New Rowdy Bar on the South Side

New Rowdy Bar on South Side

We just got this dispatch in from the Entertainment Central Pittsburgh Recon Patrol:

We had noticed a new, brightly colored well-lit bar on Carson Street while engaging in nighttime patrols recently. The Rowdy Buck sounded intriguing; and seemd like a place worth checking out on a recent Friday night. The doorman was big and friendly. After chatting for a minute or two with him we went in. Right inside there was a beer tub girl who seemed a little tired and lonely. We chose not to engage her in any pleasantries and quickly walked past. We emerged into a really cool room with nicely finished upscale log cabin feel. There was a very long bar with a number of TV’s and draft beer options. There were booths and mini-bars where people sat on stools and talked across little bar-like counters. The bar was half full, (it was still a little on the early side, South Side wise) with lots of friendly people partying and having fun. The interior was pretty dark. It’s a great bar to have a nice evening with someone you don’t want to be seen with! The Rowdy Buck has a cool little display window inside with some nostalgic scouting memorabilia. There was a dj in a log framed dj booth that was laying some sounds on the crowd.

We bellied up to the bar and asked for a menu. The bartender gave it to us and then saw the clock was striking ten. He said that the kitchen closes at ten but he would be happy to go back and see if they could still make us something. We said that was OK we were just checking for future reference. That was damn nice of him. We asked him his name, he replied, “Ryan.” The Rowdy Buck has a lot of gourmet hot dogs, with cool, funky names and toppings. The serve both kosher hot dogs (the good stuff) and vegetarian dogs (which can be good as well, I’m sure, but I’ve never had one).

Ryan said they also feature prohibition-era carefully crafted cocktails. Other interesting drinks on the cocktail menu include: Electric Kool Aid Acid Test, Blazing Saddles and the Roudy Bout Fizz (prices for their specialty cocktails range from $8 to $11). Rowdy Buck also features the mystical absinthe. Absinthe is an anise flavored, distilled liquor made from botanicals such as wormwood. It was banned in the US from 1912-2007, due to rumours of hallucinogenic and psychoactive effects (some early absinthe drinks were made with opiates). Their special Pernod Absinthe cocktail is exotic and expensive ($17), but sounds interesting and worth a try. Several high quality mezcals: Vida, Minero and Tobala, are also prominently featured. And for the foamy mustache crowd they have a very large beer selection of beers including what they call: “The Usual Suspects”, Imports and Craft. Home town beers featured are: Penn Pilsner and Church Brew Works Thunder Hop.

While we were expecting more of a rowdy honky tonk saloon, we enjoyed the friendly comfortable bar that serves quality food and drinks. We will return.

Over and Out

The Recon Patrol

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