Throwback Thursday — BJ’s Fredonia

I posted about BJ’s back on Easter.

I love this picture:

  
That’s not me in the picture, but I took the photo.

It was a sight I saw daily back in the mid-2000s, that bar.

I believe that’s Todd’s arm. And that’s the bar from back before the fire. So much stuff on the walls.

Easter At BJ’s In Fredonia

Every Easter I drive to Rochester to visit with family.

On my way home this year I’d wanted to stop at Cure for a cocktail, as I plan to attend an event there early next month.

The night flew by though, so when it came time to leave the city and drive back to Jamestown, I figured I better get my ass in gear and get out as quick as possible.

I don’t know why, but every year I end up driving to Rochester and back home in a single day. I’m a creature of habit and I usually always end up making a pitsop in Buffalo on the way home, just to stretch my legs and grab a coffee.

Last night though, I sped straight through to Fredonia so that my wife and I would have time for a drink at one of our old haunts — BJ’s in Fredonia. 

 

Our stop was pretty short-lived, but fun nonetheless. She had a beer and I had two bourbons.

We spent a half hour of our Easter Sunday at the bar where we started dating, so that was fun — reminiscing about rock concerts, college friends and changes in the place since the last time we’d visited.

Full disclosure: I worked at BJ’s for several years. I was a DJ and barback from early 2003 through 2006.

Those years are hazy. I learned to drink at BJ’s, and I’m not talking education in modern mixology  — more in the quantity sense of the word. I wasn’t a drinker in high school and never really had a taste for it in the first few years of college, but I did develop a healthy appetite for it after I turned 21.

 

Back to my Easter Sunday visit. The bourbons I had were:

• Basil Hayden’s, (which I’ve had before.)
• Blanton’s, (which was a first time for me.)

From the BJ’s website:

Opened in December 1933, BJ’s is one of the oldest bars this half of New York State. With the best wings, some of the best burgers, BBQ, and the absolute best beer selection in town, we have something to cater to everyone’s tastes! 

There’s also an extensive Bourbon collection, one of the only ones in town. 

Cheap prices and no bullshit, that’s what BJ’s promises.