Nick’s English Hut | Bloomington, IN

I kind of love this place. Apparently there’s at least two floors here, but I never seem to get much past the front bar. The bar is tucked in a cramped little spot off to the side when you first enter, you’ll be lucky to sneak between the bar stools and the wall, but if you can snag a spot it’s well worth it.

Nick’s has been serving Bloomington and the IU campus for over 80 years and it is absolutely THE college bar in Bloomington, but it’s just a great bar. It caters to students, alums and locals alike. With eight decades of history to draw on, Nick’s is loaded with the unique touches that tend to accumulate when a place forms its own community. Some favorites are the mason jars the beer is served in, a beer-drinking bucket brigade, and framed centerfolds facing the bar.

The place is definitely a student bar, and since I’m not a Hoosier I try to avoid the rushes–I hear game days will make your head crack. Instead, I like popping in for a pint with lunch or for an afternoon break when working in the city. Weekday afternoons it’s quiet but never dead, I can always get a seat, and the bartender shares my pain when I need to get back to work.