Tap House

We love it.  Always a good beer selection (one of us likes stouts and one of us is an IPA fan).  The wings are crispy and very tasty.  We've never had a bad meal.  The food is way above what you might expect as usual bar fare.  They take pride in their food prep.  My favorites are Mac attack and shrimp po' boy.   Staff friendly and accommodating.

Awful experience.

After leaving Rudy's on Black Wednesday, and wanting to go somewhere quieter and less packed for a nightcap, my friends, cousins, and I made our way toward Tap House. When everyone had halted up front, I asked why we weren't heading in. One of our friends said that the bartender, Sean, had flipped them off, and we felt that we weren't allowed inside.

Mind you - Rudy's is slammed, and Tap House is dead.

So, I walked inside, and asked if the "guy in the blue shirt" was "Sean", and he said yes. I asked him - "Are you taking new patrons tonight? Is it past last call?" Yes and no, respectively. He looked confused as to why I would be asking, so I said - "My friends were under the impression that you had flipped them off. I wanted to make sure that we were allowed in. I'll go get them."

The minute that my friends and family came in, the bartender aggressively said to my cousin - "How dare you let her talk to me like that?" I tried to interject, and let him know that he didn't need to talk with her if he was offended, but that he could talk directly with me. I didn't think I was being offensive at all. He said - "You need to polish it up a bit, honey." I said, "We came all the way out here from Chicago. Just trying to get a drink. I wasn't trying to offend you." He continued to address my cousin rather than me. When I looked at her like, wtf? - he said to me, "Pretty sure I've known her longer than you have." Um - she's my cousin.

I definitely reciprocated his aggression when I left.

Awkward local drama? Maybe.

But discrediting someone trying to bring your dead bar service after you flip off potential patrons is just ignorant. The drinks could be great. The food could be delicious. But if that's how the bartender (and I was told "part owner") treats newcomers, none of that matters.

A nice little bar in downtown Vermilion. A good place to hang out late in the evening and have drinks with friends.