So, the Saloon website describes this place as: Music, Monkey Boys, and more. ... just a damn good bar.
I must agree with this. People definitely go here for the music and the Monkey Boys. When I went I tried the infamous Bong Water Monkey Boy--a pitcher full of whatever is in the fist-full of bottles the bar tender is holding mixed with some delicious things and topped off with a straw for convenience. When on special, the Monkey Boys will only run you $5, thank you college town!
I was here one night, so obviously this is not a comprehensive review. Actually it really is just based off of how awesome it was to drink Bong Water and not spend a ton of cash. Living in a big city makes you really enjoy when you are in a college town and you can afford drinks.
Bong Water is some heavenly concoction created by the bar staff that is served in a big ole itcher. It tastes great, gets the job done, and it tastes great.
The ambience here is nice, there was a band playing when I went. They did a good job so that counts for them!
Girls were definitely not the prettiest you find in State College, but the drinks are good here and they have other good specials. A good place to go to party.
Down some really slippery stairs...into a dark, basement-like space that smells like pee, sweat and regret....is the Saloon. Whythefuckareyouhere?
MONKEYBOYS.
Read: Pitcher of liquor (five-six unidentified bottles are dumped into a pitcher), ice and cherries and topped with schnapps/flavoring of your desired flavor. They're like $5 when half price (full price is $12, which used to freak me out...but I go by Manhattan standards now.) FIVE DOLLARS FOR A BUCKET OF BOOZE. THAT YOU DRINK WITH A STRAW. (I pioneered the "straw in a pitcher of beer" by the way. This apparently is not an acceptable practice anywhere outside of State College though.) They have live music too. We'll be back for homecoming, because I plan to hit all our old haunts. And at my old age of 23, that will take all four days.
Took my mom and uncle here years ago after graduation, both drank half a monkey boy and proceeded to become hammered drunk. Â It was the first time I had ever seen either of them even buzzed. Â Thank you saloon and thank you Monkey Boys. Â This place is a good time, everyone is guzzling booze from giant pitchers. Â Looks like everybody already mentioned it but.. ya gotta get yourself a couple monkey boys! Â Classic state college!
Review Source:Most overrated bar in State College. Everyone loves this place and I have no idea why. They never seem to have any mindblowing specials. I've been there a few times and it was just packed to the brim, hard to move around. There's no real place to sit, there's the bar, I think about 3 or 4 booths and maybe 8-10 stools around the pool table (that has a wooden board over it).
Maybe I'm just a cynic. I don't the big deal of this place. It's still possible to have fun with your friends, but I'd rather go elsewhere.
I really did not like the Saloon at first. It's just not my typical kind of place.. its soo laid back, no real dress code, bands that cover a bunch of classic rock, etc.. But then I experienced its charm. And a monkey boy or two...and southern comfort with cranberry and lime. OMG, thank you Saloon!!! Monkey Boys really are famous at Penn State with good reason... they are like every different clear alcohol with some flavors and then a spritz of sprite or something in a big pitcher. They will put cherries and a straw in. Try Bong Water. YUM.
People are nice and everyone always seems to have fun. Its the kind of place you could wear uggs and a sweatshirt to and not be looked at funny. (not that I would.) ;-)
Usually a cover charge. Always a live band. Sun Night and Thurs Night $5 monkey boys instead of $12.
This place can get very crowded...especially on a Thursday night. Â The Saloon is known for its Monkeyboys. Â Basically, a pitcher filled with a lot of alcohol and a lot of sugar. Â You have 2 of these one night, and you're set to have a great night. Â I definitely recommend the Bong Water.
If you just want to drink and listen to a good cover band, then this is a decent option. I recommend going on a Thursday night for their $5 Monkeyboy special, and to hear My Hero Zero perform.
Very crowded on a night where you can get Monkey boys for $5 during special hour. That's their signature drink and what they are popular for. The drink is pretty amazing and there are various flavors you can choose from. The cover bands range from okay to below average to completely awful. Good on a special night if you plan to get wasted without spending lots of money. Otherwise, there are better places in State College.
Review Source:The atmosphere makes it very easy and fun to get real drunk. Â When they have half-off monkey boys it is so hard to resist. Â Has a pool table, a ok amount of seating, and if you're smart enough to go when it's not crowded...well it is just a good time. Â The bands that play there are definitely some of the best in state college bars. Â Overall a lot of fun especially for your 21st.
Can get pricey. Â It is VERY easy to spend a LOT of money here. Â And WOW, having two monkey boys is a LOT of sugar!! Â Of course it has the issue of being so crowded some nights, especially considering there is often $5 cover sometimes.
