Nightlife Add-Ons

The Inlander Staff & r & & r & & lt;span class= "dropcap " & T & lt;/span & here are a lot of places to wet your whistle in the Inland Northwest, more than we could possibly put in one edition of The Inlander. We picked what we thought were many of the region's favorite venues in our Bar Guide (Feb. 21), but several readers let us know that we'd completely forgotten the Spokane Valley. So, in the interest of fairness, we've visited some Valley favorites and added a few others in Spokane that we just plain forgot. We hope you'll find our Bar Guide Part 2 useful. Bottoms up!





-- DOUG NADVORNICK








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STEELHEAD BAR AND GRILLE


218 N. Howard St. * 747-1303


In one of downtown Spokane's oldest buildings, Steelhead has been hatched with a cool brushed steel-on-exposed-brick look. It's a cozy room, usually filled with well-heeled Spokanites, just after work or before a play at Interplayers. Order a Blue Moon or a Guinness in one of their giant goblets and you'll feel like one of old Dutch Jake's henchmen back in the day. (His saloon was in the same building.) (TSM)


STYLE: 1888 Spokane-meets-2008 Spokane QUAFF: Good frou-frou drinks down to fishbowl-sized beers FOOD: Upscale bar food (try the smoked steelhead appetizer) UPSIDE: Great place to start your night out or finish it HOURS: Mon-Fri 11 am-midnight, Sat-Sun 11 am-1 am





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MORTY'S TAP AND GRILLE


5517 S. Regal St. * 443-9123


Maybe the idea of a Wild Weasel was a little off-putting. Not to worry, the beast has been safely relocated to the woods, and the bar formerly known as the Wild Weasel on South Regal was renamed (and renovated) last year into the much more beer-drinking buddy-esque name of Morty's. Great for Zags' fans who couldn't score a ticket. (TSM)


STYLE: It's a sports bar, folks QUAFF: Lots o' beers and a full bar FOOD: Pub style, but upper-end UPSIDE: Far South Hill dwellers are getting more choices for their night moves -- and Morty's is right next to Hangar 57. HOURS: Mon-Fri 11 am-2 am (open at 9 am on weekends for breakfast)





THE PARK INN


W. 107 9th Ave. * 624-8111


The Park Inn, or PI as the regulars call it, is Spokane's bar for Everyman. On any given day, you can belly up to the buddy bar and find yourself surrounded by Spokane's finest judges, janitors, cops, lawyers, doctors, nurses, baristas, and more. The PI specializes in pizza, burgers, and beer. Their popular "old combo" pizza boasts manly portions of pepperoni, sausage, green peppers, mushrooms, and black olives. For a favorite treat, try the ML Slider -- heaps of sliced ham atop a classic PI burger. (MS)


STYLE: Neighborhood QUAFF: Beer, cocktails FOOD: Entrees -- pizza, chicken, roast beef, pasta -- plus sandwiches and appetizers UPSIDE: There's no wrong crowd here, you can watch the game, hear everyone in your party, and not be overwhelmed by the jukebox. HOURS: Daily 11am-2am





WADDELL'S NEIGHBORHOOD PUB AND GRILL


4318 S. Regal St.


443-6500


Even new neighborhoods need pubs, which explains Waddell's, located in a strip mall (albeit a good-looking one) across from ShopKo. Parking can be a bear, with Twigs, a bakery and an ice cream shop all in the same place, but the food and beer selection make it worth the effort. Just the kind of place that might instill some sense of community out in the ever-expanding edges of Spokane. (TSM)


STYLE: Suburban yuppie-induced faux Irish authenticity -- but pulled off nicely QUAFF: Great for beer lovers, with tons of stuff in cans/bottles and 20 taps FOOD: Big, greasy burgers and such -- with a homemade taste UPSIDE: Even a manufactured neighborhood feel can make for a fun place to hang with friends HOURS: Daily 11 am-2 am





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AMBROSIA BISTRO AND WINE BAR


9211 E. Montgomery Ave.


928-3222


Ambrosia bills itself as an "urban restaurant in a suburban setting." Its racks are filled with vintages from the region's best wineries and its menu is filled with tasty treats, from butternut squash ravioli to rack of lamb. Ambrosia's online menu even suggests specific wines to pair with its entrees. (DN)


STYLE: Upscale QUAFF: Wine, cocktails FOOD: Entrees - fish, chicken, beef, lamb, pasta - plus sandwiches and small plates UPSIDE: No need to drive downtown to find new wines to tickle your palette HOURS: Mon-Thu 11am-10pm,Fri-Sat 11am-11pm





DAVE'S BAR AND GRILL


12124 E. Sprague


926-9640


This compact little restaurant and bar near the Sprague/Pines intersection was pretty busy during our recent lunchtime visit. And why not? This place loves to serve steaks; you can find breakfast, lunch and dinner specials that feature steaks -- prime rib, New York strips, T-bones, sirloins -- every day of the week. (DN)


STYLE: Neighborhood QUAFF: Beer, wine, cocktails FOOD: Steaks - oh, and ribs, chicken, sandwiches and burgers too UPSIDE: Even though it's a bar, kids are welcome until about 9 pm. HOURS: Daily 6 am-10 pm





