When you just can't stomach another tropical-theme cabana, out-of-the-box English Pub, or Euro-style cafe, the Tap Room is breath of fresh...well, smoky American bar air. If it had bigger windows it would be in an Edward Hopper painting. Located in a 170 year old building, the joint has an original deco bar held together by cigarette smoke and an accumulation of dust. The walls have original plaster and horsehair moldings, amazingly intact, that could have been admired by your father, heck, your great-grandfather. Today it serves hipsters, a cast of regulars more misfit than "Cheers," and STILL could be your grandpappy’s favorite hangout. Expansion plans are nearly complete for the game room, a smoke-free restaurant, and a return to live music (mostly Blues). Incredible effort has been taken to keep the character of this special place intact despite the near tripling of its space. Try the grilled chicken salad sandwich, along with a Michigan brewed beer. On weekends there's always a crowd.
FRIDAY NIGHT: No emo-djs or distracting video games. Just day labor cocktails (strong and cheap) and artery-clogging potato skins. There's something almost Zen about the Tap Room's no BS, skip the frills approach to creating an atmosphere (rather than a 'scene'). Friday's are best cuz you can keep your bar crawl short. Hit Haab's fabulous happy hour then finish the night off at the Tap for some serious imbibing. The irony of the place: lots of good bottles of beer, few quality taps. The patio is destination uno in the summer.