Top Ten Classic Military Spots to Drink a Beer

Military.com - Kathy Roth-Douquet

Kevin Barry's: "Southern Comfort"
Savannah, Georgia

Many a Ranger has spent many a late night singing Irish drinking songs at Kevin Barry's in Savannah. You know you're in friendly territory just by looking at the front of the building, which features alternating flags -- the Stars and Stripes, the Irish Flag, and the black POW/MIA flag along the entire face. Walk inside and upstairs, and you'll find rooms that are a tribute to the military -- Heroes Hall and Liberty Hall -- decorated with pictures donated by the Ranger Battalion and the 160th Airborne. Mementos and war stories cover the walls upstairs too, from chair-rail to ceiling.  Its worth stopping in just to take a look. Kevin Barry's is known for its music. They play both kinds here (as they said in the Blues Brothers movie) but in this case its Irish traditional and Irish contemporary.  And there's a cigar bar overlooking the Savannah River upstairs from the bar, and its open until late, late at night. The owner is former military, and he says he's happy to have anyone who has served walk into this pub. 

The Globe and Laurel: "Old School"
Quantico, VA

Perhaps its fitting that the most tradition-loving service is represented by the most traditional pub. The Globe and Laurel is presided over by the legendary WWII vet, Major Rick Spooner. Sporting a white high-and-tight, Spooner is what we'd all like to be at 83. Spooner retired in 1972 -- before 80 percent of today's Marines were born -- after fighting in battles from Saipan to Okinawa to Vietnam.  Drop in and he'll sit down at your table and tell you about it. Meeting him is one of the perks of eating here. The Major opened the Globe and Laurel forty years ago as a pub for professional Marines. The memorabilia is piled on every available space -- walls, doors, tables, even ceiling.  The Globe and Laurel's got badges and unit insignia donated from fond patrons, a Victoria Cross and a replica Medal of Honor, flags, and statuettes. It's kind of like an "I Spy" puzzle everywhere you look. The Globe and Laurel serves a pub lunch, has a bar, and is known for its prime rib.  But its mostly a place you go for the atmosphere.  It's had its bit of fame too -- as the subject of a number of news stories, as part of "War Stories" on the History Channel, and its even been featured on the Food Channel. The Globe and Laurel also has a great combo packet with a visit to the Marine Corps museum.

Overseas Spots

The military sees the world -- so a list of great spots to down a beer wouldn't be complete if we didn't mention a few overseas. Here are a few places to drop in on when you're on your travels.

Zuggy's: "A bar, a room, a ski slope"
Garmisch, Germany

If you're in Germany, don't be a schlemiel and miss coming to Edelweiss in Garmisch-Partenkirschen, just outside of Munich. OK -- the bar and grill, Zuggy's Base Camp, is not really what's great here; it's the fact that Zuggy's is in the middle of a luxury hotel in the Alps that's about as expensive as the Holiday Inn in Cleveland. The skiing is outstanding here, and you can buy a beer pretty easily on the slopes on your way down, as little chalets dot the long runs. There's a glam pool-size outdoor hot-tub with views on the mountain that are spectacular at night. Folks on leave from OEF/OIF or Bosnia can spend a weekend there for less than $200 for a family of four. This is a deal not to be missed.

Grenadier: "Roots Tour"
London, UK

America's friendly GI's are no longer "overpaid and over here" as the Brits used to say (can't speak to the over-sexed bit), but the ties remain strong. Air Force guys on a Mildenhall/Lakenheath tour or PCS'ers on a long lay-over or lucky, continent-hopping MAC-traveling retirees should find their way over to London's toniest postcode, Belgravia, and tipple a pint at the Grenadier. This was Wellington's officer's mess, and it still has the stone step installed to help the Iron Duke (or to his men, Old Nosey) mount his horse after a few glasses of the good stuff impaired his hoisting skills. Its dark, small and cramped -- full of history, with an old pewter bar and frequented by the few Brits left who will appreciate seeing an American military man or woman in their midst. It's also reputed to be haunted by the ghost of a Grenadier shot by his comrades for cheating at cards. Finding the place can be a trick as it's off trailing alleyways just a bit north of Belgrave Square. Perhaps the best strategy is just to pay a cabbie to take you there. If you are feeling cheeky while you're in the neighborhood, swing by The Royal College of Defense Studies on the square where two U.S. senior military officers are always in residence (the services take a turn every other year).  If you can find a Yank on site see if he or she will show you the Seaford House's solid malachite banisters and paneled ballrooms. Our military roots are in the British military, after all, and this is a good place to go and reclaim a bit of history.

Yoshihachi's: "Culture Fusion"
Okinawa, Japan

On the other end of tradition is the innovation you find at Yoshihachi's in Okinawa. Yoshio is an Okinawan native who spent 12 years in America serving sushi to the beautiful people in Los Angeles, most of whose pictures have found their way to the walls of the restaurant. Look for Stevie Wonder, Peter Falk, Robert Wagner, Danny Glover, Ken Norton, Tom Watson, and Arnold Palmer. You'll see so many pictures of Yoshio and Tiger Woods you'll think the two of them must be related. Yoshi's is not Okinawan and it's not American, but the kind of great fusion that can come from culture clashes. Some people quibble with Yoshihachi's, saying that its American-style Japanese -- that sushi isn't even an Okinawa cuisine for crying out loud. OK, true. Bitter root is very popular in Okinawa, but there's only so much of it you can eat. Yoshio will make the crazy-quilt variety of sushi, multiple fish and veggies all rolled up together -- very un-Japanese, true, but darned good. And his tatami mat tables feature holes cut out in the floor for those long gaijin legs to dangle, but that's a good thing. Its more of a restaurant than a bar or club, but the beers and cocktails flow freely.  It's a great place for large groups, and you can take your significant other, or that visiting girlfriend or in-law and be sure to show them a one-of-a-kind good time. It's a great place for the unaccompanied officer barracks folks to have fun without getting into the wrong kind of trouble -- that's got a value all its own. You can't go to Okinawa without stopping at Yoshihachi's. 

This list stops at ten, but we could go on -- there are new favorites with edgier music, more quirky out of the way spots, and one's we couldn't quite squeeze in here with this space. Let us hear from you if you've got a place that belongs on this list. PCS'ers and travelers want to know. We'll do our part to see if we can keep the intel going on great places to hang your cammie hat for the evening.

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