Bars

The Attic
3609 Forbes Ave.
(412) 682-2050
$

If you are looking for a local place to relax, drink and dance, then head on down to The Attic.

Located above Club Laga on the second floor, The Attic has daily theme nights such as jam bands on Tuesdays and hip-hop night on Saturdays. Along with college-income friendly drink specials daily, Mondays start off with five bottles for $6.

Think you can't get a beer for 25 cents? Head to The Attic on Wednesdays from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. for a celebration of college night and 25 cent drafts.

Looking for happy hour? Try two hours of $2 drinks and bottles from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday nights.

So, whether you are looking for good music, an open dance floor or a chance to meet new people, come to The Attic and check out its jamming nightlife.

- Christine Claus

Bootleggers
403 Semple St.
(412) 682-3060 $

When it's full, it's a hot, sweaty, somewhat smoky bar. But don't be turned off: that's what makes it great.

That, and karaoke specials, and pool tables, and drinking, drinking, drinking.

You must be 21 to enter - and the bouncer stationed out front most nights makes sure of it - but once inside, you only need to be having a good time. The main room is consumed by one of biggest bars around.

Pull up a stool and a brew, and you're well on your way to experiencing South Oakland's southernmost bar. These aren't Tower C-dwellers who moseyed into a bar by accident, it's hardcore South Oakland residents who know where they stand - and that's usually inside Bootlegger's.

Go there for the flavor that is distinctly South Oakland, and you'll come home content with what you've found.

- Dave Hartman

Chief's Cafe
307 N. Craig St
(412) 683-2936
$

The sign that hangs outside of Chief's Cafe, one of Pittsburgh's oldest bars, features a fireman's hat. It's appropriate, then, that 75-year-old bar was founded by a fire chief, whose name no one knows today. It's no wonder that Chief's Cafe has become somewhat of a gathering spot for firemen. Along with firefighters, one can find a diverse crowd, consisting of many college students and college grads, kicking back at the bar. Chief's Cafe is also known for their great prices and jumping jukebox. Go there if you're looking for a cheap, good time.

- Clinton Doggett

Denny's Bar
3616 Louisa St.
(412) 682-9213
$

While not offering much in the way of food service, Denny's Bar provides a nice atmosphere for enjoying a few beers with friends to relax after a long week of class. Denny's features drink specials every night; you can always find a beverage for the right price. Beers are served in large 22-ounce glasses, which do not disappoint. Drafts include Yuengling, Guinness and Pete's Wicked Strawberry Blonde ale. They also have a dart board, but be prepared to wait, as competition is fierce.

- David Ogg

The Dynasty Liquor and Fine Food
4709 Centre Ave.
(412) 683-6887
$

Back when it was called Sweet Georgia Brown's, The Dynasty was a place to go in your flyest outfit and have some cheap drinks.

Even though the name has changed, The Dynasty - as evidenced by the shocking lavender exterior and tremendous logo - is still the fly place to go for a stylin'-looking clientele and really, really cheap drinks.

The menu consists of traditional bar fare - sandwiches, burgers, and the like - but the happening atmosphere and well-stocked bar are what make The Dynasty a North Oakland institution.

- Clare Perretta

Luna Bar and Grill
304 N. Craig St.
$

Located on the pleasant Craig Street strip, Luna Bar and Grill is one of the older bars in the Pittsburgh area. Although the establishment was never technically a part of the legendary amusement park LunaPark, it is said to have gotten its name from it.

Students have been going to Luna Bar and Grill for years. With a quaint atmosphere and cheap prices, Luna Bar and Grill offers a good, inexpensive time to anyone who walks through the door.

- Clinton Doggett

Mitchell's Tavern and Restaurant
4632 Centre Ave.
(412) 682-9530
$

There's very little you need to know about Mitchell's, except every Wednesday night includes karaoke and $3 pitchers of Yuengling.

That wasn't a typo.

But there's more to be had than good beer and bad music. There's also good music: the Attendants have played there. Drastic plays there. Throttle Audio has played there and they're doing it again Sept. 27.

And there's also good food. But the kitchen does close, so be sure to get there early enough to enjoy your beer with high-quality munchies.

But perhaps the most unique aspect of Mitchell's is that it is neither college-kid bar nor locals-only bar: It's a hybrid of the two. On karaoke night, you'll no doubt watch fledgling fraternity guys sing just after die-hard Oakland locals in their 40s and 50s. But the cultures collide without catastrophe, and the result is a bar with a true diversity of clients.

And $3 pitchers.

- Dave Hartman

Pizza Paul/Panther Hollow Inn
4611 Forbes Ave.
(412) 682-9999
$

Last year's audience winner for Pittsburgh's best college bar on Citysearch.com, Panther Hollow Inn looks to the newcomer to be an average bar, but it has a special place in the hearts of the locals.

Located between Carnegie Mellon University's campus and Craig Street, the bar has a tendency to house non-Pitt regulars. CMU football players come on Mondays for $3 domestic pitchers, and CMU alumni come back for their reunion.

Known as "Phi-bar" or "P-H-I," Panther Hollow Inn has a dartboard, several televisions to broadcast every Pittsburgh team and a jukebox filled with classic rock. The booths that line the wall are accessible even when there's a crowd and are perfect for eating the pizza, which, of course, goes well with beer. The pizza is made in the back of the bar in a small Italian kitchen known as Pizza Paul. Besides being one of the best kept and best tasting pizza secrets in town, students can get a plain pie for only $6.50 every night.

- Erin Brachlow

Pub I.G.
328 Atwood St.
(412) 682-1900
$

Pittsburgh has several notable dance clubs for college students to choose from, but most of them are Downtown or in the Strip District. But if it's Friday night and you'd like to get down in Oakland, you are not powerless.

Pub I.G. is the first choice among Oakland dance clubs. Located directly beneath the India Garden restaurant, Pub I.G. provides all the essentials - house music, drinks and atmosphere. The security guards are friendly unless you're unruly, and it's so close that an Atwood Street resident could fall out of a bedroom window and land on the dance floor.

If you're looking for a big venue with tons of people, go to the Strip. But you're looking to do some dancing in your own neighborhood, check out the Pub.

- Eric Miller

Thirsty's
301 N. Craig St.
(412) 687-0114
$

Located on the corner of Centre Avenue and Craig Street in North Oakland, Thirsty's serves as a watering trough for many college students.

Thirsty's features $1.50 drafts twice a week and whenever there is a band playing on the weekend, it's only $3.50 for a pitcher.

Well-known for its committed dedication to the legacy of the Grateful Dead, Thirsty's celebrates the band every Wednesday night with pitchers at just $2.75.

Open five nights a week, Thirsty's is the perfect place to hang out after a rough day of classes to enjoy some wings or other assorted munchies. Stop by whenever you need a drink and don't feel like going too far.

- Joe Marchilena

Uncle Jimmy's
418 Semple St.
(412) 681-7480
$

For centuries, taverns have been gathering points for locals who were looking to relax. When discussing such hangouts in Oakland, the conversation will not travel far before turning toward Uncle Jimmy's on Semple Street.

The building itself is well-maintained, and has developed a reputation for cleanliness among local bars. Patrons can partake of reasonably priced food and drinks and friendly service. The can also play darts or video poker, and in the words of Garth Algar, "they got a pool table too." Actually, they've got two of them.

Uncle Jimmy's offers a pleasant, comfortable environment for students to hang out in, and it embraces its visitors and turns them into regulars.

- Eric Miller