Rafters
Rafters has all the polish of a sailor at the end of a three day binge. When I asked for a shot of liquid cocaine, the bartender said “what the f*ck’s liquid cocaine?” He made me and my friends liquid heroine instead. That started off a lineup of shots including a Rafter’s special that tasted like Five-Alive and must have had caffeine in it because it kept my eyelids peeled back all night.
It’s hard for me to imagine Rafters not full of drunks who are trying hard to stay that way, but perhaps the scene is different during weekly happy hours. K-jo and I hit it up on a Sunday evening after work. Certainly the advertised beer specials are good and Rafters carries Lancaster’s strawberry wheat beer on draft, which is alone enough to get me to hike down Fort Ave for an occasional visit.
The typical electronic bar games fill Rafters, and it may or may not have a pool table. I can’t remember. What I do remember are the pictures of Maxim girls pinned up in the men’s bathroom and the plastic shot glasses. Rafters felt a little like a frat party with a liquor license. Still, the bartender knew how to make the martinis the heel-wearing girls next to me ordered, and those were served up in the proper stemware, so I won’t judge. Every once in awhile a man needs a good binge anyway.
Rafters is at 620 East Fort Ave. I wasn't sober enough to notice hours but I believe 5pm-2am is correct.
