Make Out with Different Girls for $2

Say what you will about Bahama Mama’s, but it is my favorite place to drink on Thursday nights in Hoboken. Sure, it gets a little cheesy, and, yes, maybe people used to go there underage a lot. And, okay, it has a beach theme with arguably the least sanitary bathrooms in Hoboken (as far as the men’s room goes). But Bahama Mama’s has found a way to burrow itself into my heart and never let go…I think it has even started a little family of its own in there…Still, it has a certain je ne sais quoi that has kept me coming back on an almost bi-weekly basis. And, by “je ne sais quoi,” I mean “dollar drafts all night on Thursdays.”

Let’s be frank.

We’re all smart people here; a place called “Bahama Mama’s” is not going to be confused with the elegance and élan of a bar called, “nine.” You know what you’re getting with Bahama Mama’s before you even walk in the door—the photo booth in the back corner is just a plus after you enter.

But, since a lot of people still apparently need convincing (I’ve been on the receiving end of a myriad of “r u serious?” texts when I tell people where I am), we can go over a few of the finer points as to why the place has the potential to be your favorite Thursday night bar:

1. There are $1 drafts. All night long. And not just Coors Light or Bud. Bahama Mama’s isn’t afraid to tap into the Sam Adams Winter Lager, or Killian’s Red-esque beers for their special. I once even had Guinness.
2. There is a dance floor. Nestled in the back. Remember the days of getting drunk for $15 and then wandering around the back of a bar while “Come on Eileen” plays, making out with a girl, going to the bathroom, coming back out, and then making out with a different girl? Yes, I know “it’s called college,” but it’s alive and well here on Washington Street. So get over yourself, yuppie, and have a $2 Sam Adams!
3. There’s a photo booth in the back. Apropos of nothing.
4. The bartenders will pour a little stronger than they need to, move very quickly down the bar, and aren’t afraid to offer a couple shots from the back of the bar if you’ve been coming back for a good two hours.
5. Karaoke sometimes rears its ugly/lovely head on Thursday nights.
6. They know enough to stop the karaoke when it’s time to dance to “Come on Eileen.”

The bar doesn’t get too crowded, and there is a McDonald’s (with a plentiful dollar menu selection) across the street for your 8pm, “I need something to eat” fix. Sure, you can go somewhere else on a Thursday and pay $3 for a Bud Light bottle, while nodding your head to the Dave Matthews Band playing off the bartender’s iPod…and that place is called New York. Let your hair down, take off your turtle-rimmed glasses, and check out Bahama Mama’s for an old-school blast of uninhibited college fun.

Bahama Mama’s
215 Washington Street
Hoboken
(201) 217-1642
info@bahamamamasnj.com

— by John Busco
John Busco, originally from upstate NY, has been living in NJ for several years, and currently calls Hoboken home.

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