The Bent Elbo

The Bent Elbo: where I cut my teeth as a young pub crawler. I've got so much to say about this hallowed ground that I had to take a week off from work, just to mentally prepare.

You enter the establishment thru the corner doors displayed in the picture above. On your direct left and right are the porch fronts that are visible in the picture above. These areas are filled to the brim with tables and chairs for you to escape to when you want a quiet place to converse with friends or new acquaintances. Directly in front of the entrance is one of the Elbo's 3 bars. Moving counterclockwise around the establishment, you enter another room with another of the Elbo's great bars. These bars are solid oak, brass rails, high back bar stools, with giant mirrors behind the bartenders. The mirrors add an effect to the bar which is reminiscent of a wild west saloon.

Still moving counterclockwise around the building there are 2 rooms with pool tables in each to keep the clientele busy. In one of the rooms there used to be a dart board, but for some reason the Elbo took it down a few years ago. I sure do miss throwing darts at the Elbo.

The final room at The Elbo is where the entertainment performs. The last room contains a stage and a bar that probably seats 20 people. The odd twist to this set-up is that the bar is located directly in front of the stage. There is absolutely no seats at the bar directly in front of the stage and it appears as if the entertainment is tending bar and performing at the same time. The only other time that I have seen this sort of set-up is at the old-and-now-gone (shedding a tear) Bent Elbow on Roosevelt Blvd in Philly. Of course with the bar set-up in this fashion it is not unusual for band members to walk up on the top of the bar in mid-song. Not to be outdone, some adventurous honeybabies prop themselves on top of this bar and start shakin' what their mama gave them. You go girls!

The Bent Elbo is the sort of pub that is great after work, on a Friday Night or on a Saturday Night. The crowd is very diverse ranging from 21 year olds up to patrons in their 30's. I must have been to this bar a hundred times and it's always a nice atmosphere for throwing back a few with old and new friends.

Speaking of the brews (what a segue) the Elbo pours good beer - period. They regularly have Guinness, Bass, Harp, Honey Brown, Woodpecker's Cider and a few other surprises on tap. It's just not the beer at The Elbo, it's the laid back atmosphere that the place exudes. The lighting is perfect, the tables and chairs look and feel inviting, the crowd is always a friendly bunch, the bands are great (usually rock or blues oriented), and the bartenders are a helpful lot, keeping your drinks fresh.

Parking is on-site, The Bent Elbo is located on a nice chunk of land at the corner of Bethlehem and Skippack Pikes. Whatever you do don't park on Bethlehem Pike. I parked there once and found a $35 ticket on my car when I called it a night. The nice part about The Bent Elbo is that Bethlehem Pike is a short shot (1 mile) from the Fort Washington Exit of the PA Turnpike.

PROS:

The place exudes a laid back atmosphere that is the perfect complement to one of their exquisitely poured brews.

Parking never a problem.

Located close to PA Turnpike.

When a live band is playing, the womens get up on the bar and shake their thangs - it's soooo good.

CONS:

For the love of God, throw the dart boards back up on the wall! Sure you cater to the billiards crowd, but what about a good olde fashioned game of cricket to go with that Guinness.

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