ruggy "real-life, full-force, glam-sleazy" j.'s Profile

Gotta love a dirty, dingy, old school dive bar.

Apparently, Gold Dust has been around since this nifty carpenter named Jeebus was cranking out sweet oak armoires and ripe cedar chests like nobody's biz-nass. Well, maybe not that long... but it's been around for some time.

Usually, the clientele is rather questionable, but at the right time, you'll see a pretty cool mix of folks enjoying affordable cocktails in the heart of Union Square. The drinks aren't necessarily anything to write home about, but if you tip them well, they'll ring a bell behind the bar. Makes the art of tipping quite fun! I remember when Cold Stone used to 'holler for a dollar' when you threw them a buck, but that shits got pretty annoying. I'd much rather hear an awesome bell being rung than some prepubescent cream slinger belting out crappy show tunes any day.

They have a live band that shreds on the weekends, so get a seat early and check 'em out. But beware: the bathrooms are really, really, really small, so it's not uncommon to have an accidental sword fight while lettin' her loose in the loo.

Not sure if Charlie of Charlie's Pharmacy split town recently, but my neighborhood 'doctor' has had his doors shut for the last month or so. Either he's on an extended vacation, or he packed his bags and jumped on the first Greyhound bus bound for parts unknown.

To echo some of the sentiments of previous reviewers, there's not a place in town that you can get your hands on a MUNI pass, a bottle of Vicodin or Percocet, and some of the worst pre-mixed malt liquor cocktails ever distributed in the same visit. Some of the random jungle juice I've seen on their shelves makes Joose and Sparks look like Beefeater and Chivas Regal.

Ol' Chuck even goes as far as pre-batching some of those terrible drinks into weekly specials that he'll pour into a Styrofoam cup and let you stroll out of the store, no questions asked, for a door-buster price. One such concoction I had the pleasure of sippin' on before he seemingly went ghost featured Alizé, Hypnotiq, and just a splash of berry-flavored Joose malt liquor. I'm probably stating the obvious, but that drink was easily the most distasteful alcoholic beverage I've ever allowed to touch my palate. However, there's just something about walking out of a liquor store with a foam cup filled with moonshine that puts an immediate pep in your step.

Charlie, wherever you are, I hope you're doing well! Purple drink just doesn't taste the same without you!