Skipper’s Hamtown Bar

Hamtramck is such an enigma. There are so many of these charming, really special places, which stand out against a background of bleakness and time rust. Skipper’s is a neighborhood joint. Skipper is behind the bar, and there are good specials on draft, or you can get a nice beer in a bottle and a frosted glass from the cooler. The crowd is a neighborhood crowd, and everyone knows everyone. There is a really pristine pool table. There is open mic music. And no one smokes in the bar — they go out back to the little patio. Since my last connections to Hamtramck have left, I am rarely in the area, which is a shame. I’m happy I found this place, though, and hope you give Skipper’s, and Hamtramck’s other gems, a chance.

Spent a couple hours here last night catching up with my sister and brother-​in-​law. They both say it’s their current favorite Hamtramck bar and I’m not going to disagree with them, though it’s not like I spend a lot of time in Hamtown bars.
Skipper’s is a classic corner bar. They’ve got a pool table, a dart board, a jukebox with some soul, rock n roll, country, jazz, doo wop, a little bit of anything old school, and a lil’ backyard to go smoke or just chill out. Wednesday is open mic night.
Skipper wasn’t there, but at the risk of being exiled to filtered review land I will say he’s a swell guy. Our bartender was plenty nice, too, though, even though my $ 2 tip on a cranberry juice and a bag of Fritos wasn’t anything to write home about. (Gwen and Jeff probably helped make up for that, though.) She was playing cool movies behind the bar — Faster, Pussycat, Kill! KIll! and Death Race 2000, and had a cool sound on her phone for her texts — that whistle sound from the original Willie Wonka.
Best of all — for me at least — the bartop and all the tabletops are all markered up, and Skipper’s keeps a pitcher of Sharpies on hand just for patrons who want to decorate.
Skipper’s is my kind of joint!

Great local bar. Good place to meet with friends.