March Madness bars edition: Chumley’s vs. I-Bar

In case you missed it, OSU’s top 16 bars will all be competing for the title of best drinking establishment at Ohio State. Each round will be decided by a best-of-three series based on popularity, drink specials, and miscellaneous perks. Chumley’s and I-Bar are first to compete, so without further ado, let’s get started!

#1 Chumley’s vs. #16 I-Bar

Round one: Popularity

No one has ever said “let’s go to I-Bar,” you just kind of end up there sometimes.

Chumley’s on the other hand is one of the most popular bars on campus. While it might not have a line out the door every Friday night, it manages to attract sizeable crowds every single day of the week. It’s especially popular on Mondays, Thursdays, and Game Days, and manages to draw in business without leeching off the O Patio’s rejects.

Verdict: Chumley’s wins by a landslide.

Round two: Drink specials

Chumley’s – $3 long islands, $6 Yuengling pitchers, and $1.50 wells on Wednesdays, $2 wells and $4 long islands on Fridays, and of course, $2 schooners on Mondays and Thursdays.

I-Bar – $1.50 domestics, $1.75 import, $2 wells before 9pm every night.

Schooner Night may just be the most successful drink special on campus. I’m pretty sure Chumley’s is the only place you can get completely hammered on (decently) good beer for under $10. In fact, it seems as if Schooner Night created the Monday night drinking scene, instead of the other way around. While I-Bar has decent specials, most of us came here to play school, so it’s difficult to spend too much time at the bars before 9pm on a school night.

Verdict: Two words – schooner night.

Round three: Miscellaneous perks

Chumley’s is the clear winner so we’ll keep this brief. I-Bar has very quick service and pretty neon lights, so I guess that’s nice, but Chumley’s has the whole package. They have some of the nicest, most helpful staff out there and their drunk food is the bomb. Whether you’re in the mood to play Pictionary or craving a $4 grease-marinated pretzel, they’re always there with a smile on their face and a twinkle in their eye.

Verdict: Chumley’s – the Nordstrom of bars sweeps the competition.

Chumley’s 3 – Little Bar 0