Pied Piper Pub

See that blurry picture I took of the back bar? Yeah, there’s a good chance that if the Pied Piper’s magical pipes have brought you to this watering hole (emphasis on «hole») you’re soon to be (or already) seeing blurry. That’s the kind of bar this is. A place that’s filled with the local barflies and would be filled with smoke if it were still allowed.
The decór is beer-​paraphernalia-​chic. The fixtures are shabby (and not chic). The spirits selection is slim (and basic), the tap list barely qualifies as a «list» and even on a Friday night there is one sole employee tending to this entire mess. It’s definitely a locals joint, and in a place like Carleton, that makes for a somewhat rough-​looking crowd. I’m guessing that if there’s a parking lot out back, it’s filled with Ford F-​somethings from over a decade ago. But everyone in the place seemed nice enough and we had no troubles on our visit.
The bartender (only staff onsite) was doing double-​duty cooking the food and serving drinks. She had a plenty friendly demeanor and didn’t show any cold shoulder to a group of obvious non-​regulars who came rolling in on a Friday. There was no music playing on the juke so we threw some bucks in. This qualifies as one of the most expensive jukes I’ve ever seen, so I think I can understand why none of the locals were playing anything on it. Also, the volume was turned down so low we could barely hear our selections. Reason #2 for the silence. Oh well.
Honestly it’s not a terrible place to toss back a couple of nightcaps and get a game of pool on. The prices here are what you’d expect for a total dive, and that’s a nice respite from the surrounding wineries and wine bars, which are definitely not cheap for everyday drinking. There’s really nothing classy about this joint and my guess is that the people who run it are just fine with that.
Note that even though smoking was banned statewide 1÷1÷2009, there are still signs on the wall of the pool-​table area noting «no smoking.» I guess some folks need constant reminders.

Very basic bar, liquor options are sparse. They have the basics. Don’t expect a complex mixed drink. 8 beers on tap, your standard domestic pints and a couple local kegs on tap. Food is a deep fried dive bar standard. ATM in the corner. Cash only.