State College, Pennsylvania, the not-so-little town that surrounds Penn State’s main campus, may not be the most cosmopolitan place on Earth. However, if you are looking for a Cosmo, a beer, or any other type of drink, you are definitely in the right place. State College features beer bars, sports bars, cocktail bars, dive bars, and great music venues, and in the process of earning two degrees from Penn State, I sampled the drinks at nearly all of them. It is hard to pick a list of the best bars in State College, but you can if you narrow it down by category.
Best Party Bar
Let’s face it, in a college town there are going to be bars dedicated to loud music and potent drinks. State College has quite a few of these bars for Penn State students to choose from. One of the best party bars in town is The Saloon. Located downstairs at 101 Heister Street, The Saloon offers patrons a lot of live entertainment and a lot of alcohol. Pitchers of Monkey Boys, especially at $5 each on special, are a favorite social lubricant among Penn State students. The students keep the bartenders at The Saloon pouring quickly and often during half-price happy hours.
The atmosphere at The Saloon is loud and energetic, very much like a college party itself. The stage hosts a band or karaoke nearly every night, and the pool tables are always busy. The Saloon is very much like the stereotypical college bar, but since it is only a few steps off the Penn State campus, that is to the bar’s credit.
Honorable Mention: Cafe 210 West on College Avenue is another great party bar in State College. The Long Island Iced Teas here are among the favorites of Penn State students, and on a busy night that fact shows itself at the bar. The back room at The Cafe, as it is affectionately known, is often host to live music which gets the dance floor rocking. The Cafe also has a great outdoor seating area in front for those who like to soak up some sun as they soak up their alcohol.
Best Beer Bar
Without a doubt, the best bar in State College for enjoying a beer is Zeno’s. Located at the corner of College and Allen, in the basement below the Corner Room (and, as their advertising states, “Directly above the center of the Earth”), Zeno’s has a huge, rotating list of bottled and draft beers, and the staff is knowledgeable about the product and eager to help you find a new brew. The beer list at Zeno’s runs heavy on imports and domestic microbrews, so fans of mass-produced swill may not find this bar to their liking. Beer lovers, however, will rejoice, especially as they try to fill up their Around the World in 80 Beers passport.
Zeno’s is located in a basement near one of the most heavily walked intersections in State College, but this only adds to the atmosphere of the bar. The roughly finished walls and floors of Zeno’s tend to run cool, mimicking a storage cellar for aging a newly-brewed lager. The lighting is dim, and the legs of Penn State students can be seen through the bar’s few, small windows set high in the walls. The atmosphere of this bar is definitely laid back, quite a bit different from most of the bars in State College.
Honorable Mention: Otto’s Brew Pub, located on North Atherton. Otto’s is a great brew pub and restaurant just north of Penn State’s campus. The chef at Otto’s often makes interesting new dishes to pair with the seasonal beers brewed on-site. It is, however, the great beers that Otto’s brews that are the real draw to this establishment and what make this a beer-lover’s dream. If you do not want to drive out to Otto’s, you can always sample their beers at Zeno’s, just one of the reasons that bar took the title for this category.
Best Wine Bar
Yes, even a college town will have a good wine bar or two. In State College, budding oenophiles have a go-to bar, The Adam’s Apple. Attached to the Tavern Restaurant on East College Ave, The Adam’s Apple features great classic American foods and a substantial wine list. Wines of all styles are available from classic regions of France, Italy, and California along with burgeoning wine regions like Australia and Chile. This State College bar also features classic cocktails served, perhaps, with a bit more class than at the standard college bar more easily found in town.
While dress for the Adam’s Apple and the Tavern Restaurant is casual, the atmosphere is a little classier and laid back than a lot of State College’s bars. The food is quite good, the wine list extensive, and the cocktails easy to sip.
