Down the Hatch: Drinking downtown

Barhopping, district by district

Last week, I mentioned this column to someone who then said, “well yeah, most of the drinking in Tulsa is downtown.” Those who frequent The Colony, Yellow Brick Road, Elephant Run, our own liquor cabinets, or numerous other locales might disagree, but there’s no doubt there’s much to imbibe downtown, and many places in which to do it. Here, by district, are a few suggestions.

18th and Boston/South Downtown

Vintage 1740 will make you feel classy in about 2.1 seconds. They have a great selection of wine and most of the glasses are affordable—hovering around the $7.50-$9.00 range. It’s also an excellent place to test out new wines before purchasing at a liquor store.

Sit on the antique couches or on the patio, swirl wine, and practice your tasting posture. But if you get to feeling too fancy-pants and like you need to dirty it up a bit, walk across the street to Mercury Lounge for a shot and a beer and enjoy the sounds of one of Tulsa’s better jukeboxes. 

Deco District

The patio of Elote Cafe & Catering in the Deco District is a favorite downtown spot. If you’re lucky, someone with a badass vintage car will cruise by as you sip a margarita and gaze at downtown’s architecture. It’s a good place to get momentarily lost—and the tequila helps, too. 

Brady Arts District

Downtown Lounge is a sort-of amalgamation of Soundpony, Mercury Lounge, and Caz’s, with a dash of Orpha’s divey charm. A true rock ‘n’ roll bar, DTL likes its music loud and dirty, and its drinks simple and unfussy (shots, beers, and well cocktails rule the space). As a bonus, you can be served by TTV’s Best of Tulsa winner Austin Bryant (“Best person to follow on social media”), the man behind City of Tulsa Parking Enforcement (@tulsa_parking).

Blue Dome District

The Fur Shop is known for live music and a great craft beer selection. Their liquor bar isn’t replete—it’s basic and belies the clientele: one third of it is vodka, and more than half of that is flavored vodka. When I visited, Laura, the bartender, recommended I try an Evil Twin Citra Sunshine Slacker. 

“People say it tastes like liquid weed,” she said. “And there’s a pic of The Dude on the front.” It was perfect for a hot-ass summer day. 

Fun fact: Blake Ewing, the bar’s owner, bought the name and vintage sign from the owners of the original Fur Shop, which had its hey-day in the same space decades ago. 

Greenwood Historical District

Lefty’s on Greenwood is Tulsa’s best new bar, as voted by you, dear readers, in this year’s Best of Tulsa awards. The bar features 15 beers on tap ranging from 3.2% abv to 14%, a strong top shelf of spirits, weekend brunch, daily happy hours, and a variety of frozen margarita flavors and popular drinks like the Peach Mule. 

The space is bathed in natural light and welcomes fans who want to watch the game (eight televisions, mostly near the bar) without alienating those who just want to unwind with friends or listen to the bar’s near-daily live music. 

East Village

Ok, Hodges Bend gets a lot of love in print, we know. But they deserve it! Their drinks are always on point—classic cocktails made as God intended. To pace yourself, ask the bartenders for recommendations on session cocktails. And if you do tipple too much, they’ve got Topeca coffee on hand.

The soft, beautiful green leather couch, little round tables, and wicker outdoor furniture bring to mind a European café, but with the sounds of Highway 75 below. If you get hungry, they’ve got cheese, charcuterie, and some larger offerings from The Parish food truck permanently stationed right outside, or there’s East Village Bohemian Pizzeria (which, incidentally, also has good drinks) just across the street.

Pearl District

Lot 6 Art Bar just celebrated its 5th anniversary and recently switched from non-smoking to smoking. Several times a month they offer art classes, such as painting, sketching, and clay, and on the first Friday of every month they feature art from a different artist on the walls. They also host karaoke and open mic comedy nights.

A shot-and-beer special is the thing to have at Lot 6, where they’ll give you domestics, Hamm’s, or Old Style with a well or call shot. Separately, Hamm’s and Old Style are two bucks, and the rest of the beer selection is pretty cheap, too: $5 Anthem, Marshall, and COOP beers, $4 Sierra Nevada, Guinness, and Abita—plus more. 

The graffiti in the women’s bathroom is choice, too. There’s a lot of arguing going on in there, reporting on bad lovers and abusers, and clichés written by one patron (“Love is all you need…”) met with disdain from another (“Bullshit, you also need food and water. And probably drugs.”).

In “Down the Hatch,” assistant editor Liz Blood offers a look inside Tulsa’s many bars, pubs, saloons and gin joints. Send suggestions for future columns to liz@langdonpublishing.com or @lizblood on Twitter. For another sip, try University of Wash.