The Wilkes-Barre Hardware Bar is a nightmare. One of the scariest and ugliest nights I have ever experienced took place here and across the street at its affiliated fake-pub Mulligans. The bouncers are as creepy and violent as the customers. The music is top 40 dregs. The fights are constant and ugly as the trashy female bartenders straddling frat boys for $10 tips. Not a step up from a strip club, it's a staircase down into the depths of hell.
Review Source:Oh, God. The Wilkes-Barre Hardware Bar. What an awful place with almost no redeeming qualities. Besides $1 drink specials and the opportunity to people watch and realize how much worse your life could truly be, there is little to no reason to go here. The music can be good one moment, then awful the next, the drinks are of course made with the cheapest alcohol known to man (thus the very cheap price), and the vast majority of the people are awful and dirty people.
Really I'm ashamed I've even been to this place as I avoided it for a couple years. Then my friend Sparky wouldn't shut up about going so we finally gave in so he didn't  have to be a one man wolf pack. He is forever indebted to me.
I can see why the college crowd wants to go here as it is cheap and there is a lot of room to dance, but expect to be hit on by homeless men and white kids who think they grew up in the ghetto, although I guess the WB is well on its way to that status. And if you're looking to pick up a girl here you probably can pretty easily, along with a few STDs if you don't play it safe!
I was there twice and both times I was not impressed. The first time there was urine all over the men's room floor, which is so absolutely disgusting that i threw my sneakers out when I got home. Â Then girls were dancing on the bar while lifting up their shirts exposing their breasts to the guys who were cheering them on as the girls degraded themselves for whatever reason. Â After that I was done. Â The second time was a total waste. Â While urine was not on the men's room floor and there weren't any girls degrading themselves on the bar, meeting and talking to people could not be done. Â Too many guys are there hitting on anything that moves, it makes it difficult to meet any decent women without being constantly interrupted. Â In the end, after hearing about the vibrator races, I truly think this is where herpes is born.
Review Source:This place is dusgusting... I have been to the one in Scranton so I thought the Wilkes-barre location would be a similar experience. Â I was wrong. Â Ambiance is that of a frat party that's held in a basement. Â The fact that they are pouring liquor down peoples throats on the dancefloor and charging them $5 a shot for what is mostly juice, makes me wonder if my $9 Three Olives vodka was really well. Â Oh to top it all off, their ugly bartenders dance on the bar... not coyote ugly dancing, really bad slutty dance moves.
Review Source:I don't even want to write a review for the Hardware Bar for two reasons: 1.) Wasting 15 minutes of my life to write this review nauseates me, and 2.) Whether you love Hardware or hate it, my review is useless - they are not going to change their business practices based upon my personal hate for their establishment.
Let's just get right to it. Â This place serves no other purpose than to steal your money and make you feel degraded.
It's cheap. Â So how do they steal your money? Â Well, let's see. Â You pay 8 bucks for a mixed drink - Absolut + Cranberry, for example - what is the likelihood they actually use Absolut? Â About .0001% .... that is how they steal your money. Â Oh, and the cover. Â Oh, and the gimmicks they have, getting nasty girls to pour shots down your throat... hmm, that doesn't seem a little suspect, does it?
In theory, if there is one business that exemplifies nearly all of the societal banes imaginable.......it is the Wilkes Barre Hardware Bar. Â Think about it - "best cameltoe" contest & "vibrator races". Â No exaggeration, these are the types of competitions they hold every. single. weekend. Â
Humans are flawed & no one is perfect. Â However, this place apparently thrives on its notoriety for being a trashy, classless, contemptible, and utterly disgusting bar/nightclub. Â Other than the fact that you may or may not catch a disease from their filthy glassware and abhorrent facilities, the staff is rude & ignorant, the bouncers have no regulation for the obnoxious clientele (think the worst of the worst of Wilkes Barre trash), and the "management" is a disgrace.
One time, during the day (yeah, I KNOW) I stopped in to get a shot and buy a pack of smokes, the cigarette machine ate my 8 dollars in singles, and the manager, even when I put MORE MONEY in to show him that the machine was busted, REFUSED to give me my money back! Â Wow, that is just one example... and that was during the day when it was empty. Â The management is completely unprofessional.
Last time I heard, they had a 19 YEAR OLD GIRL who was the "manager"... how can you manage a bar when you aren't even legally allowed to drink at one?
Why the hell do people come here? Â They don't give a FUCK about you or your well-being, they are just looking to rip you off, and if you catch a venereal disease from one of their disgusting bathroom seats or re-used, unwashed cocktail glasses...TOUGH SHIT.
