4/20/2011 Update
Racked 12 more up since the last update. My friend Jimmie is pals with the owner of the Little Bar in Davenport, and was able to get us in prior to their actual opening. We also hit Gabino’s Place in East Moline, as well as Gravy’s and the Do-Dah Tap in Davenport (nasty bar, but you gotta love a place that has a 2$ beer special every day of the week, from 8-10……in the MORNING. Google this place and the first five items involve a man stabbing someone 14 times outside the door). Also made it to VFW (1st St.) in East Moline; Thai Garden in Silvis; Central Ave. Tap and Palmer Grill in Bettendorf; Habanero’s in Moline; and Mo Brady’s, Bleyart’s (new location), and Bley’s Tap in Davenport. New Total: 382. 18 more to go to hit 400, so I’m revising my target date from 4th of July to Memorial Day.
I mentioned that I would have some stats for you after I complete two years of documenting my adventures, but I’ve got one for you now. People often remark that they didn’t think that there were anywhere near 380 bars in the Quad Cities. Well…there’s not. As I explained in the Rules section of my first post, I count places that close and reopen under a new owner and / or different name. Some physical locations I have on my list four times.
I also count restaurants (as long as I have a drink while sitting at the bar, not just in the bar area), bowling alleys (actual bar, not the walk up window), golf course clubhouses, private and semi private (VFW, East End, Svithiod) clubs, wineries, baseball stadiums, OTB; pretty much anywhere there is a bar, a few barstools, and a bartender willing to charge me for a beer. When I tally up how many actual bars are in the Quad City area, I count bars and some restaurants. The line here gets a little blurry, because I think of a place like Governor’s, for instance, as a place to have a few drinks, and eat some food if I feel like it. Others would not consider this (or TGI Friday’s, Applebee’s, Bennigan’s, etc.) to be a drinking destination.
So, I took out the private clubs, golf course clubhouses, most of the bowling alleys (except Fargo), and a lot of the restaurants, and I come up with 244.
More news: I had originally thought the indoor golf lounge, The Clubhouse, was going in where Northwoods Steakhouse was. In fact, it’s going in the corner of the strip mall behind it. Northwoods looks like it’s getting ready to open as something, though. The signs have come down, there’s a dumpster in the lot, and people are working on it. Also, Central Ave Tap (last known as Nasty McGinn’s / Poor Boys) has finally opened, and already added to my list.
Instead of the Indy 500, you could have the Wilson 400! Let me know when and where and I'm there?..
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