The Pink Flamingo

«The Bird» as the locals call it, is in the Dive Bar genre but I say that with great respect. It is certainly no dive. I met some wonderful local people and the bartenders were attentive and poured a great drink.
It is the type of bar that every town hopefully still has and you feel instantly at home the moment you walk through the door. No hip Millennials on their iPad Air 2’s doing very cool things, just a bunch of very nice local folks hanging out and having a pop.
Football was on but I noticed they have an old school shuffleboard and pool table but were not in use at the time. The bartender was an experienced pro with a nice smile and a great drink. I asked for a food recommendation and she handed me several menus to look at. I asked her this question. «Where is the food equivalent of this place?», meaning a local hangout with great food. She told me to go next door to Jersey’s Pizza.
Visiting with some locals I didn’t realize they had bought me a drink until it was time to settle up., it is that kind of place. «The Bird» will be my very first stop every time I’m in Redlands. My warmest thanks for their great hospitality.

It’s mid afternoon but it’s dark inside and the jukebox is playing. This must be the the classic dive bar in town. The dirty bird. Actually it’s a lot cleaner than I remember. Drinks are cheap and the tv has the game on. It’s cozy and great change of pace. I recommend the bloody Mary’s. The salt the rim if you like. The only garnish is two olives. Perfect.