701 6th Street
Guinness Tag: 6.00 | Overall Rating: 8.05
Holy smokes, this one takes a lot of the cake! Our gameplan was to hop on the streetcar and head toward Magazine Street to hit up both Parasol's Irish Pub and Tracey's Irish Pub, however, on our way toward Tracey's we saw a makeshift sign that read, "Don't forget about Pete's Irish Pub just a few blocks this way." We said "What?? Another Irish Pub in the area that we didn't know about? Let's go!"
We set sail on foot in the downpouring rain. When we arrived, we saw the exterior of the building and said, "This is hot trash." We debated even going in. When we got to the front door we realized it was locked. We knocked. We rang the buzzer; nothing. Sure enough, we had to be buzzed in to get in. You probably don't need to be buzzed in during peak times, but as we always say: the best time to go to an Irish Pub is when the sun is still shining. So... we get buzzed through the door and sure enough; we were blown away!
People say, "Don't judge a book off its cover," when it comes to Pete's, that couldn't hold any more water. Don't get things twisted, once you walk in and take a first glance you won't be astonished or impressed; it's your typical bar with high-tops, barstools, a few TVs, and friendly chatter. The biggest asset of Pete's? The Craic. If you're new to our Pub Ratings then here's a quick rundown on how we do things: You can have the best scenery, the best wall decor, and the best furniture, however, if your staff is garbage and you don't supply the Craic, you're not getting a great score. Eye candy is fine and dandy, but when it comes to being a good Irish Pub then you've got to supply the feel goods.
This is the oldest bar in the Irish Channel. At one point in time, the building was used as a field hospital during either the Civil War or WWI, the bartender wasn't exactly sure of the two, but regardless it's pretty neat. It's been run by the family of the original owners for generations and it's got a lot of fun tidbits to it. For one, the curtains are always down. They're down because one of the previous regulars from a while ago was always trying to get away from his crazy wife. Sometimes, she would peak into the window to see if he was inside, so since then the curtains are always down to ensure that anyone who's looking for a hide-out from the ball & chain can be safe and sound. Another fun tradition is they still heat up "Red Barron Pizza" in their pizza heater. Back in earlier times when they were getting really popular, they started heating up one of America's most popular frozen pizzas, Red Barron. The pizza brand may not be at the top of the list for anyone now-days, however, if you want pizza here today then you're going to have to deal with Red Barron; what an awesome tradition! By the way... if you're too good for Red Barron then you're never going to fit in with the fine people who frequent here, and I'll tell you this, you are 100% going to want to be friends with the main people who frequent at Pete's.
There's an old to-go window on the side of the building for drinks and pizza and the ceiling was updated after Hurricane Ida. They have board games to keep you occupied, a tiny toiletry for the light beer drinkers, and a patio that surely gets the job done.
The place still doesn't have any beer on tap which is a bit of a stinker, so your Guinness is going to come in a can. Although, when you order a Guinness you'll be asked if you either want to pour the Guinness yourself, or have it poured for you which is nice. The whiskey selection is just okay and the beer selection as a whole is rather sub-par. They offer chips for those looking for a light snack and there is a jukebox for those looking to tap the feet. The music seems to always cater to the current vibe, the light fixtures are vintage, and the conversations are incredible. There's a reason why people have been supporting this place for almost 100 years.
The bartender did an immaculate job joining those at the bar into the same conversation. We quickly made friends with a few well-connected people within the area and the stories being told were marvelous. The bartender gave us a couple of stickers to take home and I'm not going to lie to you; it was hard to close out the tab!
When you go into a place like Pete's you have to know what you're gearing up for and you have to know when to pull up. Just because I recommend the place it doesn't mean I recommend that you arrive at midnight. Nobody asked for Pete's to be proper, so if you're looking for a proper Pub then keep walking. Although sometimes Pubs like these that don't have anything in particular that screams "this is amazing" gives certain people like me a place to really embrace the Craic with those who have traveled in similar shoes. Sometimes, the ugly ones beat the pretty ones.
Thanks, Pete's! Slainte.
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