Review: Stonewall's Tavern

(Credit: Special to Metromix)

You gotta love resort status.  In a metropolitan area that perpetually hosts an epic confrontation between Puritanism and hedonism, count Stonewall’s Tavern as a victory for the late-night denizens of decadence.  Because it is part of the Clarion Hotel, Stonewall’s is able to take advantage of a law that allows it to stay open until 4 AM.  And take advantage they do; the late-night crowd is raucous and fun, especially for karaoke on Thursdays.

The drinks: Stonewall’s generally sticks with the tried-and-true staples of dive bars everywhere: booze and beer.  The margaritas are tasty and voluptuous.

The decor: Wood is the predominant theme here, and while there’s a little too much light to compare this to a classic-style pub, it’s still comfortable if not quite rustic.  Not bad, considering its location right next to a major interstate and inside a chain hotel.

The crowd: Stonewall’s Tavern is a new venue, and that makes it difficult to infer too much about the clientele just yet.  When we visited, the crowd definitely was on the youngish side.  Jeans and t-shirts were by far the rule, and pretension the unwelcome exception.  (Pretension and karaoke are, in general, mutually exclusive.)

The service: There are bars where the servers are slick, coldly efficient, and as personable as HAL from 2001.  This is not one of those bars.  We gravitate – no, we lunge – towards drinking establishments where the bartender takes an active part in his or her patrons’ conversations (while still doing their job).  That’s the way it is at Stonewall’s, and it’s definitely a positive.

The food: Stonewall’s offers a menu that’s a step beyond normal bar food, thanks to the culinary touch provided by former Del Sol Restaurant chef Rob Morrow.

The damage: This is no Char or Nick’s… expect your wallet to escape relatively unscathed, with prices comparable to other mid-scale area watering holes.