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Dry Bean
- Price Range:
-
$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Music:
- DJ, Live
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Yes
4 reviews for Dry Bean
This place isn't all "twang and hillbilly thang" like some think. In fact, I've NEVER been there when it was overly country(music or crowd).
They have a decent venue for music, complete with a dance floor that, to me, is ideal. I don't want to feel like I'm one of three people dancing on a table, but I don't want to be in a sea of people either. This seems somewhere in between.
The last time I was there, I just asked the bartender for something "fruity, but not too sweet" and whatever he concocted was good enough for me.
I suppose I'd never opt for this place if there wasn't a band I wanted to see there, though. There are just too many places in Madison for me to support mediocrity.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
Karaoke night (Thursday!) is the only solid reason to go to the Dry Bean. It's a big stage with big sound (not like the Karaoke Kid), so you kind of feel like a rock star if you get up and sing. On the other hand, if you get up and suck, well..there's a lot of people to hear it. But, I'll just say: Singing "Sweet Caroline" and having a huge bar *full* of people sing along was one of the most fun experiences ever. :) It's also good because the dance floor is pleasantly full on those nights, so you can boogie without judgment.
Otherwise, the Dry Bean is more sports bar/country bar-oriented. They have some good local bands come through, but those events get too packed for my liking. The crowd tends to get weird and seedy by 1 in the morning. The drinks are WAY too expensive (I'm talking $6 for a rail gin & tonic-expensive). It's hard to get service, because the bar area tends to be so crowded. Etc, etc.
But, I do have a soft spot for the Bean. Too many good times were had there!
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (2)
A small group of new friends and I were meeting up before a movie at Star Cinema. Three of us got there pretty early, so we grabbed a table as the sign said "Seat yourself." We sat there for a good 45 minutes before a waitress came over and asked if someone had seated us. I explained that the sign said "seat yourself" and her reply was "Sometimes they just put that sign out." I'm not sure what that means. Afterward our food came in a reasonable, but not speedy, amount of time, 20-30minutes. The quesadilla I order looked like it had 2 inches of Velveeta in the middle. It was terrible and it did not sit well with my stomach. To add some perceptive I regularly eat various greasy cheese items at dive bars around town. This made those dishes look gourmet.
During our wait there was a band setting up that was apparently having sound issues. There was a good hour of time that passed were they were doing sound checks with a good deal of feedback. In fact the feedback was painful at times and we were not even in an area in front of, or close to the stage. I give this place 2 only because the bar tender was courteous and the bathrooms had hot water.
as a bartender, I think this place has some REALLY bad policies for how much alcohol they serve a customer. VERY unprofessional and VERY dangerous. The bartender tried to get my sister super drunk by serving her free shots (while I was in the bathroom, apparently) and was encouraging two sleazy old men to talk nasty to her. The high concentration of scummy guys made it even worse. EWWWW. This place is too trashy. Avoid it lest you get drugged, raped, or assaulted. For real.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)