Two friends and I went to Shanty Town Pub in Springfield Saturday night. After my night there I consider it to be the best new bars in Jacksonville. Why? Beer selection, Ian and Marianne, Double Dragon, Ambiance/Decor, Metal Monday’s and Art.
Beer Selection
Shanty Town has a wide variety of beers to choose from. There are 8 beers on tap including Guiness, Stella, Woodchuck, Strongbow, Spatan Dark, Tucher, Yuengling, and Abita Purple Haze. Pints are $4 and you can upgrade to a $6 beer too, 22oz I think. Shanty Town could have entered the game lazy with your standard fare of Bud, Bud Light, Miller Lite, etc, but they came heavy offering over 50 bottled beers including Chimay and La Fin DuMonde and Ephemere.
Ian, Marianne and Staff
Ian Ranne and Marianne Purcell are the owners of Shanty Town. I have known Marianne for a few years and I recently met Ian. They both have really good attitudes and it rubs off on the staff. The bartenders were friendly and helpful. Plenty of times I have bellied up to a bar only to run into some jerky bartender who doesn’t give two craps about me. Customer service is very important to me, and I would give Shanty Town an excellent grade on service.
Double Dragon
Yes, the classic two-person arcade fighter is in full effect at Shanty Town. Tasty punch, jump and kick action, all for only 25 cents per credit. Shanty town also sports 3 TVs, a jukebox and turntables. Watch out for that hooker with the whip!
Ambiance and Decor
Inside, the pub is cozy and at first glance appears a bit claustrophobic. I assure you the space fits just right. Once you nuzzle up to the bar with a cold beer, you’ll feel right at home. Lets talk about music. I mentioned the jukebox earlier and I’m not a big fan of loud ass music in bars. I hate shouting my conversations all night. No worries with the Shanty Town jukebox. It seems to be set at the optimal volume for conversation and rocking.
This may sound weird, but I put a lot of stock in bathrooms. Businesses who go the extra mile to consider the bathroom as part of the overall experience are winners in my book. Shanty Town goes the extra mile by plastering the bathroom walls with pages from Vice Magazine’s Vice Dos and Don’ts: 10 Years of VICE Magazine’s Street Fashion Critiques. It makes for some interesting view ing while you “only putting urine in the toilet”. There is one bad thing about the ambiance and it smells like cigarette smoke. Smoking is allowed inside, and this could be a deal breaker for some, but there is always outside.
Metal Mondays
Metal Mondays pays homage to a Springfield neighborhood tradition, quarts of malt liquor. $3 quarts of malt liquor and heavy metal, what more can you ask for? Some may find this appalling, but the idea is quite nostalgic to me. I used to consume large amounts of all malt liquor brands back in the day. There is a certain playful, unpretentious feeling that selling quarts conveys. What other bar can say they pay tribute to the official drink of Springfield?
Art Work
The final thing I want to touch on is the street art aspect of the outdoor area. There are murals covering almost every inch of the outside walls. Some not very elaborate but others are simply beautiful, applied with high levels of skill and care. Then there is the new mural outside which I wrote about yesterday. A 10-foot tall baboon on the outside of the pub welcomes you when you arrive.
Shanty Town Pub has a youthful, hip vibe. Could it be Springfield’s Fuel, sans coffee?. It’s a great addition to Springfield and is indeed the best new bar in the city. Judge for yourself and let me know what you think. Shanty Town Pub is open 7 days a week from 3:30pm till closing time (?) Happy hour is 5-7 pm with $1 Yeunglings everyday. It’s located at 6th and Main in Springfield, just turn West at 6th from Main and look for the baboon!
tags: jacksonville, springfield, shanty town pub
-
Val
-
Dan
-
Val
-
Dan
-
fawnleibowitz
-
Joey Marchy
-
Adam B
-
fawnleibowitz
-
Gabriel
-
PCollins
-
jason
-
timmy
