Outside Magazine's 'Best Watering Holes' List

Outside Magazine is one of my favorite magazines, and the July 2010 issue was its annual “water issue,” that is, dedicated to water activities like scuba diving, kayaking, swimming, etc.

That issue also included a cool list of “watering holes” that was put together by “writers, athletes, friends, spouses and readers.

The opening paragraph for this “best of” list of bars and restaurants summed the whole thing up nicely.

“If experience has taught us one thing, it’s that sun and adventure make you thirsty. But where to ‘rehydrate’? We asked our writers, athletes, friends, spouses and readers – all of whom were quite eager to help us research our first-ever roundup of the best places for people like us to relax and refuel.”

Without further ado, here’s the list:

1. The Alchemist Pub and Brewery (Waterbury, Vermont)
2. The Beachcomber (Wellfeet, Mass.)
3. Brouwer’s Café (Seattle)
4. City View Tavern (Cincinnati)
5. Claim Jumper Saloon (Ennis, Montana)
6. Cowgirl BBQ (Santa Fe, New Mexico)
7. Deep Eddy Cabaret (Austin, Texas)
8. Elbow Inn Bar and Barbecue (Devils Elbow, Missouri)
9. Frog Level Oyster Bar (Apalachicola, Fla.)
10. The Frying Pan (New York City)
11. Grandma’s Saloon and Grill (Duluth, Minnesota)
12. Haleiwa Joe’s (Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii)
13. Fort Seward Lodge & Restaurant (Haines, Alaska)
14. Highlander Steakhouse (Ashford, Wash.)
15. La Kiva Bar (Terlingua, Texas)
16. Hopworks Urban Brewery (Portland, Oregon)
17. Iron Door Saloon (Groveland, Calif.)
18. Jack of the Wood (Asheville, N.C.)
19. Jerry’s Bait Shop (Lenexa, Kansas)
20. The Lander Bar (Lander, Wyoming)
21. Le Chamois (Olympic Valley, Calif.)
22. Lucky Bar (Washington, D.C.)
23. The Map Room (Chicago)
24. The Minturn Saloon (Minturn, Colorado)
25. Oskar Blues Grill and Brewery (Lyons, Colorado)
26. Pies and Pints (Fayetteville, W.V.)
27. Powerhouse Bike Café (Hailey, Idaho)
28. The Rack BBQ (Carrabassett Valley, Maine)
29. Ray’s Tavern (Green River, Utah)
30. Salty Dawg Saloon (Homer, Alaska)
31. Oak Creek Tavern (Sedona, Ariz.)
32. Schooner Wharf Bar (Key West, Fla.)
33. The Stagecoach (Wilson, Wyoming)
34. Surf Bar (Folly Beach, S.C.)
35. The Terrace at Memorial Union (Madison, Wisc.)
36. Zeitgeist (San Francisco)

The magazine article contains more information about each of these locales, and if you’d like to read the entire article, visit http://outsideonline.com/adventure/travel-ta-wine-beer-and-spirits-portland-seattle-san-francisco-sedona-sidwcmdev_150509.html.

In the end, I’d be interested to know if any of you have ever been to any of these places. If so, what did you think about them? Let us know in the comments section below.