My husband and I affectionately refer to this bar as: " The Red Neck Yacht Club". We are both natives of Moline, IL however I did not find out about this little gem until after we had moved to Milwaukee and now a tourist in Moline. This bar is located right on the Rock River and is technically in South Moline Township. My husband grew up a house or two away from Len's.
The first time I entered the bar, imagine the scene.....packed patio full of boaters that had been on the river all day popping tops since 10am, bar filled with thick cig smoke, a refinished Eucher table that my father-in-law donated to the bar, best jukebox in the Midwest, strongest cocktails in the area served in a plastic dixie cup, and my husband high fiving all the peeps sitting at the horseshoe shaped bar while "Glory Days" was blaring from the speakers (okay maybe not the Glory Days part but that is how I choose to remember it). Signed, sealed, delivered, Leonards, I'm YOURS. But the best part was the crowd did not consist of any old high school flings or any other drama that trips down to the District usually ensue.
Now...fast forward 10 years. The more things change the more things stay the same.....the crowd and bartenders are the same at Len's and for that I'm thankful. That is what makes it "Len Browns". Everyone we take here for the first time cannot believe this place exists because it's well off the beaten path. We still consider it a gem and love meeting up with old friends here because of it's no heir or pretense, come as you are, attitude and .....the fact we can stumble back to my inlaws! Shhh....
Things have changed- one big things is no more smoking, which is a good thing, since I am now expecting a baby and could go sit and enjoy myself with my husband and friends while not inhaling a pack of someone elses' cigs. However, the change for the worst is the internet jukebox they installed-- BOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! I loathe the fact that this has happned here because their old relic of a juke box was not only KICK BOOTY full of my old country jams it just had the vintage feel with the white buttons and flipping through the old CDs. So, I almost shed a tear when that happened however we love sitting out on the patio watching all the drunk boaters trying to dock their boats and come in for a few more cocktails that they certaintly don't need. read more