There are NO redeeming qualities to the Hardware Bar. Â NONE. Â Not only is the staff downright awful in every possible way, they have zero respect for their customers, and they sure as hell have no respect for the city of Wilkes Barre. Â How can they continue to be in business - not only have they had dozens of LCB citations (gee, I wonder why) but there are shootings, stabbings, accounts of patrons being sexually harassed in some way or another.... I mean, I can keep going.
Not only is the female staff (and the few guys they have) being completely exploited, clad in disgusting outfits, but they are absolutely moronic and uncivilized. Â I witnessed one bartender, female, LEAP over the bar at a female customer and throw the customers own drink in her face... while the bouncers just watched and escorted the CUSTOMER OUT. Â Hello, I don't care if this chick said you're too busted for your 5.99 cowgirl outfit, who the hell does that? Â Oh, right, I forgot. Â You're at the Hardware Bar. Â This shit is common place.
Just stay away, or not, it doesn't matter to me. Â Eww.
New theming in two of the bars! Â The bar that was formerly Bourbon Street Saloon is now Mardi Gras. Â It features $3 martinis and frozen drinks that will rock your world. Â There is a "garden trellis" area to sit under with a group and they have created a true New Orleans feel throughout the bar. Â Still have the big screen with sports on all the time.
The former nightclub, Reflex, is now a country bar. Â They took out the dancefloor, knocked down some walls and redecorated. Â There is a mechanical bull that is free to ride (just sign the waiver) as well as two pay per game pool tables. Â Themed like a Texas Roadhouse with neon signs, red walls, and a hardwood floor. Â Country music is played throughout the night and includes top 40 country songs as well as classic favorites.
The only thing that has changed and caused me to lower my rating from 5 to 4 stars is that they no longer have a live band in the Hardware Bar. Â It still has the same ambiance with the girls dancing on the bar, but I really miss having that live band instead of DJ music. Â I believe it would have been better to keep the band for the first half of the night and then go DJ from 12-2AM, because, let's face it, not many people go to dance before having a few drinks first.
Service is still fantastic and safety is not an issue.
this bar isnt for those looking for  a quiet hangout spot. the music is loud and annoying and the place seems to attract the local scumbags or douchebags.
People who love the loud club scene will enjoy this place or if u just want to go and get trashed this is the place to go. fights are common since everyone is usually in the 21-23 year old range who are looking to either pick someone up or who have their beer balls.
I can go on about the lousy experiences i have had at this place. I even had a drug deal take place in the stall next to me so just watch out since theres usually some pretty shady people here. forget ever having a normal conversation with someone since the music will leave your ears ringing.
if you want a nice CLEAN place to hang out and is a little more upscale just go next door to rodanos. they have food there as well.
Hardware is a decent bar to go to. It's certainly catered more to the college crowd.
Drinks are about $5.00 and service is usually pretty fast. There are several things to do such as; play pool, etc.
Since this was the second bar I went to during my bar hopping night, I can't provide any more details because I can't remember everything from that night. I can say that the drink prices are reasonable and the people are cool.
Average bar. I'll go back to Hardware when I'm back in P.A
Hard to believe I haven't rated this bar yet. Â By far the best hot spot in Wilkes-Barre for the college crowd.
As I'm sure you've read in all the other reviews, this bar consists of three bars in one. Â There's no cover until 10pm, which is $5.00 unless you are special and go all the time and have a VIP Industry card. Â Too bad I lost mine :(
The atmosphere in the Bourbon Saloon is pretty chill. Â It has a few pool tables, shuffle board table, etc. Â
Hardware has half-naked girls dancing on the bars, a stage for live bands, and three bars where you can grab a drink. Â They do offer barber chair shots where you get your ass slapped with a belt. Â It hurts. Â Trust me. Â But you do get the shot from someone pretty hot (mainly of the opposite sex).
Reflex is a dance club. Â It speaks for itself. Â No bathroom in the bar though. Â You have to walk all the way around to Hardware or Bourbon for that.
Whatever mood you're in, you'll find a good spot to hang. Â It's got it all.
It's not like there's a whole lot to do in the area. We'd go here after the casino. It seems to be hit or miss with this place. I really wish it was non smoking, because I hate smelling like an ashtray. The bartenders need to get a new routine. Security look like they are just waiting to bust balls. I'd probably go back next time I'm in PA.
Review Source:Bleh, its a franchised bar. I've heard many people call it the "Tool Box" and for a reason. This particular location attracts the dullest "Tools" in the box..to say the least.
The idea of local bands and multiple things in the bar to keep you occupied is great, but poorly executed. I've been to the "Tool Box" twice, no need for a third strike here.
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