Friendly little dive where we go occasionally for dart matches in our dart league. Â The bartender is friendly and efficient, the surroundings are clean and nice. Â There is food available for purchase although we have never eaten here. Â What we have seen is standard pub fare. Â Smells tasty, looks tasty. Â Only problem here is occasional street urchin that comes in begging for a smoke, a few dollars or a drink. Â Has not been a real problem for us except once and that was quickly alleviated by some of the regulars. Â Nice to know the regulars try to keep things pleasant.
The jukebox is totally cool if you like R&B and Old School and I do!
It is a dive bar. It is open to any and everybody. If you like to people watch, this is where you need to be. It is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get. From almost hour to hour the bar can change identities. I think that is why I like it. It can go from a country bar, to a hip hop concert in two songs. Everyone is typically accepting of each other. I like that too! Most people are comfortable in their own skin, which helps when large amounts of alcohol are consumed.
The food is standard bar food, but it's pretty good. They have daily specials that mostly are comfort foods, but I don't care where you go, you will not find them cheaper. Drink specials are even better. On Saturday, you can drink from 2-7 pm , all you can drink on tap for 9-12 dollars depending on the beer. What! Plus, to be able to get a salmon fillet OR a steak with two sides for under $9 - now tell me why you haven't been?
The Stables: Helping Matt E make bad decisions since 2012.
This is one of those random dives I sometimes find myself in after a long (and I mean LONG) night of drinking. It's the antithesis of everything I typically like about nightlife, but it's got two qualities going for it: 1) It's on the walk home from downtown, and 2) it serves beer. Sometimes, that's all you need, especially when the last thing you need is another beer.
This place is a dive, and all of the trappings of a dive are present. Endless dark wood paneling, booths you can disappear into, old neon bar signs and cheap posters. It has two patios, one in the front and one that's really just the inside of a parking garage, where you can still smoke and drink. It's got a juke box, a pool table, and some darts. Oh, and the beer is cheap, and comes in personal pitchers, because nothing says "I'm making poor life decisions" like walking around and drinking directly out of a pitcher.
Oh, and get this! While during the day and immediately post work this is a regular dive, at night it magically turns into a gay bar frequented by older African Americans! I'm sorry, but as progressive as I try and be, the sight of dudes dancing together just makes me giggle, and I have had many a giggle fits at The Stables for this very reason. Packed dance floor of gay dudes = not funny. Just two guys dancing = funny. I don't know, it's just me, I guess.
Anyhow, the crowd is friendly, if a bit rough sometimes. I've heard a lot of prison talk here, and there are often people who could stand a visit or three to a dentist. The staff is always REALLY friendly. The only reason I ever regret coming here is because I usually am already tanked and a stop here is essentially just making sure I'm going to be hungover the next day. Beyond that, it's always a fun experience. Check it out!
So a little info before I begin a formal review. Â I have only been here once so far and that was as a final stop on a pub crawl. Â We did not order any food, so I can not speak to that. Â What I can speak to is the bar itself, the staff, and the other patrons or general feel of the place.
First off, the Stables is a dive bar. Â It is also a bit of a gay bar, which I was totally not expecting. Â Now when I say gay bar, do not let your mind go to the establishments with twenty somethings running around shirtless looking for their next bump. Â Rather think of a bit more distinguished crowd (yes, I mean older when I say "distinguished"), a bit more subdued. Â Generally speaking, everyone seemed to be in good spirits here and who can argue with late 90's, early 00's R and B crackling out of a jukebox? Â
Our group ordered two pitchers of Boulevard Wheat, which was served pretty quickly and ice cold. Â My friend who was taking care that particular round said that it was ridiculously cheap, which was surprising because it was just Saturday evening, not really "specials" time territory. Â We were able to find a table large enough to accommodate all of us (about 8) quite easily, even though we elected to stand. Â I have to say, I am very intrigued to go back. Â You can't argue with a bar that is cheap and uber inviting to everyone. Â I am not sure when I'll make it back, but I'm sure I will be, maybe happy hour at some point.
Yes it is a dive bar. Yes it is an unofficial gay bar. So what? They have great food, as long as you get there before 9PM. I have a friend who got me going here for their cheap taco Wednesdays. Every time we have gone there the service has been excellent. Bartender (Marissa?) handles the bar and our table without failure. If you can get there on a night that they are serving baked chicken with rice, it is to die for delicious.
Review Source:A couple of friends and I dropped in on a random Saturday night for "one last drink". Â As we chatted, our eyes grew bigger and giggles started in as we realized there were a lot of ethnic, gay men having a party in the back by the pool tables. Â Two other men were having an intense conversation (with arms embraced) right next to us. Â The kiss between them was priceless. Â They didn't care if we were gay or not. (we are, btw.) They were having their moment. Â We never felt our of place, but this is a dive bar. Â Don't expect five star service. Â And, unless you're looking to find a brother on the DL or a new "friend" I wouldn't go alone -- at least late at night. Â Can't speak about the food, we just had drinks. Â But all was cool. Â Remember, DIVE BAR.
Review Source:The Stables is an okay dive bar.   Being close to several office towers its nice to walk to with co-workers for come cheap after-work beer.  (Served cheap and very cold.)   There's pool tables in the back,Silver Strike in the front, and  an old-style big screen TV that's used mainly for music channels but sometimes for sports.  The bar is a cozy L-shape, and there is ample table seating.  True to its name, riding equipment and pictures of horses are placed throughout the bar.
