PKT25: The Euclid Tavern and Bars of My College Years
I turned 21 in the Fall 1998 semester, so this seems an apt time to talk about the various bars we hung out in during college. A few places came up in some of the commentary, but a more methodical summary might be fun.
While I was in undergrad, the CWRU campus had comparatively few bars in the immediate area. Notable ones included:
- The Euclid Tavern was (and maybe still is) the most famous rock & roll bar in Cleveland's history. It even had a movie filmed in it. I went a decent number of shows there, but from the perspective of the fraternity, every Tuesday it had $0.10 wings and $1.00 talls as well as a certain casualness about carding. There were always at least a few PhiKaps there on Tuesday night, and sometimes nearly all of us. The regular bartenders and the bouncer knew us. I didn't go every Tuesday, but I was there sufficiently often that 5-6 years later I was in a completely different bar and one of the Euc's old bartenders greeted me by name.
The Euc, alas, had a problem with not paying their taxes and went under a bit after I graduated. It was empty for a long time, then reopened as east side location of the Happy Dog, then closed again a few years later.
- Club I - This bar was on Euclid and had a relaxed attitude toward carding students. At the end of my sophomore year it closed and was turned into a burrito joint called Mi Pueblo. I spent a lot more time in Mi Pueblo than I ever did in Club I, although I distinctly recall buying Vic a drink there when he was a pledge and we were both underage.
- The Barking Spider was a little hole-in-the-wall bar with bands on the north side of campus. They were extremely strict about carding, so I was only there rarely. It was more of a grad student hang out. It closed a few years ago after a long run. I went to the occasional show there as an adult.
- The Greenhouse was on the south side. I only recall going a few times, and as mentioned previously CWRU bought the building, and closed it down somewhere around my sophomore year. It got turned into studios for CWRU's art program.
That was about it in the immediate area of campus in terms of bars. There were a few other places in Little Italy that we never went in, and that frankly students weren't welcome in. The Boarding House was on campus next store to the deli I worked in for a bit and had food and drinks, but it catered to the jazz crowd, and I only went there with my father. It closed a few years after I graduated. Coventry was a long walk or a short drive up the hill to Cleveland Heights, but while we frequented the many restaurants on that street the only bar of note was an Irish place that I stepped foot in all of once that I can recall, and that after I graduated.
Moving further away from campus, the first three years I was in college the Flats were a big deal, and in at least my freshman and sophomore years there were semi-regularly expeditions there to hit the clubs and go dancing, usually instigated by Davis. If I recall correctly Thursday was the traditional night for that. I went clubbing occasionally my freshman year (like monthly) and even more occasionally my sophomore year, and after that I was mostly only in The Flats to go to shows at The Odeon or at Peabodys before it moved to the CSU Campus in roughly 2000. Since the Odeon closed in 2005 I can probably count the number of times I've been on the east bank of the flats on one hand, although to be fair it was essentially dead for a long time before its recent resurgence.
Not that it matters, but the big dance clubs from those two years that I think I recall were Bar Cleveland and The Basement, which were both on the east bank, and 1148, which was on the west bank. Aside from their basic location, I recall little about them.
As far as our habitual drinking spots went, the Euclid Tavern was far and away the one we hit the most. I'm sure I was in the Euc more times as an undergrad than all the other bars listed in this post combined. It was an easy walk from the house, even when intoxicated. It was cheap; I doubt I ever spent more than $10 + tip on any given visit unless I owed someone drinks.
After I graduated, they ripped out a food court in the Thwing Student Center and put in a bar called the Jolly Scholar. It's a lot classier than the Euc ever was, and the food and beer is certainly better, but given the price point and the rigorous carding I'm not sure we ever would have ended up there quite so often.
The Ohio Alpha Beta Chapter of Phi Kappa Theta
The House Tour
Outside,
Main Floor Bedrooms,
Main Floor Public Rooms,
Basement Public Areas,
Basement Private Areas,
2nd Floor Big Bedrooms,
2nd Floor Small Bedrooms,
3rd Floor First Hallway,
3rd Floor Second Hallway,
Attic & Errata,
House Tour Commentary: Joe & Laura & Astrid,
House Tour Commentary: Jackal,
House Tour Commentary: Susan,
House Tour Commentary: Assorted
The Pledge Program
Bid Night, Schedule, Curriculum & Black Books, Big Brothers & Pledge Pins, Paddling, Initiation
Semesters
Fall 1996, Spring 1997, Fall 1997, Spring 1998, Fall 1998
Events
Detour, Blackout, Boo at the Zoo, Chapter Meetings, Serenading, Greek Week
Other
Full Series, My Rush Experience, Chapter History, Family Trees, National, Greek Life at CWRU, Fraternity Offices, Part 1, Fraternity Offices, Part 2, Fraternity Offices, Part 3, Demographics, Seniority, Bars
Additional Commentary
Black Books, Boo at the Zoo & Blackout, More Boo at the Zoo & Blackout, Chapter Meetings
While I was in undergrad, the CWRU campus had comparatively few bars in the immediate area. Notable ones included:
- The Euclid Tavern was (and maybe still is) the most famous rock & roll bar in Cleveland's history. It even had a movie filmed in it. I went a decent number of shows there, but from the perspective of the fraternity, every Tuesday it had $0.10 wings and $1.00 talls as well as a certain casualness about carding. There were always at least a few PhiKaps there on Tuesday night, and sometimes nearly all of us. The regular bartenders and the bouncer knew us. I didn't go every Tuesday, but I was there sufficiently often that 5-6 years later I was in a completely different bar and one of the Euc's old bartenders greeted me by name.
