Sunset Lounge

100^th review and an FTR! Like me, you’ve probably passed by and seen this unassuming little place while rushing up 4^th St and forgotten about it moments later. Sunset Lounge is a neighborhood dive and does it well, since it has been around for a long time and survived gentrification just a few blocks west. Christmas lights adorn the top of the bar, whose interior is entirely dark blue. The bartender and patrons were very welcoming to us newcomers ( Unilocalers Luke, Berae, and me) and the liquor set up was the 1^st had seen of its kind: Turntables with six bottles and on each marked with a large piece tape with the price of the shot written in a thick black marker. No guesswork or asking needed; I love that they do this. Got a couple of Buds and a $ 3.25 shot of Jack and I saw that even the Belvedere was $ 5 a shot, which I’m rather certain is very reasonable for some top-​of-​the-​line vodka. Only a couple of shots available were over $ 5 and the bartender was right; the candy filled easter baskets, which you wouldn’t expect in a bar, were good to satisfy the munchies. Next time you’re in the Short North and want something more down to earth just head a few blocks east on 1^st Ave and you’ll find it at this Italian Village staple.

What a cool, little dive this was. Like Keith, I’ve gone by it a million times and just sort of overlooked it. Last night, however, we set out specifically to remedy this. Walking up, the very first thing I noticed were the hours. Sunset is interestingly closed on Sundays and Mondays, like all tattoo shops, but unlike most bars.
The inside is very dimly lit. If there were any windows, they were covered. There’s a small pool table, some tables, and a booth along the right side, as well as some kind of room that apparently housed whatever musical setup they had.
The bar runs nearly the entire length of the left side, and features super wobbly stools that have been there for 50 odd years. If you lean back, they don’t wobble so bad. The same, weird, liquor dispensing setup I recently saw at Triad, the selection is surprising and priced to move.
The restrooms look like they’ve seen better days, but I think you can say that about pretty much any bar. I did find it ironic that the men’s room featured a full size door and the women’s had one of those saloon type, swinging doors. If you were perverted enough, you could probably do some peeping. Odd they went that route.
The bartender, Toi, was a blast. Very personable and welcoming. She even hooked us up a little bit. Oh, very important to note; sunset DOES take credit cards, so long as it’s Visa or Mastercard. No minimum charge. Pretty much the only disappointment is that the kitchen was closed. The main sign says «soul food» on it, but we were unable to give the food a whirl.