Vs. the Earth takes on the crowd at Padonia Station.
(Credit: Lisa Wiseman)
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What's so special about a strip mall bar that serves burgers and wings? Places like Padonia Station exist everywhere, yet crowds regularly pack the place. The attraction rests with precisely what makes the Station so lackluster—its comfort and predictability. Folks here know what they're getting—a cold beer, a game on TV and a burger the size of a small basset hound. (Seriously, the "Artie Donovan" burger—named after the famed Baltimore Colt—is 24 oz. of beef on white toast served with onion rings, potato wedges, cole slaw and a pickle. Finish the monstrosity and your colon may not thank you, but the bar will post your photo on its Web site.)
Drinks: Beer drinkers, welcome home. The beer of the day special promotes a variety of bottles and pints for around $2.50. Other drink specials include $1.25 Coors Light and $2 Tuaca shots on Thursdays, and a daily happy hour with cheap drinks from 5 to 7 p.m. We noticed a variation in drink quality from bar-to-bar. Granted, we like a bartender with a generous pour, but when a vodka cranberry looks like white Zinfandel and tastes like nail polish remover, something isn't quite right.
Décor: It's no surprise that Padonia Station's typical oak bar is appointed with brass rails, and that the space features pool tables and numerous TVs accented by neon beer propaganda. What makes the place remarkable, however, is the wooden dance floor and live music stage. If you don't feel like joining the sweaty crush of people in front of the stage, score easy seats beyond the bar, where several long tables provide a view of the band.
Crowd: It would be impossible to describe the "typical" Padonia Station regular. Age-wise, bar-goers range from barely legal (IDs are most definitely scrutinized here) to people in their 50s. Dress-wise, some guys sport dress shirts and girls don sexy heels, short skirts and sparkly tops, while plenty of others opt for the jeans and sweatshirts approach. It's obvious people visit the Station for a variety of reasons, and their attire often reveals their intentions.
Insider tip: While most free happy hour buffets provide miserly offerings at best (after all, a place could go out of business feeding throngs of drunk, hungry freeloaders), a person can eat very well at Padonia Station for minimal cash. During Monday Night Football, the free buffet features roast beef. Don't overlook the all-you-can-eat chicken wing special, though, and save room for dessert, when the ladies of the Gentleman's Gold Club make their weekly half-time appearance. Tuesdays, enjoy a happy hour steak buffet for $2.50. Wednesdays, get more free beef and reduced-prices on ribs. Thursdays, indulge some Southwestern flare with a free Tex-Mex buffet. And Sundays, get half-priced burgers.
Bottom line: True, this isn't the most happening place in town, but there's enough going on at Padonia Station to draw a crowd.
