Two drinks: Mayday

Co-owners Kim Maurer and Vanessa Barber run the bar at Mayday in Northside. (Credit: David Sorcher | Special to Metromix)

Inside: Mayday

We take a look inside Northside's newest bar and concert...

The look: Lodged in the obscure corner building that had been the Gypsy Hut, Mayday has the feel of many bars packed into one. You could walk in circles and see several different rooms being utilized, all of them having their own flavor.

The patio out back is also quite big, with more than one fire pit warming groups of people at a time. The best part may be the fact that one of the rooms is a full-sized concert hall. You can check out the music if you'd like or talk with your friends in another room. Either place has plenty of space.

Lots of customers also fancy the vintage jukebox and free billiards and Ping Pong tables.

The crowd: I'm probably not cool enough to come here on a regular basis. The crowd is very hip with most patrons between 25 and 35 years old. I showed up on the Friday after Thanksgiving and it was packed with people - lots of funky hats, black leather jackets and witty T-shirts.

The drinks: I let the bartender talk me into a "Shoot the Root" ($4). Think Irish Car Bomb but with Pabst Blue Ribbon and root beer liqueur. My girlfriend wasn't so fond of it, but something about mixing PBR with a sugary liquor tasted so right. After that we tried glasses of Cascazilla Red Ale ($4).

The grub: They have a simple menu, but a good one. Mayday menu items include a variety of hot dogs, including vegan ones as well as pastry items. I went against my better instinct and tried a vegan chili dog ($6.50). It came with chips and a pickle and surpassed any misconceptions. It was as tasty as non-meat hot dogs. Perfect beer food, for sure.

The verdict: It may not be a huge departure from the Gypsy Hut, but the subtle changes seem to be working well. Having a hot dog menu instead of the previous pizza menu, for instance, is a welcoming change. The drink selection is vast, and everything is pretty reasonably priced.

It's away from the main drag in Northside, but Mayday is definitely a destination spot, not a walk-around-and-try-different bars kind of spot. Even if it's cold on your first visit, at least step out back and check out the patio.