Share your R Bar/Boodles/American Legion memories

[TomCat88]

Like many of you that part of town was like a home away from home for me, especially having worked there for four years. If I'm ever in Bozeman for the day I try to swing through the R Bar and I always try to time my travel through Bozeman, so I can stop at the R Bar/Pickle Barrel for lunch or dinner. It was so cool when the Pickle Barrel moved in with the R Bar. When the Pickel Barrel only had one location the employees from there and the R Bar all knew each other and I remember working some good deals at closing time with them.

I ate Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinner at the American Legion a few times, so that place will always be a special memory.

I once worked from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m, then 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., and then was supposed to work from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. again the next day, but Ralph took one look at me and sent me home at about 8:30. This was during the summer when we were short-handed.

I remember going to the R Bar when I wasn't working and getting teased. "What are you doing here on your day off." That happened a lot, but it was just a great place to hang out with the sun beaming through the windows and the Gazette and Chronicle sitting on the bar. Guys like Festus, Walt, Pert, Beach, Dundas would all roll by in the morning on their way to work, or not.

Back then Pork Chop John's was in the spot where the Pickle Barrel is and we had a great relationship with them, too. One of the cooks at PCJ, Gary, was a pro bull rider of all things. My good pal Bonnie worked there, too. I'll always remember the first time I saw her friend Holly stroll through the bar on her way to visit. "Who's that?"

My favorite place to eat dinner was O'Brien's across the street and down the block a ways. The Cowboy Cafe used to be were Boodle's was and I don't how many times I had breakfast there. Huevos Rancheros.

Obviously lots of fond memories.

[NrthFce]

Another group for those of you on facebook... and fits the title of this thread

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group ... 8831516830" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Hawks86]

Quarter beers on Friday afternoon.

[TomCat88]

Quarter beers on Friday afternoon.

Indeed, and that's an awesome avatar.

[rbr]

Rockin R memories...quarter beers, puking in garbage can on 21st bday, numerous homecoming mornings, the party on the last night before the remodel, the old "bathroom", Kenny Roger's "the gambler" seemingly on repeat (pre remodel)....on and on and on.

[GOKATS]

All of the above with the 'R' Bar, but only stopped on occasion after the remodel, just wasn't the same. Had a couple beers at Boodles, but it just wasn't me (too old). The Legion was always the staple, never changed and always a good time as far as I remember (same goes for the 'R' Bar)- billions of lost brain cells.

To all I say RIP, but especially the 'R' Bar and the Legion. May you rise again to greater glory.............

[remember the SCOOP!]

Bought my first beer in Bozeman there...it was good.

[GOKATS]

Bought my first beer in Bozeman there...it was good.

Don't mean to get off topic, but,....... is....... there........ a .......bad....... beer?

j/k

[remember the SCOOP!]

Bought my first beer in Bozeman there...it was good.

Don't mean to get off topic, but,....... is....... there........ a .......bad....... beer?

j/k

No there isn't. But the first is always the best, right?

[GOKATS]

Bought my first beer in Bozeman there...it was good.

Don't mean to get off topic, but,....... is....... there........ a .......bad....... beer?

j/k

No there isn't. But the first is always the best, right?

Wish I could remember..........................

[94VegasCat]

You had to be a very manly man to drop a duece at the ol wooden sh!t box in the R Bar! Only ever saw it one time. I will never forget that, even considering the millions of brain cells that were destroyed there.

[CelticCat]

No real specific memories of either place, just lots of good times had with good people.

The R Bar slowly grew on me over the years, I really didn't like it at first. The music was always blaring, it was always packed, and I thought it was overpriced. I would always get pissed when the karaoke ladies wouldn't let you sing unless you gave them money (I may have gotten myself kicked out once for writing an angry message on a request stub). But as my goals changed from wanting to get absolutely smashed for as little $ as possible to keeping it somewhat in control and meeting people (especially girls), it grew on me.

The Legion was always really hot and shweaty, not to mention smokey. But it served its purpose of getting me drunk for not a lot of dough, and the karaoke people there weren't near as corrupt. Occasionally I would get drunk enough to dance down there, that was always a good time (not entirely sure if my dance partners would say the same). Plus any place that had beer pong games was cool in my book. Good ol Slegion, RIP!

[AlphaGriz1]

The R Bar sucked after they got rid of the old bathroom, the whole place changed.

At least the best bar in town is still there a half block away.












