The Modern Cafe

We walked into a buzz-saw at this bar.  We entered the brightly lit space and found two seats at a mostly empty bar.  We were immediately drafted into playing trivia with the only couple at the bar.  The moderator was very loud and hovered right in front of us for the next 45 minutes.  While there is nothing wrong with trivia this particular set up was uncomfortable.  At any rate, we played, we lost, we got a free drink for our efforts.  

While we played trivia we ordered food from a pretty uninspired menu (fried things, sandwiches, salads) and got a couple of drinks.  The food was mediocre, at best.  The liquor selection was middle shelf and limited.  They have drink specials every weeknight, but they seem pretty random.  It was "Wine and Whiskey Wednesday!" when we were there.  They have a pretty good beer selection: twelve drafts and a selection of microbrews in bottles and cans.

The place had a greenish hue, and felt very sterile (plus side, clean!).  The bathrooms were even brighter than the bar and felt like a bathroom at a hospital.  The seating area was awkwardly situated and felt very exposed.  Dart board.  Internet crap juke-box.  Yawn.

It seemed like a pretty definitive “locals” bar where everyone was on a first name basis.  The result of which was feeling, alternately, bulldozed into participating and ignored.

Unless you live right there, and you had been kicked out of all the other bars in the area, we can’t see hanging out here.  For a place called Modern, it did not strike us as such.

 

Address:	862 Western Ave, 15233 http://www.themoderncafe.com/	Games:	Darts, Magic Touch
Façade:	Not Scary	Scene:	Yinzer
Parking:	Easy	Patio/Outdoor:	No
Kitchen:	Bar Food	Cleanliness:	Nice
Smoking:	No	Jukebox:	Internet Crap
Hours:	-2am	Cig Machine:	No
Drink Prices:	Average	# taps:	12
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	Nightly
Live music:	Never	Riley Factor:	$8-10
ATM:	Yes	Cash Only	No
TVs:	4	Size:	Normal