What is a neighborhood bar?
Well, first and foremost, it's a bar.
No covers, no extraterrestrial light shows, no leotard-clad cocktail waitresses, no gimmicks.
It's a place where the bartender is likely to have as loyal a following as the hottest Hollywood hairdresser.
A bar that sells takeout.
Where sports are always in season and the only thing that changes on the tube are the uniforms the athletes are wearing.
It's liable to be slow on a Saturday night if one of the regulars is getting married.
It's a taproom you can relax in or be as rowdy as a college senior after finals week.
Most of all, however, it's a place that's completely defined by the people who work and eat and drink there, the bar you'll always remember - and return to - long after your glass runs dry.
Cheers to some of the area's friendliest.
FIFTH DOWN
THE DIAMOND LOUNGE. Route 70 and Grove Street, Cherry Hill, 609-665-0990. Located just a half-mile from Garden State Park, this is the place a lot of bettors and track workers head once the lights dim at the racetrack - which means, the later it gets, the more interesting it becomes. This exceptionally dark bar has two sets of patrons. Up front are the horse people; in the back, younger singles dance and discuss life. Tuesday through Saturday, there's a disco disk jockey.
DR. WATSON'S PUB. 216 S. 11th St., 922-3427. It can get as smoky as ringside in here, which is only fitting considering that ex-Army pugilist Barry Sandro is calling the shots. Downstairs, sports pages from the city's greatest athletic moments compete for wall space with family pictures, autographed photos of provocative women in even more provocative poses and international postcards sent by vacationing regulars. The top two floors emphasize entertainment rather than sports and offer live music and a DJ on weekends.
MANOA TAVERN. 8 N. Manoa Rd., Manoa, 446-9726. It'd be hard to strike out at a place where mixed drinks are a steal at $1.10. On the wall is an array of autographed baseballs, bats and pix, gifts from retired major league ump and Manoa regular Shag Crawford. A favorite watering hole for area high school coaches, softball teams and all-age locals. The two TVs are often tuned to different channels if there's more than one sport on.