For a long while, Stables was the only bar downtown that was not open on Saturdays. Â That finally changed about a year ago. Â
Another change is that The Stables has quietly become gay-friendly... at least on certain nights of the week. Â Â I wouldn't say it's completely become a gay bar just yet, and (at least from what I've seen so far) it really shouldn't make anyone uncomfortable who isn't into that sort of place. Â
Still, if you happen to be an exceptionally handsome young fellow, don't be surprised if you get hit on by some middle-aged dude in a wifebeater. Â Just laugh it off and chill... you'll be fine.
You have to take this for what this place is: straight up dive bar.
I wouldn't come here by myself and I wouldn't really come here for dinner. I would, however, come here for happy hour with a group of 5-10 co-workers. Â The happy hour specials are insane. two for one 2.75 well drinks, domestic beer is $1.25 for a mug and $1.75 for a pint. They've got a pool table and dysfunctional jukebox/TV. Â
I'm not sure if I would trust the food from the back but I might give it a shot one day.
The 1 and 2 star reviews are pretty accurate but that's what it is. Come for cheap drinks and a dirty seat.
To the previous reviewer I say, "yeah, so what?" Â It's a dive bar...I repeat dive.
I have started to notice more young professional like myself in there enjoying the $2.75 wells (that's the 24-7 price) more and more parked in front of the TV or crowded in the booths. Â It's a nice little hole in the wall with a dart board, pool table, big screen, and some friendly faces behind (and some more sitting on stools in front of) the bar.
So, don't come in if your not willing to "slum" in. Â Though I never once felt out of place in there. Â And I'll update the previous review....no smoking is obviously in effect, so "Weezer" may not be coming around, but you'll still have to deal with the "Songbirds" of the world...and maybe even get a drink form a "Big Shot" with some extra dollars in his pocket.
This review is excerpted from <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkcbeerblog.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fdowntown-drifter.html&s=3c631c047c123c98d6010e1ec70f9cfeb4d5f55947b8ec21ccdeb34b49940e9f" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://kcbeerblog.blogsp…</a> (KC Beer Blog)
I drive down Walnut every night on my way home from work and I pass this place called The Stables Bar and Grill. I've never seen anybody enter or exit the place. But there is usually a pretty large crowd of people waiting right outside at the bus stop. I was able to find a parking place on the street about a half block away. I parked the car and made the small trek up to the Stables. I went in. Have you ever walked into a place and immediately become fearful that they don't take debit/credit cards? That's what it's like to walk into The Stables. It would kind of remind one of a small town VFW. Sitting at the bar was 5 people. I believe all 5 of these people were on their third marriage the year I was born. The two guys at the end of the bar were upset about the sad state of dog racing today. It seems that even really long shot dogs only pay out at most $1000. You see, there's just no one out there betting the dogs so there's no money in the till for bigger payouts.
One guy, we'll call him Big Shot because he bought the other 3 at the bar a round of drinks. I don't know how well he knew the other 2, my guess is not well, but I think he wanted some company and these other 2 didn't seem to be in the position to turn down a free drink.
The TV at the bar was playing the Sirius music channel 50's rock n' roll. One of the 2 free drinkers, we'll call her Songbird, would break into song trying to sing along to whatever song was playing on the station. Songbird was particularly fond of recounting stories from her high school days that had to do with that song. I'm sure the folks heading to McFadden's on any given night might make fun of me for being able to recount sitting in my best friend's Camaro drinking booze and listening to Sinead O'Connor sing "Nothing Compares 2 You", but come on, she's still alive and kicking at least.
Songbird and Big Shot had a fun conversation about Big Shot's high school cross country running career. Then, I believe, I was witness to the first ever over seventy year old black woman hitting on an over seventy year old white man who hasn't shaved in over 2 years and doesn't wear his teeth to a bar in the history of Kansas City. Yes I do consider myself lucky. When she asked him if he had ever been married he responded with a resounding "No, no never". Then, once again I'm speculating, made up a story on the spot about how he had a wedding ceremony in Thailand with a Thai girl and he loves her to this day.
The other guy at the bar, the one who received a free drink but, to my knowledge, said even less than I did (I believe the only thing I said the entire time was "Newcastle"), was closest to me. About 10 minutes into my stay at the Stables, this guy, let's call him Weezer, lit up a Winston. I can't quite describe the sound ol' Weezer made on every exhale, but I was a little concerned someone was going to have to call 911 in the next couple of minutes. I think it's completely possible that the reason he didn't say anything the entire time was because he left his vibrating voice box thing on the bus on the way over.
I didn't make eye contact with anyone in the bar in the time I was there. I believe I was the youngest guy to walk through The Stables' doors since Weezer walked in in 1972. As I looked around the ambienceless room I noticed a UMB promotional calendar on the wall. I was able to surmise that today was the 9th of January because they had methodically marked a big black X through each day of January up to the 9th, like they're counting down the days until they die. If I'd had big enough balls I would have flipped through the remaining months to see if there was a day in June marked Death Day. But I was busy plotting my escape in case they didn't take credit cards. With the previous meter payment I was down to a precise $1.96, not even half the cost of my Newcastle. Everybody else at the bar was paying with cash and I didn't see one of those wonderful Visa stickers on the door. I was pretty worried I was going to look like a giant schmuck by not being able to pay my tab. I already had heard Songbird say "them young folk sure are getting brave coming in here". I didn't want to be the one to turn them against young folk.
Luckily The Stables does take Visa. If I had known that earlier I may have enjoyed my time there a little more. I'll be honest, I'm not going to go back. I highly recommend The Stables, the same way I would recommend Furr's Cafeteria or Bingo at church or the medical marijuana dispensary. If my grandma was still alive and looking for a night on the town, I may point her towards The Stables, who knows maybe Big Shot could have been my new step grandfather.
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