Sharkies Bar & Thrifty Bottle Shop

Sharkies is pretty OK all around.  But if you make a last-minute beer run, beware: they care more about going home than about either their customers or making money.  

In most places, showing up 2 minutes (or even 30 seconds) before state-mandated closing means you got there just in time.   I was turned away at 1:57 because the bouncer "didn't have time to make another sale."  He was polite enough about it, but the sign clearly says they close at 2. They can legally make sales until the computer stops them, right on the hour.  I knew exactly what I wanted, I had cash, and I don't look underage.  A 30 second transaction. They could've worked with me.

Whateva, sharkies!   I just wasted 25 minutes of my life driving there and back (and I still need a beer), but in the end it's their loss.  My wallet, my liver, and my girlish figure are all grateful..... but not for long, since I do love beer, and I will be taking my next late-night beer run elsewhere.

i am straight up in love with this bar. i'm a one-time regular and everytime i go back to state college, i have to stop by sharkies. they have cheap drinks, no cover (ever), a dart board, many many pool tables, buck hunter safari, and a jukebox. the downstairs area is smoking-friendly AND you can rent it out for private parties. yeah. plus, they have a bottle shop that always has what i'm looking for.

bartenders? awesome. bar manager? awesome. here's how to get them on your side: be decent.

also, pro-tip: don't put your drinks on the pool tables.

i prefer the ambiance at sharkies. you can show up as casual as you like and just relax. most* of the patrons won't creep on you, if they talk to you, they just want to talk. the frathole crowd tends to avoid sharkies (score!).

i'm not sure why some reviews say there isn't much to do at sharkies. it's a bar. at most bars, you stand around and drink. sharkies doesn't have much room for dancing, it doesn't have cover bands, but you can certainly drink. on the cheap (every night). and if you're really into pool they have a league you can join. check it.

*note: they are a cash-only bar.

Sharkies, in the nicest form of the word, is a Classic bar. Loud music, massive pool tables, dart boards, the whole deal. Beer is cheap. If you are not blue-collar, you will probably be stared at with an intense dislike. No cover, cash only. This is a no frills bar and because of it I can't help but like it. Also, it's not that the bouncers don't like you, it's that you probably did something wrong. One of the better "post-work" places to relax at.