A friend and I decided to meet at The Boar's Nest Saloon, and unfortunately, the experience was…read moreuncomfortable from start to finish.
When I first walked in, the smell of cigarettes was overwhelming. If it were up to me, I would have walked right out, but the person I was meeting wanted to stay. The place was pretty empty, so we sat at the counter. The music was blasting so loudly that I could barely hear my companion. I asked the bartender if she could lower the volume, and to her credit, she did. I appreciated that, especially since this was a first time meeting and conversation was already awkward enough. We ordered drinks and were served right away. A few minutes later, the bartender dropped off the bill. I assumed it was just opening a tab, but she told us her shift was ending and that we needed to pay immediately. I've honestly never experienced that before. It put me in an uncomfortable position and felt rushed, especially since the bartender ended up staying around anyway.
After a while, we decided to sit outside to continue talking. That's when things took a turn for the worse. A young man walked by and said something to my friend but wouldn't repeat it to me. He seemed upset. Later, he walked by again and said something else, so I asked what he said. He responded, "I'm sorry for saying his hair is long." My friend has long dreadlocks. I was confused,
there was nothing to apologize for unless it was meant as an insult. I tried to diffuse the situation by joking that his hair was as long as mine and that the guy himself also had long hair. He continued apologizing in a way that felt very uncomfortable and strange.
Then, unexpectedly, the same man walked by again, dropped a $20 bill, and said, "Drinks on me." Shortly after that, someone from inside opened the door and said, "You guys are still here? I thought you left three hours ago." That comment felt incredibly rude and unnecessary. Overall, the entire experience left me feeling unwelcome and targeted. Between the comments, the tone, and the behavior from multiple staff members, it came across as discriminatory and hostile. Whether they were owners or managers, the two women we interacted with were consistently rude as well.
This is not a place I would return to or recommend.