The Pike is discreetly located on the White Horse Pike in Magnolia NJ. I never even knew this bar existed until they painted the outside bright yellow about a month ago. The parking lot was empty, which is how it has looked since I started observing. Since I've never heard anything at all about The Pike, the only thing I was nervous about was the unknown.
I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in to The Pike. It was clean, the stool cushions weren't torn, and the bar didn't smell like stale beer, it was completely remodeled. There were 6 people in the bar when we walked in. Five of them were members of a local band "The Dropout Plan", and an older gentleman that sat across from them sipping a martini, and chasing it with a beer. There was a "stage" against the wall, which is actually a long step but I'm sure it is sufficient. Pink Christmas lights lined the ceiling above the stage, and a modern jukebox was mounted on the wall. After five minutes we were greeted by a friendly, pretty bartender. I ordered a $2.00 Miller Highlife, it was cold and didn't taste stale which was a pleasant surprise. I felt bad for the bartender, business was slow and it seemed like she was walking around doing little tasks in an effort to keep herself busy. I decided to check out the bathroom, I was convinced that there was some place in this bar that would reveal it's inner dive. As I opened the bathroom door, I saw it in all its glory. Like a tall glass of water in a barren desert, it was almost as if the angels sang and shone a light upon that little bathroom. There starring back at me was Dive Drive gold, the way to separate the dives from the rookies, the key to the inner dive. A chart to show the effects that alcohol has on a fetus at every stage of a pregnancy. A Grinch smile stretched across my face as I quietly whispered to myself "The dives can run, but they can't hide". I busted from the bathroom with a new found confidence. I scribed "Dive Drive approved" on the chalk board, finished my beer and we were on our way.
I liked The Pike. I thought it was a chill local bar that defiantly deserves more business. The bartender was friendly, the beer was cold, and the music was awful (which made the trip more memorable). I'm giving this bar a C because I feel like the bar may have lost some of its character during the remodel. However, I was never at this bar before, so I may be wrong. The outside and inside do not match, but don't let the clean smell fool you, not here not anywhere. If there is a chart, or a sign in a bar describing the effects of fetal alcohol syndrome it's a dive! On to the next one.......
