I've gone to Square Bar more than a handful of times, and always with the same crowd: a group of men who are sweat-covered after playing volleyball for a few hours. ... and we fit right in. You get what I'm saying?
The decor is 1965, and the vibe is too. The food is also right out of that era... but I confess I did enjoy the open faced turkey and gravy sandwich on white bread I got there. It was not because the flavors were great, but it was the pure nostalgia of eating something out of my childhood that I thought died off long ago. It was an extinct sandwich brought back to life like in Jurassic Park.
The positive reviews are from people who love this particular dive bar. The beer is cold, the place isn't too loud. Thus, you can enjoy a night with the guys. I doubt you could find any women who think this is a place they want to spend any time in, though.... and I prefer my guys' night out beers with the ability to at least look at pretty women, not just the sausage fest.
Been there once. Â It is what it is. Â Thought I was condemned to drinking Yuenglings but pleasantly surprised to see they had Victory HopDevil on tap. Â Pints are cheap by WC standards. Â The bar is dark and "decorated" straight out of the 1970's. Â Patrons seem to be mostly locals who know each other's parents, brothers and sisters. Â Sandwich and fries were filling, unremarkable, and served in a plastic basket. Â Bar tab was handwritten on a green order pad. . .just like the old days.
SB seems like a place where you could get stuck in the head with an errant dart, hoarse from shouting over jubilant locals, winked at by dude looks like a lady, challenged to a fight by an unemployed plumber, and nearly run over when stumbling out into the street after last call. . .and all on the same night. Â That's entertainment.
Bars like this certainly have their place in the grand scheme of things. Â Not a place I'll go back to, but nothing wrong with it either if it suits your tastes.
Best Dive Bar around! Thankfully it is now smoke free, although it still has that old cigarette smell. The food is great and cheap. The simple beer selection and house wine is just fine. Our Volleyball team shows up in athletic gear and no one cares! And the owner helps sponsor our local rec league. The staff is always glad to see you, asks you how you have been, and the locals love to chat with you across the bar but no one seems stalker-like. Any time i feel like getting out but not getting all dressed up, i can stop in here alone if need be and get a very cheap but decent meal.
Review Source:God bless a good old-fashioned dive bar. I've re-discovered this place after being smoked out one too many times in years past. But now that it's smoke-free (or maybe just nobody smokes anymore??), it's a great place to grab a beer with no pretension, watch a game, and even enjoy decent bar food. Blue collar, professional, student, softball player...it doesn't matter. They're all here, and they're all enjoying themselves
Review Source:To get this out of the way, I attended West Chester University and then continued to live in town for a year or so after...so I know where to get drunk in town.
Thank god for Square Bar.
where else can someone go and watch shrek on the big screen while eating fries and drinking cheap beer? where else can someone go in west chester without having to be surrounded by a really shabby version of a girls' gone wild video? i mean, we used to have rex's back then too...so that helped a lot...but sometimes you wanted quiet...you wanted tables...you wanted a bathroom that wasn't terrifying.
guess what, when i'm in west chester, this is still my first suggestion if someone suggests we get a drink. i'm a creature of habit though and i love my dive bars. i mean, let's face it...you're not going to get laid going here (dear god i hope not)...but you'll probably smile and laugh and get to know your friends a lot better.
so thanks for existing square bar. you made my early 20's pretty hazy and i appreciate it.
I used to live across the street from this bar so it was very convenient to run here and grab a six pack to go. This bar smells like someone peed in a corner when this bar was first built and no one ever bothered to clean it up. great bar if you like that sort of thing but it's not my cup of tea.
Review Source:The Square is one place where everyone knew my name. I could roll in here in scrubs after work, or all hussied up after a night out in WC and close the bar out. When my best friend moved out of town the owner let us have a corner of the bar to hold her party, put the cake in the fridge, and decorate. Ahh.....good times, good times. Try the food too - it's actually good.
Review Source:I agree 100% with Russ' review - the Square Bar is the archetypal neighborhood bar - unassuming, inexpensive, friendly, and fun. I love their oval bar where you can observe the other patrons. It looks like the decor hasn't changed since the mid-70's (if not earlier). Their food is inexpensive but quality pub fare - mostly fried food and sandwiches. It's a great place to stop by for a late nosh or to go with friends. Their table area, while small, is flexible enough to be reconfigured for largish groups to have a good time together there. Their beer and drink prices are excellent though the tap selection leaves something to be desired (they haven't bought in to the microbrew trend - yet).
Years ago I lived a block away from The Square Bar and we went there once during a hellacious rainstorm. The lights went out, everyone had a laugh and just kept chatting and drinking. It was divine.
THIS is the best bar in West Chester. Â If you are not looking for the Square Bar, you will most likely not find it, as it is not part of the main strip of Gay St. Â But travel off the beaten path and you'll come across a bar that doesn't look like it has changed at all since its conception.
Inside, under a cloud of smoke, you will find everything you would want from a neighborhood bar. Â A dartboard, shuffle-bowl, and a jukebox with great classics line one wall, while tables scatter throughout the rest of the bar. Â
You meet some fascinating regulars at the Square Bar...once I was playing darts and a guy named Marty who was wearing black sweatpants and shirt came over and offered me some pointers. Â I have never thrown darts as well as I do now. Â Sweatpant Marty is just one of the many friendly personalities you will find here. Â
The Square Bar is an amazing place. Â I also wanted to find a bar that reminded me of Cheers and their "everybody knows your name" mantra...with the Square Bar, I found it.