Hokie House
During the summer, a lot of establishments cut their hours, but Hokie House, located at 322 North Main Street between Mike's Grill and Sharkey's, is open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day.
The atmosphere of Hokie House in the summer can vary greatly. The downstairs is always a low key, nice place to be. The bar in the summer is a "little slower, not terrible" said Matt Ivy, the bartender downstairs. Hokie House is "more like Cheers" Ivy said. People downstairs will remember your name if you go there regularly.
If how friendly and inviting the employees there were about being interviewed is any indication, bartenders at Hokie House are nice and very easy to strike up a conversation with, so long as they aren't busy.
Upstairs at Hokie House is usually livelier. Larger groups tend to go upstairs, giving it much more volume, similar to bars like Sharkey's or Top of the Stairs.
Upstairs bartender Kristin Hoyt does not see the crowds disappear in the summer.
"I usually make more money in the summer than I do during the school year," she said.
She also pointed out that the upstairs is the only place you can smoke in the Hokie House, so it also forces smokers upstairs. This makes the downstairs that much more hospitable to the non-smoking crowd, as well.
Now to the important part of a night out: drink specials. Hokie House offers a variety of specials. Thursday night is pint night, offering low prices on pint drinks, and there are pitcher deals on Friday nights. For those who live it up during the week, there are also daily drink specials.
The food is also being switched up a little in the summer. "We are trying new menu items this summer," said General Manager Brian Palmer. Every day the Hokie House has a special on particular food items.
These include specials on wings Sunday and Monday, as well as deals on sandwiches and fries every Wednesday.
Also every Wednesday, the Hokie House has a trivia contest. "The trivia usually consists of 2-3 rounds," Ivy said. He went on to discuss how it was very laid back. Patrons keep record of their answers on pieces of paper, which are collected at the end of each round. The questions are presented through a Powerpoint presentation. For people who score well, gift certificates are handed out after scores are tallied. The trivia, Ivy said, is "not too hard. Depending on the night, winners can leave with up 20 to 30 dollars in Hokie House money," Ivy said.
Another promotion at Hokie House is 50-cent pool games all summer. This makes tables at Hokie House more inviting and provides entertainment that's lighter on the wallet.
The biggest draw is the night and day differences between the upstairs and downstairs.
It has a combination of both a relaxed and popular bar. Upstairs usually has a large group of college students that will appeal to people looking to go downtown and socialize. On the other hand, downstairs caters to smaller groups and locals in a more relaxed environment.
It's much easier to find a seat or play a game of pool downstairs than it is upstairs. If you plan on barhopping this weekend, or just want a different place to eat, be sure to check out Hokie House.
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It would be cool if every crappy dt bar got this kind of advertising.
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The good: Matt and Kristin are great! Very friendly. They also have Shooting Creek on tap, which isn't unique to this bar, but still a plus. Also, besides the pool tables, there are two shuffleboard tables. Good stuff! The bad: I called to order takeout once and Brian asked me to hold. He set the phone down and I listened to him making plans with a friend on his cell phone for 5 minutes. I was tempted to wait for him to return to give him a piece of my mind, but tired of waiting and went to Mike's instead. Their Wednesday $2 burger special apparently doesn't apply to any of the regular burgers on the menu. Even after explaining the potential for confusion, they haven't clarified their specials board. I usually give people the benefit of the doubt, but I was surprised at the lack of customer service in these two instances.
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Who needs advertising... I thought beer sold itself in Blacksburg... guess things have changed since 2001!
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My favorite thing about the Hokie House is the limited unattractive women.
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