A new American-style dive bar in Newcastle offers a taste of the deep South with liquor, live music and lots of food.
Louie's Liqour Store is now fully open in Nelson Street, opposite Billy Bootleggers, in the downstairs area of Reds BBQ's building. Louie's is inspired by the dive bars of the USA's southern states, with wings, burgers, dogs, cocktails and craft beer served throughout the day and live bands adding a kick on Friday and Saturday nights.
Live sport is shown in the bar's big screen. Both Premier League and NFL football screened as well as other big American sports, like basketball - and all the big boxing bouts.
Customers can take each other on at table football (or as our American cousins say, 'foosball') and pool on free-to-use tables, while a rock and roll- inspired soundtrack plays.
James Douglas of Louie’s Liquor Store, told ChronicleLive there is something for everyone throughout the week.
“We’ve worked really hard to transform the bar into a real hub of entertainment and the finished design looks fantastic,” said James.
“We really wanted to create a space where it’s just as fun to visit midweek as it is at the weekend, so it’s a great place to catch up with friends over a quiz or grab a drink after work. We can’t wait to see what people think of the bar at the launch this weekend and we’ve got some really exciting plans in the pipeline going forward."
There is a unique take on the open mic night on Tuesdays, when Louie's hosts its 'Sing for Wings' competition. Amateur troubadours are invited to take to the stage and perform and they are paid in chicken wings. The better they are, the more free wings they get.
Wednesday is quiz night, with an emphasis on music and food challenges. The craft beer is produced by Louie's own brewery,Leeds based Legitimate Industries, while there is an extensive cocktail range to choose from, too.
The menu features loads of American classics like ribs, burgers and hot dogs. Examples include the Cajun Catfish Burger (£7) - fried white fish, Alabama mayo, lettuce and spicy ketchup served in a brioche bun, with French fries, and the 'Pit Dog' (£8) - cheese and jalapeno sausage served in a hogie roll with mustard, ketchup and fries.
The adventurous can try choose from a range of spicy sauces for chicken wings. Names include 'unholy BBQ', 'devil wing' and 'hot AF'.
This month, Louie's is running a festive take on the wing roulette challenge. Diners can order a basket of pigs in blanket sausages, which they can ask to be injected, yes - injected - with 'da bomb', AKA an extremely hot sauce. Make sure you've a drink to hand.
Louie's Liquor is open from midday to late, seven days a week. Food is served until roughly 9pm.
