Out For Bloodies

Club Tap is the quintessential neighborhood bar. It’s a small, one-room space that is more long and narrow than it is short and wide.

It’s not a hip, popular place to visit and they don’t serve food.

But it is a bar within walking distance of many in the Pasadena and Swan Neighborhoods and you can count on them to be open pretty much anytime; they boast that they are open 365 days of the year. They even open by 9am on the Fourth of July to serve those coming out to watch the Independence Day Parade.

Recently the bar was taken under ownership by those who own Lalli’s Pizza, a carryout and delivery establishment next door to the Tap. The bar closed for about a week this summer and the locals eagerly anticipated the much-needed renovations were were sure they would be making.

No dice. When we came back, the place was the same old tap with just a few new faces behind the bar. However, one night a friend of mine was in there and noticed they were touting a Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar on Sundays. We noted we would have to give it a try.

The Tap has always been pretty much your beer and on-the-rocks type of bar. You won’t find any frozen drinks and since you’re more likely to end your night there then head there to watch a college football game on a Saturday, it’s a not place you’d seek out for a good Bloody Mary.

Recently, while looking for a place to watch a Packers game, it occurred to us that we still hadn’t gotten around to trying the BYO Bar at the Tap.

When we walked in, there was no sign of it, however. When we asked, we were were told, “Oh yeah, we have that, but not during Packers games.” Yeah, because that makes a ton of sense… There were only about 7 people in the place as it is. You’d think they’d want to sweeten the deal to make Club Tap a destination for sporting events like these. But, true to form, the Tap is a tell-it-like-it-is, we-don’t-care-what-anyone-else-thinks, take-it-or-leave-it type of place. They have never been and never will be a place that tries to impress. At least they’re not trying to be something they aren’t?

I say all of this lovingly, mind you. I have a love-hate relationship with this bar. So we went ahead and ordered a Bloody Mary anyway.

Mix: Homemade and very good!

Chaser: Yes–Miller Lite

Fixin’s: Two Olives and a Pickle

Price: $7

This Bloody Mary was actually quite tasty. And while we were some of the only people in there during the game, we did enjoy the free Lalli’s Pizza and breadsticks at half-time and the free shots for when the Packers scored. The bartender was friendlier than those we remember from the past and all in all, we had a decent time during the game.

If it were me, I’d advise them to add the Bloody Mary Bar back on all Sundays, especially during Packers games and maybe advertise the free pizza & shots deal a bit better (or at all). They might find that slowly their perception starts to change and they might even attract people from out of the area.