Red Square Scores With Endless Vodka Supply

Courtesy photo

Stake out one of these spots at the bar or battle the crowds

Red Square Bar’s website espouses two things: Good vibes and great vodka. By and large, this bar delivers on both.

Jumping to the “great vodka” part, simply put, if this is your liquor, then this is your bar. With more than 50 varieties of the spirit, Red Square can whip up and ungodly slew of mixes. From the Skinny Bitch (vodka and Diet Coke) to the Chernobyl (Stoli vodka, Grand Marnier, amaretto and cranberry juice), you can have a new drink a night for the foreseeable future. On the beer front, though, Red Square is lacking. While they have a few favorites (Stella, Guinness, Heineken, Blue Moon), the bar doesn’t offer the variety you might find at other places. But, to be fair, they don’t hang their fuzzy ushanka on their hops.

As far as the vibe goes, Red Square provides a nice, fairly intimate setting that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The bar is surrounded by the likes of a cupcake shop, a dance academy and a Japanese steak house. The advantage of this strip mall feel is that there will be ample parking by the time Red Square really gets going as these business will be closed, and the whole area in general is a little more upscale and nicely maintained. Heck, it might even be worth just going there during one of the happy hours (4-8pm and 11pm-2am) to purchase discounted movie tickets (only $5!). A strange deal for a bar, but we’ll take it. You can also walk across the lot to Taco Cabana for some late night eating (the best kind of eating, really).

Further contributing to the good vibes is the fact that there is never a cover for 21 and up and, unlike many of these types of bars, a pretty face doesn’t distract the bartenders—even if that girl who is falling out of her dress prances up to the bar waiving money around. As long as you wait patiently, you will get served first. Color me shocked.

Beware though: The intimate setting mentioned above can quickly become cramped as the night wears on. The bar layout highlights a DJ in the center with a tiny “dance floor” in front, but given the design of the place (remember, the blueprint shares its lineage with the aforementioned cupcake shop), it might be best to stick to one area and not walk around too much. You will more than likely be bumping and grinding before you even start dancing. If you can stake out and claim one of the couches, DO IT!

Red Square does offer outdoor seating (with $2 beer and Jell-O shots, to boot), but this time of the year, unless you score a choice table near the lone heating tower, you might have to rely solely on that vodka to keep you warm.