Type: Neighborhood Bar
Class: Dive
The Canterbury Ale and Eats is located on the north most edge of 15th in Capitol Hill. Even from the outside, you can tell that it has a distinctive feel (whether you like that feel or not.) I have always had a soft spot for faux Olde' English style places in the US. They are pure kitsch (tacky but in a good way.) The outside is modeled like a medieval pub, with olde' style woodworking and a sign that hangs in front proclaiming where you are.
When you enter initially, there is a small dining area with well-worn old dark wood. It would look really nice except for the fact that it is all obviously just worn down. To the left is a small dining area where people seem to be enjoying dinner. The bar area is dark and smoky. We get drinks that are effectively $3 doubles. They are not good drinks, but they are sizeable drinks. Off in a side room, only accessible through the bar are several pool tables. The people standing around them, are dive people. They fit right in.
You know you are in Capitol Hill when you look up at the Pull-tab machine and there is a big bowl of free condoms sitting on top of it. I will also mention that this happens to be the closest bar to Volunteer Park. Now, I'm saying anything about that except, well I am. On a completely unrelated note, I was sitting in the chair that rests in front of the game machine, and it kept spinning me back towards the games. It was like the chair was programmed to draw its sitter to the game so that they would have to drop a quarter in, if only to appease the hungry beast.
On a side note, I have eaten there before and while the food is not terrible, it is not good either. It is a good dive, and probably the only one you can find on the hill (other than the Comet.) While their drinks are strong, the atmosphere was too oppressive for me to really get into drinking there. The Canterbury is a good stop, but not a destination. I give it 3 Martini Glasses out of 5.
--wOOt
Posted by Brandon at March 26, 2002 01:50 AM