Tucked away quite literally in the corner of Fort Sanders, The Hill has recently transformed from eyesore to a reasonable little bar. Wedged at said corner of 12th and Forest(near the stone Fort Sanders Phallus) this joint is brand new on the inside. Mackey and I went over Sunday evening having heard rumors(true) that The Hill participates in the fine rite of Animal Hour...the powerful three-fers that blot out the night so well.
I once knew a keen eye in the industry who told me that there is nothing like a new bar's crapper; a nice new car metaphor. Halcyon and pacific days before the head is befouled to unspeakable degrees. This guy was full of gems like that, one time remarking quite casually that 'it's hard to get heroin in this town.'
Anyhoo, The Hill is a pretty standard operation but it's in a relatively clever location. Having some friends that lived near there, I'm generally impressed with the way the parking has been maximized. While it's never going to be spacious, they did mark more spaces than I thought possible. Given that mgmt is counting on foot traffic from students, it has the potential to be popular if enough pedestrians make their way over.
It's a spacious bar I thought, even without the upstairs with various games and tables...making the most of the two stories that the old building provides.
Getting down to brass tacks, I believe the beer selection is impressive with many esoteric brews like Arrogant Bastard's IPA and my beloved Longboard Lager. Fat Tire is represented as well, and these latter brews are on sale Thursdays. The specials run nightly here, with cheap deals on tall-boys and the aforementioned animal hour. The menu looks competitive for the usual bar fare, and we were emphatically told the Philly was the premier sandwich. We were offered gratis wings and the samples were above average, although I left without trying the beer brat so I've got some motivation to return.
One thing I noticed while looking over the very efficient beer list was the lack of taps. I am not certain if they plan to offer draught.
Mgmt told the authors that they will be ratcheting up gradually towards football season, and that we shouldn't wait to return. A clock on the wall dutifully counts down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds to UT's home opener. As with most operations of this type, we'll see if it has the longevity necessary to succeed in the fort.
I once knew a keen eye in the industry who told me that there is nothing like a new bar's crapper; a nice new car metaphor. Halcyon and pacific days before the head is befouled to unspeakable degrees. This guy was full of gems like that, one time remarking quite casually that 'it's hard to get heroin in this town.'
Anyhoo, The Hill is a pretty standard operation but it's in a relatively clever location. Having some friends that lived near there, I'm generally impressed with the way the parking has been maximized. While it's never going to be spacious, they did mark more spaces than I thought possible. Given that mgmt is counting on foot traffic from students, it has the potential to be popular if enough pedestrians make their way over.
It's a spacious bar I thought, even without the upstairs with various games and tables...making the most of the two stories that the old building provides.
Getting down to brass tacks, I believe the beer selection is impressive with many esoteric brews like Arrogant Bastard's IPA and my beloved Longboard Lager. Fat Tire is represented as well, and these latter brews are on sale Thursdays. The specials run nightly here, with cheap deals on tall-boys and the aforementioned animal hour. The menu looks competitive for the usual bar fare, and we were emphatically told the Philly was the premier sandwich. We were offered gratis wings and the samples were above average, although I left without trying the beer brat so I've got some motivation to return.
One thing I noticed while looking over the very efficient beer list was the lack of taps. I am not certain if they plan to offer draught.
Mgmt told the authors that they will be ratcheting up gradually towards football season, and that we shouldn't wait to return. A clock on the wall dutifully counts down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds to UT's home opener. As with most operations of this type, we'll see if it has the longevity necessary to succeed in the fort.
Animal Hour Disclaimer - although we were served 3-for-1 drinks on Sunday, I think they made an exception. Printed ad specials list AH from 9-10 p.m. M-F, so keep that in mind. But it is a nice place with potential. I will be back for the IPA!
ReplyDeleteI am embarrassed to confess this, but what, pray tell, is an animal hour? I've heard of a power hour, but this one is lost on me. Is it just that for an hour, they'll give you 3 for 1 drinks? Or is it more? My drinking vocabulary is pathetically lacking.
ReplyDeleteYou have it right - 3 for 1 well drinks during a specified one-hour window. Hawkeye's and Charlie Peppers called it Animal Hour so that is what we call it by default.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Gratis wings, special animal hour...did we look like we were reviewing the joint?
ReplyDelete