Inside: Bay Horse Tavern

Since 1948—can you tell? (Credit: Samantha M. Sais/Metromix)

Driving east on Grant Road, you may first notice the sign: “Save the Bay Horse!” The reason: The Bay Horse Tavern is scheduled to be torn down in 2012 to make room for the Grant expansion.

The outside may be more interesting than the inside. With a battered exterior and a sign that looks like it hasn’t been replaced since the bar opened in 1948, the Bay Horse instantly gives off the authenticity of a neighborhood dive.

The setup: Like most neighborhood bars, the inside is simple yet comforting. Cement floors, dim lighting and a full bar—yes, it's authentic inside, too. But even if you think this is the same old type of place, you’ve at least got to see it before it becomes a lane of traffic.

The large smoking patio is stocked with an eclectic collection of tables and old furniture, ranging from those nifty rainbow umbrellas stuck on hotdog carts to the plastic-coated wire tables I used to eat at as a kid on the playground.

Libations: The Bay Horse has all the basics, but something a little different from the others is the collection of schnapps. They carry such a huge selection that you can probably find any flavor you can think of—cinnamon to blue raspberry. Happy hour can be every hour at the Bay Horse, as long as you can think of 20 ways to use and abuse this ungodly schnapps selection.

Entertainment: The standard pool tables and darts are here, as is the sometimes-elusive foosball table. The neighborhood joint also hosts the occasional event or show. Local bands will offer up live music on random Friday nights and, since the bar is relatively small, when a show is put on it literally takes up the whole place. Most reliable is the jukebox, which is always there and ready to go.

Food: Free, free, free! OK, so it's just free popcorn, but they give it out specifically for your libation-related munchies. The Bay Horse also offers Tombstone pizza, chips, beef jerky, and peanuts; sadly, these have a price tag.

Bottom line: Make sure to stop in by this Tucson classic before it’s too late.

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