Upon re-entering the social atmosphere, I forgot about my nausea and tried to enter the conversation as if nothing had happened. This bar is good for that… conversation and forgetting.

On our second huge pitcher of Riverwest Stein tap beer, I tried to make myself throw up in the graffiti-laden bathroom of River Horse, a favorite bar amongst Riverwest residents. It was a tough call, though I opted to save my vomit for later.

Upon re-entering the social atmosphere, I forgot about my nausea and tried to enter the conversation as if nothing had happened. This bar is good for that… conversation and forgetting. The music was loud, but the ambiance persisted. Like when a beat goes on in your head long after the song is over. Danzig was playing, the soundtrack to a forgotten past that we were trying to relive.

There were (what I think were) 40-year-old women sitting next to us, and I wasn’t sure if we should hit on them, but we did. They weren’t interested in us, only our beer. We kept ordering drinks and the bartender gave us an incredulous look as though he wasn’t used to it, though we knew he was. There were locals there, or what we assumed to be locals, though really no one’s there on a Saturday around 7 p.m. unless Asher is spinning.

Our conversation carried on for longer than expected. As I said earlier, River Horse can be great for that, as well as for many different reasons. On the right night, dancing is the reason; on another, conversation is good enough. Because there is no jukebox, no one can decide the fate of the night. Rotating disc jockeys nearly every evening provide revolving environment that caters to an immensely diverse group of people.

River Horse is my favorite bar, and I’m not alone in that sentiment. The bar could be called the spirit of Riverwest, nostalgic of times never experienced. Whether it be heavy metal, or a forgotten Michael Jackson tune—who is forever immortalized in velvet, in the corner above the pinball machine—anyone can nod their head or shake their ass.

There aren’t many faults to River Horse, but a chief drawback is its “Maximum Occupancy” limit, which is violated on a regular basis. The last time this happened, it left patrons out in the rain while they waited for their tabs to be closed.

Despite its limited capacity, River Horse has a much appreciated local appeal. River Horse sponsors events such as “Rockerbox,” “Center Street Daze,” and the roller-derby team, the Brew City Bruisers.

Although River Horse doesn’t offer any food, one can walk across the street to get a beef frank from Frank-N-Stein and come back to enjoy the rest of their evening amongst friends and cheap drinks, and maybe play some “Frogger” in the newly remodeled backroom.

River Horse happy hour, featuring two-for-one drinks, lasts a lingering 5-10 p.m. Much of the Riverwest community will stop in for at least one daily drink special, which includes the staple of a $2 Pabst Blue Ribbon, and the “Double Bubble” weekly special. A variety of other sweet deals on cheap liquor and beer are also available.

Although every bar has weekly specials, River Horse’s communal environment is reason enough to attend. In essence, River Horse is all about keeping it local.

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