Top Ten Classic Military Spots to Drink a Beer

Military.com - Kathy Roth-Douquet

There are a handful of clubs around the world that have received more than their share of love from folks in uniform over the years. Here's Military.com's list of places to buy a beer and feel right at home.

These are all unforgettable places, all very different from each other.  (That Irish pubs are over-represented might say something about the military, but whatever.) If your favorite place is missing let us know about it using the discussion board, and we'll run up another list. In the meantime, if you're ever near DC, or Savannah, or Manhattan, KS or if you find yourself in Okinawa or in Germany, you've got these places to check out.

Here they are, in geographic order, from West to East Coast:

Danny's Palm Bar & Grill: "A Dive for Seals"
Coronado, CA

No top ten list for military hangouts would be complete without a dive bar. If you're a Navy SEAL, chances are you know Danny's Palm Bar & Grill in Coronado, a few steps from the Naval training facility. Famous for great burgers -- some say the best in San Diego - Danny's is family friendly until about 8 PM.  After that it becomes an over-21 joint. Called by some "a seedy little bar" its got all the accompaniments you'd expect:  middle-aged bartenders, harried serving crew of sometimes one or two, and a dodgy-looking front entrance. But the staff members' hearts are in the right place, and they love their special forces clientele. While the Naval Air Station folks and any Miramar or Pendleton Marines will feel at home, this place belongs to the SEALs. It's hallowed enough that when a SEAL is lost, the mourners will usually find their way here after any official memorials are over. No live music here -- its juke boxes and pool tables -- but sometimes that's exactly what you need. 

Jack Quinn's: "Clean Mountain Living"
Colorado Springs, CO

Jack Quinn's is an Irish Pub that belongs to the blue, green and purple of Colorado Springs. Just ten years old this year, it's become indispensible for cadets, Fort Carson Soldiers, and the NorthCom folks. Not a week goes by without a hail and farewell, promotion, or other kind of quasi-official party happening (evinced by the existence of a standard Hail and Farewell menu). The pub has blue foundations: the four owners are loyal Air Force Academy grads, and the manager is an Air Force brat. They show their appreciation with specials like free pints for folks returning from OIF/OEF tours. The décor is traditional Irish pub. Up front is a cabinet with patches customers have donated, and in the corridor by the restrooms hangs a photo from Iraq showing three Soldiers under a sign with the number of miles to Jack Quinn's. A special feature of Jack Quinn's is running club Tuesdays -- a big hit for folks who want to socialize and make height/weight standards. They combine a 5K run with discounted beer and free appetizers. Usually about 400 people a week join the fun. Sounds like having your fitness cake and eating it too! 

If you stop in here, their manager promises, you can count on being welcome. 

Wild Country: "Country Club"
Killeen, TX

The truth of the matter is pretty much every bar and club around Fort Hood is an Army bar. As the largest military post in the U.S., Fort Hood is big enough to even have a few good bars on base, bucking the trend towards dead and dying base club culture. Rumor has it that Stetson Night at Legends is worth the effort, for instance. But Texas is country country, and so to narrow down the options here we went with the much recommended Wild Country in Harker Heights. It's a straight out bar and dance hall.  (If you want food, you'll have to head for the taco truck outside. They do have free popcorn though.)  They host a lot of parties -- not only hail and farewells, but quite a few Soldiers' wedding parties too. Their dance floor is a popular place to pop the question too. Dancing is what this place is all about, and once a month they'll bring in a big name band and the place goes wild. The manager is a former Fort Hood Soldier himself, and says he they aim to take care of the troops. When units return from Iraq, Wild Country runs welcome home specials, hangs banners, and tries to make an atmosphere where folks can take their minds off tough times for a while. You can take a break from dancing and ride the mechanical bull. You might get snagged off the floor to spend 10 seconds in the money machine, grabbing as many bills as you can before the bell rings. There's a wild wheel and pool tables, too. Wild Country -- a great place for unvarnished country good times.

Rusty's Last Chance: "College-style Bar Scene"
Manhattan, Kansas

Soldiers stationed at Fort Riley know they can count on finding people from their unit at one of the bars in Rusty's Last Chance pretty much any time they drop in.  Young locals, college students, and Soldiers are the core of the clientele here.  This is your under-thirty crowd. Rusty's Last Chance is four bars in one and the largest bar in Aggieville. Housed in a former gas station with two patios, it's got rooms that feature pop, rock, and country. And it's got TVs, a lot of them, more than 60 at last count. The place has received some big-time recognition for a spot in Kansas, recognized as a "Top-100 Bar" by Playboy (‘nuff said) and actually ranked as the twelfth best sports bar in America by Sports Illustrated. (All those TVs couldn't hurt.) Rusty's Last Chance is especially popular with NCO's and young officers. The owners play to their crowd with regular military appreciation days and host a lot of promotions. They make a point of being open 365 days a year, and that's good news if you've got duty or are otherwise stuck in Manhattan for the holidays. You can have a beer, hang out with a guy dressed as Santa, and enjoy a little camaraderie.  And that beats an empty barracks or living room. 

McGuire's Irish Pub: "A Roost for Flyers"
Pensacola, FL

If you've been to Pensacola, you know McGuire's Irish Pub. Officers and gentlemen, enlisted, and no doubt a few rogues swear by it. "I live and breathe by McGuire's" enthused the wife of a Marine flyer.  And a Navy guy I know gets far-eyed and nostalgic thinking about it. McGuire's is the kind of place people memorialize in photos on their living room walls. Why is McGuire's so beloved? Atmosphere -- including thousands of dollars hanging from the ceiling, each bill inscribed with a message from a besotted patron; beer -- they brew their own; and great food, including a hundred-dollar hamburger (hey, how else are you going to spend that reenlistment bonus?), a peanut-butter hamburger (perhaps for Elvis fans…) and Sheppard's pie good enough, it is said, to make the Irish weep. And then there's the music -- the best Irish music south of Austin, McGuire's claims, though perhaps south of Austin narrows the field fairly generously. At any rate, if you like to stay late, drink real beer, and sing Irish songs with your mates, McGuire's is a great choice. And last but not least, they love their military clientele.

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