If you grew up in North Arlington, you know about Fatso Fogarty’s. Fights, public urination - it has developed a certain reputation over the last two decades. And until I ventured inside last Friday, I always thought it was dirty and dim, and filled with drunken old men and guidos.

Well, surprisingly, the guido-to-human ratio was actually quite small Friday night. Not that there aren’t cheesy announcements from a DJ for young women to dance up on the bar (and usually it was just the tipsy, barely-dressed female bartenders who answered the call) — but all-in-all it was a fun neighborhood bar, despite the DJ. We’re talking about a DJ that played back-to-back songs from ‘Nsync, Backstreet Boys and New Kids On The Block. Seriously. Other than that, the songs were familiar 80s and 90s pop that we all enjoy singing while getting plastered.

The drinks were cheap and it never got too crowded - we easily found a place to sit at one of their wooden tables lined up against the wall and we never had to wait long for the bartender to notice us. Although my impression is it usually gets crowded, especially on Saturdays.

All through the night, typical special deals were announced, interspersed with waitresses bringing around Jager bombs, candy-tasting test tube shots, or weak jell-o shots. Throughout the week, you’ll find all kinds of deals such as $1 domestic bottles on Thursdays until midnight, $2 after midnight and $4 drinks all night. Or, on Wednesdays, when they have their beer pong tournaments, you can bring your own 44oz mug and they’ll fill it for $2. Saturday is 80s night and they offer 80 cent shots & drafts from 8-10.

Be warned: some nights have covers for guys, so if you want to go out cover-free, stick to Friday and Saturday; on Thursdays there are no covers for men until 10pm.

An additional plus: Fatso’s is a member of SafeRides which means you can call and arrange to be picked up by SRU-approved transportation and taken to the bar or club, and then back home (eliminating the need to drive completely) - at a discounted rate, making it an effective (and safer) alternative to dunk-driving.

Fatso Fogarty’s
584 Ridge Road
North Arlington
201-998-7383
http://www.myspace.com/fatsofogartys

— by Donna M.
Both a Jersey native and recent transplant from NYC, Donna M. is obsessed with both good food and grammar.

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