighted. While working in the area, I heard about and witnessed a number of occasions where drunken patrons of the establishment would loiter on Main Street walkways until some verbal or physical fight would spur a call to the cops. Already struggling downtown businesses of all stripes are forced to cope with this mess. The owner of the Main Event recently renovated the front walkway to include an overhang. It looks better, but my guess is it will encourage more loitering.
Once thriving businesses along this historic street are now closed. Doors are latched and windows are shuttered. The Main Event is a remnant of a time when it would have fit in nicely with the eclectic mix. Now it is a magnet for daytime drinkers and loud bikers.