The Euc, alas, had a problem with not paying their taxes and went under a bit after I graduated. It was empty for a long time, then reopened as east side location of the Happy Dog, then closed again a few years later.
- Club I - This bar was on Euclid and had a relaxed attitude toward carding students. At the end of my sophomore year it closed and was turned into a burrito joint called Mi Pueblo. I spent a lot more time in Mi Pueblo than I ever did in Club I, although I distinctly recall buying Vic a drink there when he was a pledge and we were both underage.
- The Barking Spider was a little hole-in-the-wall bar with bands on the north side of campus. They were extremely strict about carding, so I was only there rarely. It was more of a grad student hang out. It closed a few years ago after a long run. I went to the occasional show there as an adult.
- The Greenhouse was on the south side. I only recall going a few times, and as mentioned previously CWRU bought the building, and closed it down somewhere around my sophomore year. It got turned into studios for CWRU's art program.
That was about it in the immediate area of campus in terms of bars. There were a few other places in Little Italy that we never went in, and that frankly students weren't welcome in. The Boarding House was on campus next store to the deli I worked in for a bit and had food and drinks, but it catered to the jazz crowd, and I only went there with my father. It closed a few years after I graduated. Coventry was a long walk or a short drive up the hill to Cleveland Heights, but while we frequented the many restaurants on that street the only bar of note was an Irish place that I stepped foot in all of once that I can recall, and that after I graduated.
Moving further away from campus, the first three years I was in college the Flats were a big deal, and in at least my freshman and sophomore years there were semi-regularly expeditions there to hit the clubs and go dancing, usually instigated by Davis. If I recall correctly Thursday was the traditional night for that. I went clubbing occasionally my freshman year (like monthly) and even more occasionally my sophomore year, and after that I was mostly only in The Flats to go to shows at The Odeon or at Peabodys before it moved to the CSU Campus in roughly 2000. Since the Odeon closed in 2005 I can probably count the number of times I've been on the east bank of the flats on one hand, although to be fair it was essentially dead for a long time before its recent resurgence.
Not that it matters, but the big dance clubs from those two years that I think I recall were Bar Cleveland and The Basement, which were both on the east bank, and 1148, which was on the west bank. Aside from their basic location, I recall little about them.
As far as our habitual drinking spots went, the Euclid Tavern was far and away the one we hit the most. I'm sure I was in the Euc more times as an undergrad than all the other bars listed in this post combined. It was an easy walk from the house, even when intoxicated. It was cheap; I doubt I ever spent more than $10 + tip on any given visit unless I owed someone drinks.
After I graduated, they ripped out a food court in the Thwing Student Center and put in a bar called the Jolly Scholar. It's a lot classier than the Euc ever was, and the food and beer is certainly better, but given the price point and the rigorous carding I'm not sure we ever would have ended up there quite so often.
The Ohio Alpha Beta Chapter of Phi Kappa Theta
The House Tour
Outside,
Main Floor Bedrooms,
Main Floor Public Rooms,
Basement Public Areas,
Basement Private Areas,
2nd Floor Big Bedrooms,
2nd Floor Small Bedrooms,
3rd Floor First Hallway,
3rd Floor Second Hallway,
Attic & Errata,
House Tour Commentary: Joe & Laura & Astrid,
House Tour Commentary: Jackal,
House Tour Commentary: Susan,
House Tour Commentary: Assorted
The Pledge Program
Bid Night, Schedule, Curriculum & Black Books, Big Brothers & Pledge Pins, Paddling, Initiation
Semesters
Fall 1996, Spring 1997, Fall 1997, Spring 1998, Fall 1998
Events
Detour, Blackout, Boo at the Zoo, Chapter Meetings, Serenading, Greek Week
Other
Full Series, My Rush Experience, Chapter History, Family Trees, National, Greek Life at CWRU, Fraternity Offices, Part 1, Fraternity Offices, Part 2, Fraternity Offices, Part 3, Demographics, Seniority, Bars
Additional Commentary
Black Books, Boo at the Zoo & Blackout, More Boo at the Zoo & Blackout, Chapter Meetings