Buck Murphy’s Place

Who can resist a sign that says «Cold Beer, Good Chili? We stopped in last night after a long, hot weekend of camping (where, surprisingly enough, we did not eat chili) — now I’ll admit, I probably would not have gone into a bar in the basement of a house if I wasn’t with my boyfriend, but what a great place! This is your total dive bar with a single pool table and cigarette machine. It was pretty empty, not surprising for a Sunday night, but the adorable bartender Kayla didn’t at all act like she was annoyed to have customers as some do when it’s late and empty. I was a bit worried about the spicy rating of the chili, so she gave me a sample and it was good! We ordered a bowl to split (BIG portion) and the shrimp basket to split. The chili is homemade, the shrimp and fries, obviously not so much, but who can complain about coconut breaded fried shrimp? She also put what I’m pretty sure was crack on the fries, because I couldn’t stop eating them. Kayla was also sweet enough to bring me some sour cream for the chili, because it was definitely spicy. While we were there people started coming in and every person was greeted by name — it was like Cheers! Overall, it’s a true dive bar with cold beer, good chili and a friendly atmosphere. We’ll definitely be back.

My boyfriend desperately need a cut for work, and this was the only place open at 9 at night, so we decided to give it a try.
Um, you really can’t miss it at night, it’s got more neon per inch than Vegas. It’s also got a hearse in the front of the place. It’s got a dive biker bar feel, and the barbers look the part. He was there only customer at the time so they take him in.
I sat down and watched tv and stared at all the photos on the wall filled with half naked girls and politically motivated posters. These guys are how I like to call ‘Unapologetically American’. I eventually struck up a conversation with the guys. These fellas had me laughing with all their great stories, and had good life advice to give. They saw us two young crazy kids making a life together and it was like visiting your crazy old uncle.
The barber was good at what he does, he’s been in the business for a very long time. My boyfriend walked away with a good cut for a good price, thanks guys.

I’ve driven by this place for years always noticing the sign that reads «Cold Beer, Good Chili,» as that is not something you see all around. Cold Beer, sure that’s everywhere but Good Chili? That’s something I rarely think about, it’s unusual, special, rarely advertised, but it stuck in my mind. Last night it was cold out, I was in the area and thought some nice warm chili would really hit the spot, so I finally got around to giving it a try. The first thing I notice is that the bar is in the basement of the house. Interesting and divey… Once inside I see the place is clean and not dark and scary. There are about 10 tables with chairs but we decided to sit at the bar for the fullest experience. The bar lady was like an old friend. She talked with us without being hurried and she even helped us decide what to eat. We tried the Chili, onion rings and jalapeño poppers. The portions were ample and just what you would expect for bar and grill food– EXCEPT for the Chili which is outstanding. The bowl was VERY large and it comes with shredded cheese and onions on top. Even though I was warned it was spicy I was surprised at just how spicy it was. Even though I was full, I just kept eating because it was so so good. I will be back for more Chili. I feel like I found a hidden treasure. Mmmmmm, Chili. (next time I’ll try a table and sit in the special red chairs)