B-Town Bar Crawl

A few Saturdays ago, a friend asked me to go to some fraternity party with her, but I said no. Later that night I drove right on by Kilroy's Sports Bar, just as a line of preppy-cute guys was starting to form. And I didn't even look in the direction of Kilroy's on Kirkwood or Nick's, places I sometimes frequent on 'not much else to do so might as well down a few' Saturday nights.\nWhat I did do was hit three local bars; places you've probably heard of, but maybe never gave much thought to. And I discovered that there's a lot more to Bloomington nightlife than the usual drunken suspects.\nLegends Bar & Grill\n3000 S. Old State Road 37\nLegends is unique.\nSpend just a few minutes inside this Bloomington dance club and one of the first things you'll notice is the unusually diverse crowd.\nTwentysomething girls wearing tight Capri pants and bright halter tops dance alongside (and sometimes with) middle-aged men wearing cowboy boots. Khaki-clad college students mix it up with biker dudes.\n"We definitely get an interesting mix of people in here," says Tony Jeffries, Legends' general manager. \nThe music is equally eclectic. In an hour you might hear everything from country to hip-hop to classic rock.\n"We try to play songs that everyone is familiar with," says Jeffries. "Our main goal is to keep people on the dance floor. If we keep things fun and exciting and we keep people dancing, then we've done our job."\nIf you're looking for a bar where you can party with both frat boys and cowboys, Legends is the place. But beware of the super-stringent alcohol policy. As soon as you walk through the door, your ID is carefully checked and you're issued a plastic wristband. Show obvious signs of intoxication, you'll be asked to remove the bracelet -- thereby revoking your drinking privileges -- and it's bye-bye rum and Cokes, hello Shirley Temples, for the rest of the evening.\nThe Pit Stop\n424 S. Walnut St.\n"Pit Stop is one of the last neighborhood bars in Bloomington," says bartender Tim White. "People come here to have a good time and everyone gets along."\nThough most of the Pit Stop's customers have traditionally been locals, in recent years this has begun to change.\n"We're starting to see more and more IU students," says White. \nThe Pit Stop seems to want to encourage this trend.\n"Students are very welcome here," White says, "And we have a lot to offer them. Once a week we have a band. We've added some more pool tables, and on Friday and Saturday nights we have karaoke."\nWhite admits that the Pit Stop isn't your typical college bar. \n"The prices here are very reasonable," he explains. "You don't have to worry about fighting for a pool table or a place to sit."\nIf you're looking for a hot pick-up spot, then this probably isn't the place for you. But if you're looking for a fun place to kick back and relax with a few good friends and a couple of brews, then the Pit Stop is a nice alternative.\nThe Office Lounge\n3900 E. Third St.\nFor rabid karaoke fans, there's no better place than the Office Lounge. It's offered here four nights a week -- Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. and Sundays from 9 p.m. to midnight -- more nights a week than nearly any other place in town. \nPerhaps almost as well-known as the karaoke itself is the Office Lounge's most famous regular, Ron. He's an older gent who regularly amuses Office Lounge patrons with his deadpan rendition of Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing."\n"A lot of people come in just to hear Ron sing," says Shelley Duck, a bartender who has worked at the Office Lounge for the past two years.\nBut rest assured, you don't have to have any special talent to join in the karaoke-festivities. Would-be crooners simply choose a song from the hundreds listed in the selection book and wait for their turn.\nBut for those who feel that sing-alongs are best reserved for campfires and long car rides, there's more to the Office Lounge than karaoke. They mix a pretty mean cocktail, too. \nIf you're feeling adventurous, order a Go-Go Juice. This wild concoction, a potent combination of vodka, gin, rum, tequila, Blue Caracao, Sprite, orange juice and sour mix, is the color of Berry Blue Kool-aid and is served in an enormous margarita glass that the bartenders refer to as "the fishbowl."\nAside from the kooky drinks and karaoke, much of the Office Lounge's charm comes from its total lack of pretense. The beer comes served in a can, and the friendly waitresses actually seem to care if you are having a good time.\nSo do yourself a favor. The next time you find yourself facing a similar array of not-too-exciting Saturday night options, try one of these places.