The Republican

This place could be fun if the bar tenders weren’t so egotistical. Very rude and bothered to even get you a beer. Also don’t play the games or you will be approached 5 times an hour to tell you to take it easy on their old machines, even though you were being as gentle as possible while playing pool… Take your money else where.

This little dive bar sits in a ratty part of town. Inside, it’s basically a hallway, with not a lot of options for sitting. We moved around the corner and have been here twice but it’s not the most welcoming place, which normally doesn’t bother us because we keep to ourselves and typically chat at a table.
The bartenders seem deliberately inattentive. They see you standing there, smiling, and they keep doing what they’re doing, which is fine if you want to finish drying glasses or changing a keg really quick, but if you deliberately keep someone waiting while you finish one task, then chat, then finish another, all the while making eye contact with someone waiting with an empty glass directly in front of the bar, well then you probably aren’t working for tips.
The smoking section is basically straight out of a prison set up. The bathrooms have been a little too dirty for a bar with traffic this slow in it.
The comment about flannel skinny jeans vegan beard makes me laugh, because all I see here are fat guys with beards and black hoodies.
It’s also a bit embarrassing the lengths some places will go to try and make you think they’re Irish. Irish-​themed, kind of, but despite its carefully chosen décor it doesn’t resemble any pub I’ve seen on two vacations to Ireland, but I will give them points on making it feel like Ireland since there doesn’t appear to be one HD TV in the place at all. Old tube TVs and a gigantic, boxy big screen on some sort of makeshift stage taking up where a few good tables could be put to use.
The soccer crowd that comes here isn’t the best. They’re not really in it for the soccer.

Unless you’re flannel skinny jeans vegan beard bro, you’re going to get glared at and practically ignored by the bartender here. Just a heads up.

This is a great bar with a unique ambiance due to the tall ceilings, lack of windows, and abundance of heavy wood furniture. It’s great for going solo or with friends, and quiz night is always fun, and of course if you want to watch soccer, this is your place. Also much appreciated is that you can actually have a conversation with people – it’s not too loud. A true pub!
My only real suggestions for improvement is to expand the cider options so that we GF folks have more interesting choices (in keeping with your excellent beer selection). We also enjoy playing shuffleboard but wish that it wasn’t timed because we never seem to finish our game before the machine shuts down.

I really really like this bar. It was one of the first bars I wondered in to when I moved here. The staff is always nice, the beer is always cold, and the people there are generally pretty good. It is kind of a no nonsense bar though. Everyone there is super nice, but they have a low tolerance for rude customers. They won’t take a lot of crap and they will meet your attitude if you are a jerk.
Also don’t go in there expecting a generic pub. It is a soccer bar. If there is a soccer game on they are not going to turn basketball or football or anything else on for you. I see people going in there all the time and getting real indigent about it. That always strikes me as odd. If there is no soccer they will happily show it, but nothing goes on over footy.
The bar is dark and a little grungy for some. I like dive bars so i think it is kind of nice actually. They have a pretty serious trivia night and have food specials like brats sometimes. The food they do is always good, limited but good.
In short, I love this bar. Just know what you are getting into. If you like dark bars with cold beer and bar games you will likely enjoy this place.
p. s. The Republican is across the corner from the best taco cart in town and they are cool with you bringing food in and eating in there. This is quite literally my favorite «going out» meal in town: A burrito from the cart and red ale from the Republican.

The Republican is a great bar close by. Chill atmosphere, Better Red Than Dead Ale, shuffle board, and good company are all the makings for a good night out! Cheers!

This small bar seems to attract a strange crowd. I wouldn’t say that the service is bad or good because it is very average for a bar. It’s supposed to be an Irish themed place but really it’s just a dive bar. The outdoor area is just a small fenced-​in space similar to a prison courtyard.

I was told by a new friend that this was a «pure football pub»… a no bullshit, serious soccer-​fan hang-​out. I was weighing my options before the USA vs. Germany final match of the Group G group stage for the FIFA 2014 World Cup live from Brazil. RSL was expecting to have 2,000 people down in Sandy at The Riot to watch their open-​practice and stick around and catch the match on their Jumbotron. I was all dressed and ready to go when it hit me. I have a wider-​than-​normal butt, and although I love RSL soccer… the seats at Rio Tinto are hard and narrow and don’t leave a whole lot of knee-​room.
Then I thought it through… Let me see… a pure Irish pub with a full bar — watching the game with real footie fans… with plenty of TV’s to watch from a number of angles… and perhaps a nice Irish Coffee made with Jameson to help me start my day off. The decision was made!
And that’s what I found. First of all — — the bar looks deceptively small from the outside. And while it’s not very wide… it more than makes up in length. And the beautiful wood bar is really long… it’s quite a hike to the bathroom when the place is packed with soccer fans!
I showed a photo (the one I added to Unilocal today) to a friend in my old hometown in India and he wrote back, «Now THAT’S a BAR!» Soccer-​firm scarves hanging from the rafters, football jerseys on the walls… if you’ve ever been to Dublin… then you know just what kind of pub this is… Guinness on tap is popular (as is Jameson for breakfast!) — — it’s the kind of pub where REAL Irishmen (and women) hang out… not the plastic, touristy-​traps along the Temple Bar. The kind of place that you dare not make any jokes about the IRA (thus the name of the bar. The Republican.) A sort of rough-​and-​tumble dive bar, JUST the kind that I’ve been looking for since I landed in SLC in May.
HUGE PLUS for me… REAL bristle dart-​boards! Dart league trophies line the wall… so I guess they must have some players who hang out there. A nice shuffleboard table and a pay-​to-​play pool table round out the recreation equipment.
The bartenders kept the drinks flowing without being pushy (there is an art to that!) The prices were fair… and the people who were there today for the match were just what I expected… rabid RSL/​USA football fans with a real love and knowledge of the game. Oh… I think I’ll be back. Regularly.

I really like it. Way better than the other similar options I have tried around downtown and sugarhouse.
Nice staff and the place feels more open rather than cramped. Great!

The Republican has recently become my go-​to bar. Bored? Can’t decide where to go? Want to get away from the crowds? Don’t want to wait forever for a drink at the bar? Love shuffleboard, darts, Foosball, and more? Then head to the Republican
The bar itself is easy to miss. No windows and just one lonely sign that says «The Republican». Once you go through the door, the inside isn’t much better. Pretty barren, long bar on one side, plenty of tables, and lots of games to keep you interested. For a dive bar, that sounds like perfection.
The staff has always been super friendly and there seem to be a lot of regulars which is always a good sign. Prices are average, and it’s hardly ever crowded. I’ve never (ever) had to wait more than 2 minutes for a drink, but then again, this is more of a beer place than a fancy, intricate cocktail (that takes 5 minutes to make) kind of place.
The reason I keep coming back here is that they have shuffleboard, Foosball, darts, AND Super Kixx (an awesome, vintage dome soccer game similar to Foosball but 10000x more fun. just be careful bc we were reminded countless times that it’s vintage and should be gentle when playing). Plenty of things to keep you occupied and also a great way to meet new people.