Vacation began last night with a long overdue visit to a bar in my neck of the woods...
Address: 16 Clifton Park Village Road, Clifton Park, NY 12065
Date and Time Visited: July 1, 2011; 8:30-11 pm.
There's a good reason why it's taken so long for me to visit Peddlers, and that's because they've got a horrific parking situation. I don't know if you can see it in the above picture, but there's actually a Valet station near the entrance. This is because their main parking lot does not come close to accommodating the total number of visitors. My Anonymous Companion and myself chose to skip the valet services and drive ourselves to the overflow lot they utilize just around the corner. This was fine, as it was a balmy 82 degrees at the time, and only about a five minute walk.
Peddlers is a large bar and restaurant with both an indoor seating area and a large outdoor deck. Information posted at the entrance indicated that they had live music every Tuesday-Saturday from 5:30 until 9:30 pm. The entertainment that evening was a group called Bicycle Mary, which was covering the Goo Goo Dolls when we arrived. The place was packed full outdoors, and appeared to be busy inside, as well.
Anonymous Companion and I were asked for our IDs upon arrival, and informed that there was a wait to be seated for a meal on the outdoor deck. Astonishingly in light of the parking woes, there was no wait for an indoor table, so Companion and I opted to grab a bite to eat inside. I ordered a $10.99 Mediterranean Platter, which was billed as an appetizer. My companion opted for the $9.99 French Dip with a $1 upgrade to include onion rings. My appetizer was sizable and tasty, if a tad overpriced. Companion was satisfied with his French Dip. (I stole one of his onion rings, and found it to be tasty, but too soggy for my personal preference.) For a bar, though, I was quite please. The menu was quite varied and extensive, however--loads of appetizers, sandwiches, entrees, burgers, and desserts were available.
The bar atmosphere indoors was loud, but calm. Our waitress that evening was very pleasant, but clearly overworked. Service was nice, but very slow. The decor was a sort of eclectic industrial, as can be evidenced by the following images:
Yes, there are indeed mannequins perched atop the bar. Behind us was more seating on a mini-platform, electronic dartboards, and a laser-lit dance area that no one was using at 9:30 p.m. (I'd only had one glass of wine by this point in the evening, so I certainly wasn't going to get any parties started.)
Anonymous Companion and I then chose to move to the outdoor deck once we settled our check inside, so that I could have a couple more glasses of wine and enjoy the pleasant summer evening. At Peddlers, the bar itself stretches from inside the establishment right out onto the deck. Nice feature, and every seat at the bar was full. By this point in the evening, however, the live entertainment was finished, and tables were now available to sit at outside. Companion and I split a slice of Grasshopper Pie, which was dry, but tasty. The atmosphere was a bit quieter out here, but still noisy, lively, and bar-like. Patrons that evening were well-mannered and courteous, which is always a plus when you're at a bar.
The view from our table:
The BEST part about Peddlers, though? It's SO CLEAN. I mean, both tables we sat at were spotless. The bar was spotless. The floor was spotless. And the bathroom was among the cleanest I've ever encountered in an establishment catering to tipsy-and-more folks on a Friday night. I wasn't afraid of the toilet at all! I mean, just look at the ladies' bathroom--!!!
Swanky!
All and all, it was an enjoyable evening. Companion and I will be back. And if we're feeling fancy, maybe we'll even opt for the valet services next time!
Overall Review: 4 out of 5 Upstate!Stars
Learn more at their website: www.peddlersbarandbistro.com
Hey - I took that profile pic!
ReplyDeleteYou sure did! And thanks for that, it makes me look like a much more exciting person than I actually am!
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