For your drinking pleasure: Jeremy picks the best local bars

09/27/07 - After a long day of academics, work and stress, the only way to revive life into our bodies is to be social with those who also just underwent the aforementioned at a bar.I'm not saying that a bar is the only way to get rid of stress, but for the typical University of Rhode Island student, I feel that it's the most common.

With your long day behind you, the only things that run through your mind are, "What lovely establishment is going to be best to wet the whistle," and, "How many of my sorrows am I willing to drown out?"

Once again, I'm not saying that alcohol is the way to rid your problems but, for some people it might be, and that's their prerogative. As long as you drink responsibly and have a sober driver, then you can go wild and crazy.

As you think about those very two questions (perhaps for tonight's agenda) here's a list of some of the local bars that might accommodate the taste for Dirty Jersey, Strong Island, as well as some of the other bars that make up the Narragansett scene.

Charlie O's is the bar that I can call my second home. With $5 pitchers of beer during the weekdays and pitchers of sangria on Sundays, Charlie O's is a main attraction around Narragansett. Besides the temptation of pitchers, the bar's happy hour is something of sheer delight, as it comes with free food.

The theme of gluttony surrounds Charlie O's as directly next door is Fat Jacks, and down the road lies Kingston Pizza and Island Deli, which is now late night starting on Thursday nights.

Inside, Charlie O's is your typical bar setting: dim lighting, booths for eating, stools for drinking, pool tables, and a modern day jukebox (a wall mounted music selection program).

Upstairs, Simonz, the martini bar is the complete opposite setting. Leather couches, wood floors and shuffleboard help to add class to this bar. Specialty pizzas and martinis sound delicious, but aren't as cheap as downstairs.

With prices ranging from $7 to $13, the items are affordable but after a drink or two you might regret spending $14 on two drinks when you could have gone to Charlie O's and got three pitchers.

Casey's Bar and Grill is synonymous with Monday and Tuesday nights for most people. Monday nights play as pint night, where you pay for a pint of the beer of the night and then get the second pint for free. Tuesday Night is wing night, where ten cent wings can cause a "one in, one out" wait.

Casey's setup is divided with the restaurant on the left and the bar area on the right. Somewhat bigger than Charlie O's, on Tuesday nights the place is literally a jungle of people everywhere and walking around the bar is a privilege.

With Monday and Tuesday occupied with Casey's and chances are attendance at Charlie O's on Wednesday is going to be dominant, that leaves Thursday and Friday nights left until the weekend.

If you've walked around campus on a Thursday morning or afternoon and run into a friend, chances are you've had dialogue similar to this:

Jack: Hey, what's up?

Jill: About to take a test, I didn't study for.

Jack: Nice.

Jill: Bon Vue?

Jack: Yep. Where are you pre-gamming at?

And then the remaining dialogue is predictable. So there you have it, Bon Vue, the three-floor bar, home to the margarita pitcher and $2 vodka drinks is where, I can say with confidence, most of URI goes.

There is also George's of Galliee, but since I worked there this summer, I think it's best that I don't give my opinion on that establishment.

I don't really know what to say about Bon Vue, except that it's entertaining and fun. Seeing all your fellow classmates trying to traverse up and down the packed stairs, in a drunken state and shaking what the good Lord gave them on the dance floor is a very funny sight.

Each floor has its own bar and dance floor with the exception of the third floor, which is meant to share stories and having heart to hearts with someone you barely know. The outside deck is key for those who need to get there nicotine fix and continue to have that heart to heart.

Now Friday night's bar hop is up in the air. A lot of people went to the Coast Guard House, an upscale restaurant and bar where mixed drinks start at $7 and beers are $5 but the view of the water is an attraction to most.

Just recently, Port O' Call has been the new place to go on Friday night, trying to rival Charlie O's with $5 pitchers and $2 bottles, it seems that one would just need $20 to have a good night. With an outside bar and a wrap around deck, Port O' Call seems to be a desirable place of inexpensive drinks and a nice setting.

Hopefully, this list helps the newly legal-aged population or those not aware of bar life and gives them an insight on where the watering holes are. For those not of age, I'm very sorry but the only smart thing for me to tell you is that you're just going to have to wait your turn.

I'm sure there are ways of getting into bar underage, but I'm not about to go into detail on which bars are easy to get into and which ones are strict.