Star Bar opened at the beginning of the year inside the Constellation apartments on East Wash, and Red Rock Saloon opened a month later in the space once occupied by Logan’s. While they are two vastly different bars, they both provide unique ambiances to the near east side and downtown, respectively.
I thought Star Bar would be bigger, but the inside capacity is about 80, according to co-owner Peter Gentry, who also runs One Barrel Brewing Co. Speaking of which, it seems like most of the same crowd from One Barrel is the one coming to Star Bar. Indeed, it’s a relaxed environment, not a place where you would find a bachelorette party.
I do like the cocktail menu here, with my favorite concoction being the O.G. ($10), a nice, stiff Manhattan made with Templeton rye. Contrasting that is the Honey Haze ($7), a lighter drink made from Rumchata and honey liqueur. A welcome surprise was the Devil’s Daug ($7), which is Bulleit bourbon, sweet and dry vermouth and orange juice.
Over at the high-energy and gigantic Red Rock Saloon, it’s amazing how many people can fit inside, yet there are always long lines to get in on the weekend. With the mechanical bull near the entryway and the music stage in the back, the country-themed bar fills a void that was created when the Bean closed.
There are definitely some hits and misses on the cocktail menu (the drinks are $5 during happy hour). I enjoyed the “caramel notes” in the Single Barrel Manhattan ($9), the sweetness of the Apple Pie Ole’Fashioned ($8) and the overall quality of the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Ole’Fashioned ($9).
Meanwhile, the Sarsaparilla ($9) was overwhelmed by the vanilla flavor, the Lynchburg Lemonade ($7) didn’t seem like it had any alcohol in it and the Into the Sunset ($8) was just too damn fruity. Note: since these drinks take a while to make, you would only order these drinks during a meal, not during at night when it’s two-deep at the bar.
I have to mention some of the gems on the food menu. Without hesitation I would re-order the immensely tender brisket ($14 as part of the two-meat BBQ dinner). I also loved the diversity of flavors in the Red Rock Burger ($11), which is topped with pulled pork, coleslaw, onion strings and cheddar & chipotle cheese. Finally, you can’t go wrong with the mega-decadent deep fried Oreos, drizzled with chocolate sauce and covered in whipped cream.
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See more photos in our Star Bar Flickr album and our Red Rock Saloon Flickr album.
I’m looking forward to being a “celebrity” judge for the inaugural MadTown Shakedown, a bartending competition taking place at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24 at HotelRED.
There are so many interesting things about Food Fight’s 
The Fried Chicken and Donuts ($5.95) among the appetizers also was a mixed bag. The fresh and perfectly sweet dough balls clashed with the way-overcooked chicken. Speaking of doughnuts, you’ll find a varied selection each day. I had a strawberry glazed ($1.50, half-off after 8:30 p.m.) that could have been more strawberry in flavor.
