Happy Bar

Before a show at nearby Slowdown, I stopped in here on a whim. Actually, I’d been meaning to stop by here all-​on-​a-​whim-​like for sometime, as the Happy Bar has a very nondescript name in a very nondescript location tucked away in that weird part of Omaha between ever-​expanding Creighton and seemingly never-​expanding North Downtown.
You walk in here and you can tell it probably hasn’t change much in the last few decades, patrons included. That said, it was clean enough to be not the dirtiest dive bar I’ve ever been to. They had a cooler of $ 3 tall boys, from Coors Light to PBR. They had two or three beers on tap (nothing fancy). There was a handful of regulars paling about at the bar. The owner was extremely friendly if you chatted him up a bit. There was an LSU banner hanging on the wall — so apparently it’s been adopted by the rabid Tiger baseball fans who roll into town each CWS? The pipes in the bathrooms are old and kind of stink the place up a bit, smell-​wise.
Oh, and they sell 250 ml bottles of cheap liquor to go. I’ve never seen this before in Nebraska (or anywhere), but apparently it’s legal. I guess most other bars aren’t located next to a large swath of hobos.
Really, the Happy Bar is worth a visit, especially if you love a good dive bar. Grab a cold one here before or after a visit to Slowdown or Film Streams. Note I was here before dark.

Looking forward to renewing our relationship this weekend.
I did not, in fact, get to renew our relationship while in town last week. My Pal and I rolled in and were told by the bartender, a rather gaunt older gentleman, that we couldn’t because of my friend’s backpack… that recently someone came in with a bomb… yes, that is what we were told. Too bad, I was looking forward to spending some money there. Maybe next year.

I’m not really one for what you might call ‘dive bars’, and The Happy Bar definitely qualifies as either that or a Shady Bar, which isn’t really a category but probably should be since it’s not a ‘dive’ in the way that places like The Elbow Room or The Homy Inn or even The Trackside are. It’s not even really like Sullivan’s or O’Leavers because the people there are there to drink first and socialize second… if at all.
Maybe it’s more like The Neighbers or one of those other places I’ve never been to before because The Happy Bar, despite the name, is not a place I would probably ever have gone… except that it was apparently enticing enough based on a drive-​by for our friends to stop in before a movie at Film Streams on Friday night, so we were obliged to join in the fun.
This is a bar where you’ll get stared at by the table of regulars upon entering.
It is also a bar where Jack (the tender) will have to really try hard to find the gin you asked for (foolishly) when you initially order a gin and tonic.
It is also a place that when he finds a bottle of gin, but you don’t recognize it as gin, and change your order to a grey goose and tonic — because you can see a bottle of goose on the shelf.
Finally, it’s the place where you get 7up out of a can in lieu of tonic and also a place where you can reuse the same class over and over for refills, just like you’re at home.
Can’t say I’ve ever had a grey goose and 7up before, but it wasn’t bad. Still, I was kind of Happy to leave (zing!)

Yes this is a crappy bar, but it is named Happy Bar. Previous reviewer was spot on. I believe the bartenders name is Jack. He always remembers me, but maybe because there is usually no one in there. It’s worth a stop in if you’re with friends.

Favorite Dive Bar. Happy Bar is small, it kinda smells funny and they only take cash. Fortunately, they recently got an ATM because the walk to First National is much further than it looks. The same bartender is ALWAYS there and I’m pretty sure he existed in this space before Nebraska became a state (March 1^st, 1867).
The drinks are super cheap, it feels like a small town bar. The décor is old and they don’t always have a full selection of mixers or even consistent alcohol brands. They have an old Juke Box with sweet dated music from the 90’s and some classics.
I like that you get exactly what you would expect from Happy Bar and I think it might be one of Omaha’s best kept secrets.