ICHABOD'S EAST


12116 E. Sprague * 922-8801


To get a quick feel for Ichabod's East, park in the back lot, walk in the back door and stop by the photo collage hanging on the wall near the restrooms. There you can see hundreds of images of Ichabod customers having fun (damn, we missed the Egyptian-themed night). Spend some time at the pool tables, staring at the big screen TV or chatting with friends at the bar. They don't call it the "classiest dive bar" for nothing. (DN)


STYLE: Hole in the wall QUAFF: Beer, wine FOOD: Appetizers, pub favorites like fish and chips, chicken strips UPSIDE: If you go at the right time, you too could have your picture taken for Ichabod's wall. HOURS: Daily 11 am-2 am





MAX AT MIRABEAU


1100 N. Sullivan Rd.


922-6252


It is a hotel bar, but as they go, it's a pretty good one. Whoever redecorated the dining room and bar did a great job, with a m & eacute;lange of art deco and '60s retro. Pretty much every hour is happy hour at Max (3-6 pm and 9 pm to close daily), with half-price appetizers and drink specials. And you can get served from the entire menu until 2 am on weekends. (TSM)


STYLE: Swanky QUAFF: Nice by-the-glass wine selection FOOD: Ridiculously extensive menu UPSIDE: If you're looking to impress a date or friends from out of town, it might be your best bet between Spokane and Coeur d'Alene HOURS: Daily 6 am-close





McQ'S BILLIARDS AND


SPORTS BAR


9614 E. Sprague * 891-8357


If Minnesota Fats were still around, he'd come to McQ's. The place has a big room with two columns of pool tables where players can practice their craft. If you're a beginner and want to play away from prying eyes and without embarrassing yourself, visit during the non-peak hours (maybe an early Saturday afternoon) and hope the side room with four pool tables is empty. (DN)


STYLE: Noisy sports QUAFF: Beer, wine, cocktails FOOD: Standard bar food UPSIDE: If you're tired of knocking the cue ball in the side pocket, you can always try foosball. HOURS: Daily 11 am-2 am





O'DOHERTY'S IRISH PUB AND BBQ


11723 E. Sprague * 924-2578


The menu here is similar to the downtown O'Doherty's -- Irish stew, corned beef and cabbage, fish and chips -- with the addition of barbecue dishes like pulled pork, smoked right there in the applewood smoker. You can get Guinness and other Irish favorites on tap, and if you like beer of the root variety, they have their own special blend. The ambience is closer to sports bar than Irish pub, but a sip of the stout will get you in the right mood. (AC)


STYLE: Spacious pub with TVs QUAFF: Beer, wine, cocktails FOOD: Pub grub, Irish favorites and barbecue UPSIDE: Have the best of both worlds: a barbecue pulled pork sandwich and an Irish stew HOURS: Tue-Fri 11:30 am-close, Sat-Sun 9 am-close





SCOTTY'S SULLIVAN SCOREBOARD


205 N. Sullivan Rd.


No phone


Scotty's is a place where the customers' participation is encouraged, whether it's pool, volleyball, horseshoes or dodgeball (seriously!). Scotty's is the home of the annual Spokane Valley Dodgefest ("two days of revelry with barbecue, beer and babes," according to Scotty's Website). Scotty even hosted his own golf tournament last summer at Liberty Lake. It's a good business strategy: Sweaty customers are often thirsty -- and hungry -- customers. (DN)


STYLE: Sports QUAFF: Beer, wine, cocktails FOOD: Sandwiches, burgers, fish and chips UPSIDE: There's plenty to do if you find parking your butt on a barstool boring. HOURS: Daily, kitchen opens at 11 am





TRENT AND DALE PUB


8721 E. Trent Ave.


891-0564


Trent and Dale Pub -- located, appropriately, near the intersection of Trent and Dale -- is one of those places that doesn't look like much on the outside, but looks like a helluva lot of fun on the inside. Foosball, pool tables, TVs, interesting characters, beer. What more could you want from a neighborhood pub? (DN)


STYLE: Tavern QUAFF: Beer (14 on tap), cocktails FOOD: The usual pub fare: burgers, sandwiches, wings, tacos UPSIDE: You can park your motorcycle right out front. HOURS: Mon-Fri 11 am-midnight, Sat-Sun 11 am-2 am





WOLF LODGE STEAKHOUSE


104 S. Freya St. * 535-8972


Located just a few turns off the Freya exit, this place has beer, class and, of course, steaks. Not exactly a place to hang, but more to order some meat and wash down some masticated cow with some fine wine or brew. The atmosphere is classy with a touch of the outdoors represented by antler chandeliers and some fine taxidermy work on the walls. (TLM)


STYLE: Classy QUAFF: Beer, wine, cocktails FOOD: Steaks and bakes, excellent calamari and desserts UPSIDE: Animal heads everywhere never looked so good. HOURS: Tue-Fri 11:30 am-10 pm, Sat 4 pm-10 pm, Sun 4 pm-9 pm