By Eric Webster

Gene’s Haufbrau is the place to be if you’re serious about beer and want to be sure of a good selection.

ALL THE GOOD BARS ARE DIVE BARS

The dive bar, a tried and true American staple.  All towns have one, most towns have several.  

Though the term can be used to describe some seedy locations, over time it has come to refer to your well-worn, unpretentious neighborhood bar.  Usually one serving up reasonably priced drinks to a crowd of mostly regular customers, and one without a lot of flashy signs or really much of anything to draw your attention.  

One does not hear of a dive bar from glittery advertisements.  We rarely hear of a dive bar from its most loyal patrons, as they want to keep it exactly the way it is.  

You wander randomly into a dive bar, or happen across it in your travels.  If you are more than a casual acquaintance of a regular, they might clue you in to the place they go to escape (with instructions not to tell everyone else where you went).

Gene’s Haufbrau and its particularly good beer selection stand as a shining example of the perfect dive bar.  Reasonable prices but so many beers.  So.  Many.  Beers.  

And so much more

AS LOCAL AS LOCAL GETS

Since 1952, Gene’s has been home to the Charleston locals living west of the Ashley river.  For all of the area’s history, very few bars remain in the Holy City dating back much further.  Perhaps there’s a spot downtown that can trace back to 1788, but by and large Gene’s is one of the longer-running establishments still open in town (and the oldest one in the West Ashley/Avondale area).

Since even before craft beers started to become a major force in the market, Gene’s has been at the forefront of the best craft beer selection available in town.  As the local market in Charleston has exploded with diverse and wonderful breweries, Gene’s Haufbrau has kept featuring their beers among the national and global entries on their extensive list.

This makes them a local treasure that is showcasing other local treasures.  Whether it is one of the taps, or the bottles and cans, a who’s who of Charleston brew can be had at this cozy bar.  They won’t all go on to the widespread recognition some are beginning to find, but will have a place here for as long as they are making beer.

There are hundreds of pictures above the bar of past patrons living their best life within these walls.  The bar top is a display of labels from some beers you’ve heard of, a few you’ve never heard of, and others you had forgotten about. 

This is where folks come to socialize, to relax and be themselves among friends.  It has been since 1952 and will still be just that in 2052.  A place like Gene’s is as important a neighborhood fixture as anything else.  We all need somewhere to unwind.

DID I MENTION THEIR BEER YET?

If you’re looking for German beer, they have a lot of it here.  You like a good English porter?  There might be one on tap right now!   ESB?  Check.  Have you tried the Lambic?  They have more than one sour to choose from!  Who does that?

There are 17 drafts on display, and 117 (you read that right, one hundred and seventeen) more beers available in bottles or cans.  From strong ales to Belgian Tripels to weird fruit beers, your desires are here for the asking (and a few bucks to help keep the rent paid).

They’ve even got drinkable NA beers instead of the usual swill that non-drinkers have dealt with in the past.  Designated drivers deserve better than just water or sugar bomb mocktails, and Gene’s has their back!!

If you’re looking for good beer selection, look no further than Avondale.  Gene’s is where it’s at.

Somewhere in these coolers is every style you can think of!  I hear you shouting ‘challenge accepted’, but you’d need to spend some time on a Google search before you proved this wrong.

For those who choose the stronger drinks, don’t take the focus on the beer to mean you’ll be left wanting.  There is plenty of liquor on these shelves to please your palate as well.  For now, however, we are talking about barley pop.  Fishing sodas.  Suds, hop juice, wobbly pop, laughing water, liquid bread.  We are here for the beer.

IT’S LIKE YOU’RE WAITING FOR AN INVITATION!  

As if the beer was not enough!  Of course you’re invited, why aren’t you on your way yet?

Need more excuses to join the party at Gene’s? 

• The shuffleboard table has just the right glide once you get warmed up
• There are two pool tables available while you’re waiting your turn on Golden Tee
• Want to play board games? Guess what?
• They let you throw sharp stuff!!!  Okay, specific sharp stuff.  And only at the dart boards.

Unlike the pretzels and mystery meat you would expect to find in a place like this, their kitchen isn’t churning out your run-of-the-mill fare.  The blue plate specials are good Southern food, and lots of it, for a very reasonable price.  No, you can’t have Tuesday’s plate on Friday, why did you even ask that? 

With items ranging from Weiner Schnitzel to fish tacos, you can keep a lot of people happy with this menu.  Best of all, there’s definitely a beer here that will pair perfectly with whatever you decide to get!  That Mexi-Club tastes even better washed down with a Helles lager, getting both sides of the Atlantic involved in your experience.

Add all these things together and you’ve got yourself the ingredients for a place you never want to leave!

ONCE MORE, WITH FEELING: THIS IS THE BEST CRAFT BEER SELECTION YOU’RE GOING TO FIND!

Anyway, if you like beer enough to have read this far then this is your place to come every day until you die.  Locally owned and operated, Gene’s has a committed local following that is always ready to add another regular to their family of friends.  

Visiting Charleston?  This will be the place you tell all your friends you discovered on your trip.  It’s a cross between a tree fort and a clubhouse, but for adults and everyone is welcome. 

Dive bars forever!  Gene’s for life!  Stop in for a cold one and soon it’ll be your clubhouse, too.