Oh the saloon. I have a love hate relationship with this place. I somehow always end up there, being excited about it, but when I get there its basically just "hey, lets stand around with my monkey boy and jam to the band that plays Buckcherry and Bon Jovi week after week". Not a whole lot going on, and it can get small and claustrophobic...but I always end up back there! Crowd is usually laid back, and everyone always seems to be enjoying themselves. Thursdays great (5$ monkeyboys--giant flavored mix of a zillion liquors and flavor ofyour choice). Bongwater is the famous one, but I tend to stick to pineapple because I wont get a sugar high nearly as fast. Good, decent bar at PSU.
Review Source:Ugh, this place. I take pride in the fact that I have only been here twice (and even that is more than I should have gone). First of all, I am pretty sure that the ceiling is simply going to collapse any day now. It is so cramped here that I'm pretty sure I lost fifteen pounds just standing in the back sweating and dying. The music is obnoxiously loud and unbearably terrible. Aside from the bands being beyond awful ("Oh cool! Play 'American Girl' for the one billionth time or that crappy Evanescence song again!"), the people who seemingly worship these bands are equally, if not more annoying and cringeworthy. The men's room is what I imagine trench warfare to be like in World War I and once you leave, you smell like an extra from the movie "Backdraft." Okay, the Monkey Boys are legitimately awesome, but why not go around the corner to get one if you really need one. The bad far outweighs the good here, avoid this place.
Review Source:There should be a law in state college that once you turn 21, you have to get a bongwater monkey boy at the saloon. Â It's practically a ritual, and you never forget your first (unless you have a second).
There's enough TVs around to be able to catch your late night sports, but it can get real crowded. The bathrooms are infamously pretty bad, but usually usable. I'm a big fan of the mini-pitchers you can get of captain and coke. The bar is big, and the bands they have aren't bad either.
Average Night at The Saloon:
1) Go on a Sunday/Thursday.
2) Ask for a Bong Water Monkey Boy, pay the Barman a fiver.
3) Drink.
4) Repeat 2 and 3 until you can sing karaoke.
5) Leave and stumble around the corner for some food and a walk home.
Better than the Phyrst, it's a definite "drink 'til you're blind" bar. Bands are above average, karaoke some nights, and a specialty Monkey Boy drink that will make anyone go from zero to drunk in twenty dollars. My favorite "party" bar, ranking behind Zeno's for the top spot.
This place was OK, with decent music. But Monkey Boys are amazing. There is nothing like wandering around a bar with a pitcher of mixed drinks called "Tidy Bowl" or "Bong Water". My roomie and I still dream about these now that we've moved away---only in State College could a bar get away with serving a gallon of mixed drinks. MMMMM.
Review Source:The Saloon has been around since 1976, and it's obvious why: it's an unpretentious spot, and everything's cheap. Their web site states the place is made to resemble a "turn of the century English pub", but it looks like a plain-Jane saloon to me.
I've been here many times. The live entertainment is usually pretty good, with decent cover bands, and solo performers too. Arrive early to avoid the crowd, and to score seating.
The Saloon has many beers on tap, and are famous for their "Monkey Boy", a large pitcher of delicious drink. At $2 a shot, this venue is the epitome of cost-effective drinking, though I'm sure there are plenty of students racking up crazy credit card bills. (Heck, I know I'd be if I wasn't just visiting!) On my last visit here, bartender Bean got us Jim Morrison shots (with root beer!), and Royal Caribbean shots - both were pure money.
Recommended. The Saloon is open everyday from 8 PM to 2 AM.
Get here during Happy Hour, pay $5 for a Bong Water Monkey Boy, dance around to the cheesy cover bands and your night is set. Â This was the first bar I went to when I turned 21 and for that reason it holds a special place in my heart. Â I definitely puked that night. Â This bar, like many in State College, is located in the basement. Â Even if it's 15 degrees outside, chances are you'll probably start to sweat at some point. Â It's ok though, everyone is doing it. Â There is a pool table but when it's a Saturday night all those who are playing pool are really just in the way, a complete hassle for those trying to make their way back to the bathroom. Â The whole point in going here is for the Monkey Boy. Â The have quite a few different flavors to pick from and you have to watch how they make them. Â Basically the bartender picks up 6 or 7 bottles of different types of liquor and pours them into a pitcher all at once. Â Topped off with a little bit of club soda or grenadine, the pitcher is all yours. Â Seriously, one of these can keep you happy the whole night long. Â Two of them and you might make someone else happy, if ya know what I mean. Â A must stop for all PSU visitors.
Review Source:The Saloon is not your typical basement bar. You can enjoy a plethora of bands and there is a drink for everyone. Â Their famous Monkeyboys can be purchased for just $10 ($5 during happy hour) and you can be feeling pretty good after one. There is a pool table and a Megatough Machine as well as 5 or 6 flat screen tv around the bar. The staff satisfies your every need and the bands and DJ always keep you entertained.
Review Source:
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