My home away from home! :)
During my two year stay in the Air Force "Purgatory" of my career field (the nearby Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst), this place was one of few bright stars in Browns Mills, New Jersey. Admittedly, during the first year of my tour, I only stopped in here on my way home from work to pick up beer, and mistook it for your average liquor store.
Some time later, one of my good friends had transferred from Korea and became a frequent face in this place, and subsequently introduced me to the bar I had missed entirely.
The front half, or so, is the liquor store, stocked with a good selection of local craft brews, liqueurs, wine, and many of your domestics, complete with some snacks and sundries that go along with your beverages. "The Pub," as we call it, serves a full bar in the back section of the store, complete with both domestic and local brews on tap, and several flat-screens (along with one giant one in the very back) tactically placed so customers can view their favorite game. Tucked away is also a couple of pool tables, and outside patio area that provides an alternate place to eat, drink, and mingle. And Fridays and Saturdays bring live music from local musicians that ramp up the entertainment.
The Pub is optimized for football season, with raffles and specials for Eagle fans. The food and drink specials are great, from Taco Tuesday to Wing Night; you won't spend more than you have to. And if your an expatriate from your respective state and team (Washington and the Seattle Seahawks in my case), you're equally welcome, maybe with a bit of friendly rivalry added in.
Locals rub shoulders with retirees, active duty military personnel, contractors out-of-town workers looking to unwind, college kids seeking a nice watering hole, and many other types of people. If you're human and friendly, you'll never have issues here. They won't tolerate people looking for a fight, or a way to offend. So word of warning in advance: if you're looking for trouble, you're not welcome here.
The brightest stars of The Pub are the bartenders. Really! Tammy, Tracy, Victoria, Brittney, Bethany, Bryan. They each bring their own facet of charm to the place, are fun to hang out with, and are all around great folks.
I'm not ashamed to say that when the day arrived that I left New Jersey, and I passed The Pub on my way out of Browns Mills, there was a tear in my eye. I carry a lot of good memories from that place, and if you give it a chance, you may very earn the same! read more