What ever happened to bars?

They are here in Houston, most now are on the high end drink bandwagon, guessing there is more markup.

 

Where I currently live I feel there are a lot of "Bar first, restaurant second" places, where I used to live it was the opposite. I'm not sure if I have ever been in a bar in the U.S. that doesn't serve some kind of food. Maybe one in New Orleans

 

Bars, pubs, taverns, bistros, tasting rooms, cafes, clubs, cabarets, breweries, we got 'em all.

 

Move to WI. We have dive bars up the ying yang. I assume that's what you're looking for?

 

Edit: I have been to breweries that don't serve food, but I wasn't counting that

 

They all moved to Minnesota.

We gots bars in spades.

 

Have you been in VA long? It's an ABC law based on the ratio of food and non-alcoholic beverages to liquor sales on a yearly basis. That's why you can find a lot of these places having blow-out deals on food towards the end of the year so they can get their paperwork in order.

 

Pretty much this. Plenty of "bars" in states around Virginia, but no alcohol only places in Virginia. All serve food and have to serve a certain percentage of receipts as food.

 

Seems like it would be best to move to a different state, it sucks some states have such draconian laws.

 

Honestly, I might be in the minority here, but I prefer a bar that offers food. If I wanted to just drink beer then I would go downstairs into my fridge and do so. This actually is the reason why I haven't been to some of the better beer bars in New England (Track 84 [I know they closed], The Dive Bar).

 

It's mostly a legislation issue in the US. Local governments want alcohol serving establishments to have a certain percentage of revenue from food sales. I think it's likely a concession to groups that try to limit alcohol consumption.

 

Stayed in a Hilton in northern VA once, and was astounded to find the hotel bar/restaurant closed. The desk said they were closed "for a while" because they exceeded their allowable percentage of alcohol vs food sales. The lobby bar was open though. Growing up in Wisconsin, my small hometown had dozens of bars that didn't serve food, so the food ratio thing seems puritanical. Almost as bad as "dry counties" of the south where people just get hammered at home. You can't legislate morals.

 

and they're also morphing into quasi-sports bars. Can't go there just for a pint. You're surrounded by TVs with "the game" and the boisterous fans.

 

Bars with food. What a dreadful concept

 

I thought it was related to liability insurance rates, although it could be a combination of factors.

Things definitely seem to have changed around here...
"You ain't thinking of getting rid of the dank, are you, Moe?"

 

Having a TV doesn't make you a sports bar. I am down with any sporting event being shown as long as it isn't the NBA. I can't think of any places around me I am aware of that only serve alcohol and no food.

 

Not sure the reasons but it was also the law in New Hampshire. If you server alcohol, you have to serve food. I live in North Carolina now and that's not the case. Also in Florida they don't have to serve food either. Most places will allow you to order out or bring in your own food. I like it more that way.

 

When I first moved to Virginia from Arizona two years ago I went out at 9:30pm on a Friday to get a bottle of vodka for my wife and I. Turns out the grocery store only sold beer and wine. They direct me to something called an ABC Store. So I go there. Turns out they close at 9pm. What kind of state doesn't allow you to buy vodka at 9:30pm on a Friday??? Growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the only time I couldn't get alcohol was before noon on Sunday. Arizona would sell anything at anytime.