The TL;DR is that Gold River is a locals dive bar with cool bartenders, gambling, two pool tables,…read morean AMI jukebox, darts machine that works sometimes, and proudly serves cheap drinks 24/7. And they allow smoking/vaping.
Gold River caters to its crowd, the people of Lemmon Valley. It serves cheap well, bottles of Coors Lite and Modelo Especial, and the most exotic thing they carry is High Noon. That's not to say they don't have some fine selections of whisky or tequila, but that's not their crowd. This is an after work bar, not a tourist bar. Cocktails need to be Googled, sometimes drinks or ingredients are out of stock, and the bartenders will tell you off if you're being a problem.
Gold River is open 24/7, and all the bartenders are cool. I've had the pleasure of being served by all of them at some point, and they're always looking out for their regulars and their bar. The age range of the customers is generally the 40+ crowd, with a few working 30 somethings that come in from time to time. The bar doesn't serve food, but there are plenty of food options less than a minute walk nearby (Roy's next door, Tacos Jalisco, and Taco T truck). Did I mention the bar allows smoking? They do have air cleaners inside, but consider yourself warned.
Two APA pool league teams play out of Gold River, so it can be a little crowded on some nights, but they're good people and if you're looking for a team, you might find one here.
And that's about it. If you live in the North Valleys and you're looking for a late night dive, a beer after work, or even just a coin table to practice pool on, Gold River's a pretty great dive bar, and I'm proud to call it my dive bar.
