Pol’s Cafe

Not sure why they call this place a café because it’s and old corner bar in Canton. This is your grandfather’s bar established in the 1930’s and has not been updated much except for the addition of neon signs, video poker and a color tv. I found this place on a whim a few months ago when I was trying to explain what a dive bar was. A friend and I were at another bar in Canton (not a dive bar) and I couldn’t really explain what a dive bar was other than it’s the bar that you don’t take a new date to, you go to when you want to just relax and be with other people who are pretty much getting away from whatever it is that’s getting them down. I told him, «Hey, we can step out of this place and walk no more than 3 blocks and I can show you a dive bar». That’s just what we did. Walked up 2 blocks and saw a neon Coors Light sign glowing from an otherwise bricked up corner building. «Bingo! this will do.» the only writing on the place was a small sign that read «Pols Café, 1930-​something».
We walked in to find a few sleepy old men and a tired but helpful bartender in a Santa hat (It was February by now). The ACE awards were on tv and tired old folks were watching Queen Latifah sell the biz. That was surreal scene #1. My buddy orders up 2 Miller Lites and the bartender brings over two pints and says «That’ll be $ 3». Buddy looks at her and says «No, I’m getting both of them. She looks at him deadpan. «$ 3». His jaw drops. Yes, my friend. $ 3 for 2 pints. Welcome to your new dive bar.
He then takes a quick break to the men’s room and comes trotting back all excited. «Dude! I haven’t seen pissers like that in ages!» I walk into the men’s room to find one of the old school urinals that goes all the way to the floor. Whoa! I haven’t seen urinals like that since the old Tiger stadium. That’s old.
This place was exactly what I was looking for. People basically kept to themselves but nobody gave you the eye, bar tender was straight up and easy going, drinks were cheap as can be and we were free from the outside world for a few rounds. This is in now way a destination bar but it is exactly where it needs to be.