Bardog Tavern

For some reason, there is no better location for a neighborhood bar than in a brick building on a city corner. This thought occurred many times in the sodden head of a surly local barman, Aldo Dean, as he passed such a vacant spot, formerly Mike’s BBQ, on his way to work each day in downtown Memphis. With nothing to lose except a quarter, he made a phone call to the number in the window and talked to the landlord, convincing him that he would be better off renting the space to a bartender with dreams of the perfect neighborhood bar than to an architect, who was interested in opening a restaurant at the site. Smart choice – he probably wouldn’t want the bartender to build him a skyscraper, etiher. Two very eventful years later, after a complete teardown of the interior and a total overhaul and renovation of the whole building, from plumbing to elctricity and flooring to roofing, Bardog Tavern opened on September 19, 2008 at 73 Monroe Avenue. “They” say that a busy opening night will determine the longevity and success of an establishment. If so, Bardog can expect a long shelf life: roughly 900 people passed over the threshold from 5PM to 3AM on that first day of operation. Considering that the belts for the pulley-driven fans were installed that day; that the kitchen staff fired up the equipment and cooked on it for the first time that night; that the liquor license didn’t come through until noon and about 80 boxes of alcohol had to be unpacked and shelved one hour before we