The Pub: An Experience Exclusive to Rye

Today our new social scene columnist Pamela Baur takes us to The Pub in downtown Rye.

In case my first post on the Rye social scene carried any sort of haughty undertones about my experience being out and about in town, this post will surely dispel any misconceptions as I am openly admitting here in this public forum, that not only have I frequented the “The Pub”, but it is quickly becoming one of my favorite spots in town!

For those of you who aren’t familiar (or aren’t ready to admit you go there too) The Pub is located right next to the Starbucks on Elm Place. I’d love to offer you their website, telephone number or menu to give you an idea of what they have to offer, but this is much more of a “what you see is what you get” kind of place.

(PHOTO: Name this Rye waiter, answer below). You can try to search for it online, but The Pub won’t come up as one of the restaurants in town, despite the fact some of Rye’s finest waiters from Morgan’s and Ruby’s are loyal patrons themselves.

No fancy wine list or martini menu here…just your basic beers on tap and a selection of spirits. And, The Pub does not serve food, unless of course you count the thoughtful late night snacks that are laid out (usually a plate of cookies).

The cookies are one sign you’re at The Pub… a few others are:

• Once you step inside, you have the strange feeling you’re in the hull of a ship and the ceiling is so low and slanted, you can either touch it or have to duck to avoid being knocked out by the support beams (some chose to hold onto these for balance).
• By the time you leave, you’re probably seeing things this clearly…
• …and the next morning hindsight is 20/20 realizing you shouldn’t have had that last drink!
• People are playing music from the juke box, dancing like nobody’s watching, and singing along like a karaoke open-mike night.
• No matter where you stand, you are most likely in the direct path of a dart being launched at the bullseye.
• You’ll often be surprised at who you run into there!
• Someone is always going around that corner to the left of the dart board (see picture above) where I hear there is a downstairs area?? I’ve personally never ventured over there and prefer to continue being unaware of why people go there, maybe that’s where they hide the extra cookies!?
• You know it’s a good night in Rye when a night out for a simple dinner and cocktail turns into a night at The Pub until 3 a.m. (on a Tuesday!)

The Pub is a refreshing, fun, and yes, an admittedly bizarre spot in town. A place similar to The Pub in Rye…hmm, just as I thought; no place comes to mind because The Pub is truly one of a kind! It is also a prime example of one thing I love about Rye, which is people here have mastered what I think is an important rule to remember in life…..not to take ourselves so seriously!!!!

(Answer: The waiter is Bo from Morgan’s Fish House)

Pamela Baur has enjoyed living in Rye since 2007. She works as a project manager with a local entrepreneurial business development firm.