Sharkies Bar & Thrifty Bottle Shop

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  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.

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  Posted on 12.05.12 Lauren N.

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  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.

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  Posted on 09.25.12 Reedy R.

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  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.

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  Posted on 02.26.10 Brian B.

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  Pros: Decent deals; always have $1.50 beers and when I was there they had $1 Lionsheads.  Never too crowded, however there are reasons for this listed below.  Amazing prices at the bottle shop.  Lots of pool tables.
  
  Cons: Nothing much besides the cheap beer and abundant pool tables.  The TV's are poorly situated. The staff there and especially the owner are not nice.  One night my friend got kicked out for simply being loud and knocking over an empty beer bottle by accident.  It's a bar for christ's sake.  Not only that but they handled the situation angrily and repeatedly told me and the rest of my crew that my friend was a problem when he was the one handling the situation calmly and peacefully.  They seem to not like people who aren't regulars and this really hurts their business.  After going a couple of times I know now why this bar isn't very crowded most of the time.
  
  Two stars, only because it has a good bottle shop.

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  Posted on 10.02.09 Elliott C.

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  Because Sharkies is one of the few bars in State College that never charges a cover, and never has a band, it definitely attracts ALL kinds.  As with any State College bar, the bouncers have it rough because of the number of people who try to get in under any guise - with or without ID, with or without backup ID (yes, if you have a "duplicate" license, be aware that MOST State College bars will require a 2nd backup ID), and with or without manners.  I've seen many people turned away from Sharkies or thrown out, and it's always for those reasons.  Don't knock the bouncers in this town - while some of them can be real pricks, they DO have a rough job considering how many people try to pick fights with them any given night.
  
  That being said, Sharkies is the bar for you if all you want is to drink beer, play pool and listen to a loud jukebox.  It attracts more locals and blue-collar workers than other bars, especially during the hours of 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. when they stop in with work buddies.  While they don't serve food, you can order from Jimmy John's next door or the sub place across the street and bring it in.  A decent, basic bar with nice pool tables (at least five or so) and good music selection, as well as a very extensive bottle shop.

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  Posted on 02.28.08 Sandy M.

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