kiwifire's review against another edition
4.0
Heard about this through the Longform podcast, and it was a good listen! The book was an enjoyable read, I liked hearing about all the history and the logistics of working in a bar. It was neat to hear about how Rafe learned to tell his own version of the bar tales.
clambook's review
3.0
Good effort, but not sure there's enough material to support an entire book. Since the place hasn't changed much in 160-plus years, there isn't much to say about its history that Joseph Mitchell didn't say in 1940 in the New Yorker. As a reminiscence of growing up in a saloon, it doesn't compare to JD Moehringer's The Tender Bar. Would have liked some information on the business of the place, including a basic fact like who makes its beer (it's now brewed by Pabst).
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