Best Campustown Bars by Decade

[Entropy]

Boheme

FAC with the faculty from Moly Bio buying pitchers of Anchor Steam. Good times.

 

[houjix]

I was coming here to say this.

Tazzles, all you can drink nights, binge drinking at its finest.

It really depended on your mood or what you were going for, it seemed like there were a lot more bars in the 90s.

The dance bars:
Tazzles
Dean's List
Hunky Dorys (country line dancing, usually)

People's, was considered kind of a Frat bar, "preppy bar" at least when I was at ISU.

The chill bars that everyone hung out at:
Cy's Roost
Welch Ave Station

There there were the others:
For the life of me I cant remember if Paddys and Mickeys were the same names, but there was something in those places.

Then there were some others around town, not including sports bars:
Tip Top

There were bars where Mothers and Thumbs is now, Cant remember the names back then either. Dont believe I ever went to them. Seems like one of them might have been a "alternative lifestyle" Bar at the time.

Probably forgetting a few.

Found one of my people.

Mickey's used to be Pancheros. Paddy's became Paddy's while I was there I think, but can't remember the previous place. My friends place pool there before I turned 21.

 

[2speedy1]

I didn't dream of trying a fake ID in college since I looked 12 years old...but I did go out a lot Jr/Sr year late 90s.

I avoided People's because I had this idea that it was all frat guys and some kind of clique, no clue where I got that idea. I started going there all the time my last semester and it was by far the best.

I lived near Boheme and that was cool too because it had international student vibe, a foreign student I dated seemed to like it better than Welch, and they would let people under 21 in if we had younger friends without fake IDs.

I remember the same thing at the time. No one I hung with wanted to go there because of this reputation. Although, I am not sure where or how it started, I always thought it was ok whenever I did go there. It just wasnt the top choice most times because of that reputation.

 

[1100011CS]

1975-1980. A different world, where anyone 18 or older could drink. So I did. Main Street had two main bars, Mondo’s and That Place, across the street. One or two smaller titty bars as well. Campustown had the Cave Inn, the Library and Cy’s Roost. West of campus had a delicatessen/bar (Dugans Deli) and a small bar called Torks Pub where I was unceremoniously ushered out after throwing a right jab to some guy who was annoying me. Some road trips on the back roads to Polk City (Broken Arrow) and side trips to Cambridge to visit Chris’s Go Go.

Oh, now that you mentioned West of campus I remember Dugan's. And seemed like there were a lot of stripper bars downtown in the 90s. I seem to remember at least 3 in a pretty small area. Good times.

 

[HFCS]

I remember the same thing at the time. No one I hung with wanted to go there because of this reputation. Although, I am not sure where or how it started, I always thought it was ok whenever I did go there. It just wasnt the top choice most times because of that reputation.

Yeah, when I finally went there it was great. The "dudes" weren't any more or less annoying than at every bar.

 

[State2015]

Found one of my people.

Mickey's used to be Pancheros. Paddy's became Paddy's while I was there I think, but can't remember the previous place. My friends place pool there before I turned 21.

Mickeys used to be a pancheros?? Man I would have killed for a pancheros on Welch, but I do love Mickeys. Wish Pancheros was where the flying burrito was

 

[houjix]

Yeah, when I finally went there it was great. The "dudes" weren't any more or less annoying than at every bar.

I went there for live music now and then, but not typically just to drink.

 

[houjix]

Mickeys used to be a pancheros?? Man I would have killed for a pancheros on Welch, but I do love Mickeys. Wish Pancheros was where the flying burrito was

Yeah. And not the corporate redesign either. Still the old school, menu written on chalk board type of place. The days of the El Gordo one pound burrito were just different.

 

[isucy86]

Several of those bars listed were not in Campustown which the OP indicated.

List from late 70s-early 80s in Campustown included CaveInn, Lucky Q, Cy's Roost and the Alibi and what is now Welch Ave Station (might have been the Library back then).

My only add to that list for early 80's would be Thumbs Up. 75cent G&T's on Thu night and FAC.

 

[Rabbuk]

Mickeys used to be a pancheros?? Man I would have killed for a pancheros on Welch, but I do love Mickeys. Wish Pancheros was where the flying burrito was

Flying burrito was terrible I don't care what anyone says

 

[2speedy1]

Found one of my people.

Mickey's used to be Pancheros. Paddy's became Paddy's while I was there I think, but can't remember the previous place. My friends place pool there before I turned 21.

Yeah I think the ones I went to most was probably

Welch Ave
Cy's Roost
Tazzles
Deans list

With the others getting random visits.

My roommate bar tended at Wallaby's (I think that was what it was) When it was in the old location by the mall. So I went there a lot for a meal and drinks. He would give me extra strong drinks and could get a pile of nachos that would feed an army.


Took me a while to pay off the credit card they conned me into buying on campus my fresh year. But boy did I drink a lot on that card. Also helped knowing a bunch of people at walmart, so I could buy gift cards on my CC then return them for Cash, to use as beer money. "totally not allowed anymore" and was not really then, but knowing the workers at the service counter was a big help.

 

[houjix]

My roommate bar tended at Wallaby's (I think that was what it was) When it was in the old location by the mall. So I went there a lot for a meal and drinks. He would give me extra strong drinks and could get a pile of nachos that would feed an army.

When was Wallaby's up by the Mall? Are you thinking of Diamond Dave's? Seems like everybody had a bartender friend there.

 

[qwerty]

Would that have been the 80s?

Cave Inn on Welch
Grandaddy's toward downtown on Lincolnway

Both were extremely popular

 

[CloneFanInKC]

Inb4 an old timer goes out and says Foxy Lady.

Different than the fox?

 

[1100011CS]

When was Wallaby's up by the Mall? Are you thinking of Diamond Dave's? Seems like everybody had a bartender friend there.

Late 80s for sure. Can't remember when it left there.

 

[Cyfan1965]

When was Wallaby's up by the Mall? Are you thinking of Diamond Dave's? Seems like everybody had a bartender friend there.

It was either Diamond Dave's or the Hallway bar? No Wallabys in mall-

 

[tman24]

that elevator was always a sight to see with the mix of

• drunk college kids going to apartment parties
• parents taking their kids to dinner
• corporate suit type people on campus for work or job fair

and one corner soaked from drunk college kids pissing

 

[Cyclonsin]

Late 80s for sure. Can't remember when it left there.

Wallaby's used to be over by the West Hyvee. Is that what you're thinking?

 

[2speedy1]

It was either Diamond Dave's or the Hallway bar? No Wallabys in mall-

Not in the Mall, By the Mall.

 

[2speedy1]

Wallaby's used to be over by the West Hyvee. Is that what you're thinking?

yeah you are right. But the one I am talking about was out in the lot are, not "In" the mall.

might have been a Okoboji or Bennigans or something. I drank a lot, then so memory is foggy...LOL