OK, gotta tell you - BEST Bloody Mary in Tacoma. They make their own mix, and make it well is what they do. For a lunchtime drink, the Bloody Mary is a meal in itself, this I know from experience. If you happen to stumble into the Hob Nob restaurant at 6 a.m., you can catch the nurses from the hospital getting' their drunk on after a weary all-night shift. The Hob Nob Sidedoor opens at 11 a.m. and rocks with a cool lunchtime crowd, getting busier with the 3-6 p.m. happy hour crowd. The atmosphere is welcoming, the people are the kind of people I call my friends, and the Hob Nob Sidedoor is the epitome of Tacoma all wrapped up into our very own neighborhood Regal Beagle. I expected Jack & Janet to come waltzing in the door at any moment. Leather captain's chairs, dark interior, pull-tabs, lots of domestics on tap, and some indescribable carpeting all amount to a top-notch dive bar. There's .38 Special blaring from the electronic jukebox, Karla at your service, and me sittin' at the bar sippin' a tall cool one. I bet you can barely imagine a more picture-perfect scenario. I know I can't.

LINK: Happy Hour

LINK: Drink of the Week

LINK: Best of Tacoma 2009