It started as a relatively innocuous Saturday a couple of
weeks back, with no plans to do anything out of the ordinary except get caught
up on some rest. But I don’t do nothing
for very long, and I don’t do it well.
At least that’s the opinion of my Gypsy roommate, who I was apparently
driving crazy and preventing her from concentrating on making jewelry in her
Gypsy workshop. So, she shipped me off
for the evening. And fortunately, I knew
of the perfect time-killer – a pub crawl by bus with the final stop being Fast
Eddie’s Bon Air in Alton, Ill.
I had already turned down the opportunity to join several of
my friends on this trip, but fortunately they were able to get me on last-minute
for a $30 fee. Consider this: You’re on a nice comfy motorcoach round-trip,
you can BYOB (and everyone did in generous portions), you’re making three bar
stops along the way (and a casino if you desire), and you’re entertained for
nearly 12 hours (especially if you’re the self-entertaining type). Yes, definitely worth hoping on the bus and
enjoying the ride.
Here’s the inside of the bus as we pulled out of
Springfield. It didn’t stay that subdued
for long. One of the organizers of the
trip (standing) was passing out shots before the left the city limits.
 |
| Don't look behind you, but business is about to pick up! |
Our first bus stop was in Farmersville, Ill., a small farming/bedroom
community off I-55 about 20 minutes south of Springfield. I love small town dive bars. Everyone has its own set of characters and
vibe, and McGuire’s did not disappoint.
Surprisingly, they handled the onslaught from a busload of people quite
well. Clearly, it wasn’t their first
rodeo with a group of bus drunks.
Among the highlights at McGuire’s – 1) free chili for the
customers; 2) a large room behind the bar for large crowds, with a shuffleboard
table; 3) self-service from the refrigerator at the side of the bar … grab your
beer and pay at the register; and 4) as my friend Aissa will attest to, generous
pours of wine in a chilled beer mug.
Next stop: Weezy’s in
Hamel, Ill. Hamel is where we got off
the interstate for the 20-minute ride into Alton, which is part of the Saint Louis metro area. (If you’re not familiar with where Alton is
located, think due north of Saint Louis, on the other side of the Mississippi
River).
Weezy’s still has that 1930s roadhouse feel and makes the
most of its Route 66 heritage. As our
group invaded the bar, the first thing I noticed was a few regulars sitting at
the bar. They looked like they had been
there for, oh about three days, but they were very welcoming.
The bar looked to be well-stocked, and the bartender was
very attentive considering the crowd that amassed around her. She even pulled out this giant jug of party
mix to keep refilling the bowls on the bar.
It helped wash down the drinks and supply our thirst for more. Plus, all of the staff at Weezy’s were very
easy on the eyes, a definite plus as far as I’m concerned.
I was also impressed by the fact that, for a small bar, they
had Magic Hat No. 9 on tap – for $3! I
did not pass up this deal. I also had a
Captain and Coke there, well, just because.
All in all, Weezy’s gets a thumbs up from me.
Third stop: Roper’sRegal Beagle in Godfrey, Ill. Godfrey is
right next to Alton, and if the name sounds familiar think of the TV show Three’s
Company. There was no Jack, Janet or
Chrissie, or even Larry the car salesman to be seen, however, and in fact I did
not see any acknowledgement of the “coincidence” the entire time I was at the
bar.
Having never been here before (but always wanting to make a
pit stop every time I’d gone to Fast Eddie’s in the past), I was surprised and
impressed by the size and scope of the Regal Beagle. There was a huge seating area for the
restaurant, a sizable main bar area with a view of the spacious kitchen and a
huge sports bar/patio area that was probably considered outside by the legal
definition of the state’s smoking laws.
Our group stayed for about an hour, long enough for me to
try the fish tacos on special and, to be perfectly honest, they far exceeded my
expectations. I wanted to eat before
going to Fast Eddie’s because I knew the wait for food there would seem
interminably long if I went there hungry.
You’ll know I speak the truth if you’ve ever been there. It’s not the service (far from it), it’s the
huge demand.
Finally, as darkness settled in, we made our way to FastEddie’s Bon Air. It may not be world
famous, but I think it’s safe to say it’s regionally famous at least. Legend has it a bar called the Bon Air has
been on this site since Anheuser-Busch opened one in 1921. Some claims it’s the No. 1 bar in the United
States by volume today. And to think the
size of the bar has doubled since I first went there 20 years ago.
Here’s what you see when you walk in, at least later in the
evening. If you walk in before 9 p.m.
you’re liable to see a line of people surrounding the bar as they wait to put
their orders in at the grill.
Fast Eddie’s is just as famous for the good, cheap grub as
they are for their crowds and beer sales.
And they’re proud of the fact that prices have not changed for 19 years. A burger is 99 cents. A basket of fries is still 99 cents. Huge peel-and-eat shrimp are 29 cents
each. A steak kabob (the Big Elwood on a
Stick) is just $2.99.
After a couple hours of drinking and dancing to the 70s and
80s cover band in the beer garden, I had worked up an appetite for 10 shrimp
and a Big Elwood to keep me nourished.
Both were excellent as always.
I will do Fast Eddie’s justice with its own blog the next
time I visit (I owe a certain mysterious and exotic Gypsy a trip there). But
suffice to say, after nearly closing the place, the bus ride back to
Springfield was significantly quieter than the trip there. And yes, I did use the drive back to sober up
… believe it or not, I can be a responsible commoner … when I want to be.
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