Chuganooga

 

The Honest Pint, as seen by my admittedly poor cellphone camera.

As I sat Wednesday at a small corner table at The Honest Pint, listening to an Irish band while sipping on a concoction of whiskey and Coca-Cola, I leaned back and enjoyed the happy twittering of students, dreamers and young professionals around me.

The glittering chandeliers above me cast off yellow light that lent the generous wood paneling an orange glow.

And everybody looks and feels better with an orange glow.

A wooden staircase leads to a balcony that wraps around the entire room upstairs. Dart boards are available for those who like to throw elongated thumb tacks at a piece of endangered cork.

If I weren’t surrounded by obvious American stereotypes, I’d swear I was in one of Ireland’s best bars, minus the stink, the fights, the low ceilings and the ever-present dinginess prevalent in the Isle.

The drinks here are moderately priced but not overstrong. It’s the cost that sends me home instead of the drunkenness, but I don’t mind much.

You’re not just paying for the booze, after all. The pub is well-staffed by cheerful youngsters, and has a full kitchen and clean bathrooms. In fact, the whole place is clean enough to bring my mother along.

The food is hearty and fun, and the menu takes a moment to gently poke fun at the American disdain for haggis.

A few flat screens hand from the walls, but this isn’t a sports bar. There isn’t a jukebox packed with Journey, Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga.

The emphasis here is clearly and firmly on the fun and fellowship of sharing a pint with your mates, not on sitting sullenly with an eye on the TV, complaining about the terrible New Orleans Saints.

And its a refreshing change, with our cultural emphasis on the here and now, to sit back and relax, listening to an Irish tune and shooting the bull with one’s seat mates.

Aside from the atmosphere, the friendly service and the great food, The Honest Pint allows smoking, which adds a certain level of authenticity. However, smoking isn’t for everyone, so there’s a single room that doesn’t allow it. Still, being in the non-smoking room feels almost like a separate restaurant, as you’re isolated from the noise and the music and the clacking of the pool tables. But as there’s always someone in there, I suppose some people don’t mind being in ‘time-out.’

Parking is scarce but not impossible on a typical night at the Patten Parkway location, and a watchful doorman keeps an eye on the street for prowlers and serial rapists.

And let’s be honest here: it doesn’t matter how great a time you had at the bar if you get casually raped on the way to your Volkswagen Passat after the night is through.

Overall, the owners have done a fantastic job taking the mess that was formerly Parkway Billiards and transforming it into one of Chattanooga’s best pubs. While I prefer drinks that burst my eardrums, the bar has to make money to stay in business, and I understand their reluctance to overserve their customers. The atmosphere and friendly staff more than make up for it.

All in all, I give the Pint an A-.

This review is subject to change as I am a frequent visitor to the Pint, and may discover more to critique and compliment.

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