The Crystal

[SACCAT]

The R Bar sucked after they got rid of the old bathroom, the whole place changed.

At least the best bar in town is still there a half block away.












The Crystal

If you didn't like the R that is fine...But show a little class. This thread is for people to talk about good times in the wake of something bad. PLEASE don't come back into this thread after reading this. ALOT of my friends and Family put there heart and sole into those places. For you to come on here and rip it apart makes me SICK

[CapitalCityCat]

If you didn't like the R that is fine...But show a little class. This thread is for people to talk about good times in the wake of something bad. PLEASE don't come back into this thread after reading this. ALOT of my friends and Family put there heart and sole into those places. For you to come on here and rip it apart makes me SICK

[Cat-theotherwhitemeat]

I have fond memories of the Rockin R. Back in the mid to late 80's we would go there after the Cat-Griz game and tear it up. You couldn't play pool on the table because it was full of bottles and cans of beer. It did make a nice place to sit though. One time in the back of the bar, I decided I worked there and started carding people at the back door. I never did get my paycheck for that. I was friends with one of the Bobcat football players and I kept giving him crap about the Cats' loss. Yeah, I was really cocky back then. The R bar used to have a video machine in the back. It put up a set of 4-5 pictures and you had to guess which one was different from the others. If you got it right, the girl on the screen would take off another piece of clothing. Get it wrong and you had to put in another quarter and try again. I had a bunch of guys behind me throwing quarters on the screen to keep the game going. What pervs!

Even though my party days are behind me, I'll miss the R bar.

[BDizzle]

All of my memories of the R bar are a little blurry. Not totally sure why though.

I do remember going there after many football games and being there till close. Would make a stop at the legion during the night. Do a little dancing, get rejected, and walk back on over to the R bar. The beer was cold, the girls beautiful, and the music loud. MY KIND OF BAR!

I'll be in Billings tonight drinking a beer for the R bar and a shot for the Legion.

[coachouert]

I will always hold a special place in my heart for the Legion. I have had friends who have been djing there for several years and recently I was doing it. We spent a lot of time there on the weekends over the past nine years and no matter where we started out, we always seemed to end at the Legion. I'm sad to see it go, but have confidence it will be rebuilt.

My favorite memory of all three is my 21st birthday. We started in the Legion, where the bartenders gave me my birthday shots (Wild Turkey, 151 and Tequila), wandered to Boodles where I had a shot of farnet (not sure how to spell it, it tastes like jager, but worse) which I insisted I take by the door so I could make sure to get outside before I threw it up (which I did) and then we went to the R to end the night...I think.

Just last week, some friends of mine were in town and we actually went to all three bars that night. Going to miss sitting around the tables in Boodles, drinking caucasians; hanging out in the R watching the "weather" (code name a friend of mine came up with so we don't seem like complete perverts..."wow, the weather sure is nice out today.) and waking up with the stank that was the American Legion Bar, Grill and Supper Club. Gonna miss it all.

[bfbobcat24]

WOW - where can I start about the RBAR memories. I use to get my mail delivered there and actually had a sleeping bag underneath one of the pool tables. TNT (tangueray and tonic) on Tuesdays. Of course quarter beers. Tom Stuber - I loved playing cribbage with you and Kathy M. on Saturday mornings between softball games. I'm glad I still have quite a few hats, shirts, etc. RIP.

[TomCat88]

I have fond memories of the Rockin R. Back in the mid to late 80's we would go there after the Cat-Griz game and tear it up. You couldn't play pool on the table because it was full of bottles and cans of beer. It did make a nice place to sit though. One time in the back of the bar, I decided I worked there and started carding people at the back door. I never did get my paycheck for that. I was friends with one of the Bobcat football players and I kept giving him crap about the Cats' loss. Yeah, I was really cocky back then. The R bar used to have a video machine in the back. It put up a set of 4-5 pictures and you had to guess which one was different from the others. If you got it right, the girl on the screen would take off another piece of clothing. Get it wrong and you had to put in another quarter and try again. I had a bunch of guys behind me throwing quarters on the screen to keep the game going. What pervs!

Even though my party days are behind me, I'll miss the R bar.

Awesome post!

That video game came in and went during my career as a bartender there. It's more likely than not that I was working that night. As for your paycheck for that night of carding people (as long as you let the underage ladies in) hit me up if we ever meet and I'll be glad to buy you a few beers. I plan on being at all the home games this season and will be wearing a bobcatnation.com t-shirt I just ordered this week.