Well Marilyn Chambers sure ain't there, but sometimes pretty wild stuff happens in The Green Door Lounge, on the backside of the strip mall at Thompson Road and Manker Street. The Door is best loved by hardcore bar goers-- it kind of reminds me of a 60's bowling-alley lounge, certainly smaller than Marcus Schrenker's old living room but maybe only a little bigger than Bernie Madoff's prison cell, with a giant mirror on one wall to make it seem bigger, cheesy Wayne's World basement-type wood paneling, a small bunch of tables & chairs (no booths) and the bar along the other wall. That's all there is: no pool table, no stage or dance floor, no food, just a place to sit and drink and talk with your friends (or yell, depending on what song is playing on the juke box). It does, however, have an unpretentious, undefinable ambiance that makes you feel comfortable there for reasons I have yet to discern. Especially during the day and to some extent all night, The Door draws people of all ages and from all walks of life, lured in by the cheap, stiff drinks, no-nonsense bartenders who git'r done, and the prospect of seeing old friends. The Door stays open later than most other bars and clubs in the area, so it's a place of last resort when you don't wanna go home. Like Times Square, most southside party folks pass through there at least once in a while, in order to have that last drink, or make that last try to hook up with someone, or to have that last cup of coffee in a futile effort to sober up before trying to get back to the house....
UPDATE, 03/22/2013: Green Door has been bought by Art & Tina, a couple of the partners who own the Gaslight Inn. They've given the place a thorough cleaning (Geez, I always thought those wall sconces were dimmed on purpose!) and put in two big flat-screen TV's that were actually manufactured in this decade. Art hates paying credit card fees, so like the Gaslight, the Door is now cash-only but with a $2 ATM available. So far none of the good parts have changed, including the potency of the drinks! Hopefully they won't go the way of the Gaslight's weak-assed wells. The Door has already had a number of good beer and drink specials, though, so I'm hopeful!
UPDATE, 09/27/2013: Happy Days! They're once again accepting credit cards. I believe they don't open until like 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon on weekdays, but they do open at noon on the weekends. Credit card fee is now 50 cents per tab, better'n before.....
I've been commenting on the relative merits of various bars and restaurants in Indy for so long and at such great length that a number of folks told me I need to become a food & dining critic. Being easily suggestible and not able to recognize sarcasm when I hear it, I have developed this little journal of adventure drinking & eating in Indy, primarily on the South Side. So if you're bored, enjoy!
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