McClafferty's Irish Pub

Whenever I'm in Morgantown on business, I stay at the Clarion Hotel Morgan on High  Street, and I drink at McClafferty's. As a 20-year veteran of the NTN trivia collective (screen name: WVBEAR), the fact that I can play NTN there was my main reason to check this place out originally, but I also really like the ambiance; it's not scuzzy enough to call it a dive, but it's not pretentious and fancy and relentlessly HIP, either. Instead it has genuine atmosphere, with lots of brick and wood and generally subdued lighting, an impressive lineup of beers on tap and even more in bottles, and of course the requisite fully-stocked bar. There are one or two pool tables and a row of video lottery machines if baby needs new shoes. The bartenders and locals are generally pretty easygoing and don't mind being engaged in conversation, which is important to me because I went to West Virginia University in Morgantown. If I lived in Morgantown this would be one of my main hangouts.

A great place to have a drink or twelve. McClafferty's has that great dive bar atmosphere - smoky and funky, without being filthy or stinky. It's the kind of place that makes you feel like if you leave sober, you've clearly done something wrong while you're there. It has all the dive bar staples: pool, dart boards, and a staff ready to sell you shot after shot until you're eyes are bloodshot.

They also have live music quite often - from hard rock to, you guessed it, Irish! (if you are ever in Moorgantown and get the chance to see "The Staggering Cardoons", a local Irish rock band, at McClafferty's definitely take the opportunity!) The venue is large enough to have a good sized crowd and a band and still have plenty of room for you to move around.

Food... They sell it, but to be honest, I've never ventured from standard fried bar fare here. The stuff I've had has been good, but I can't really say too much about the menu. Many of my friends have eaten here though, and I can't remember ever hearing any of them complain.

I loved this place back in college and loved it going back this weekend. Dark, smokey, obscure and definitely no frills. Eight years later and you still walk out smelling like fried food, cig smoke and whiskey-love it.