Candlelight Cafe And Bar

Dive? OH YEH BABY! There was a 12 piece band playing all of the favorites from 60s, 70s, 80s. Crowded, weak drinks, but great music. We had a lot of fun. Hungry looking men at the bar of all shapes and sizes. Glad I was there with a date. Women, go with a group or a date only. ;)

Aside from the band, this place is a dump — major. Great for a late, late night stomping ground with a group of drunk friends.
You know you’re at the right place, when you see people hanging out at the entrance way smoking the night away. When you walk inside, it’s dark with a ray of light from a distance. It’s the light from many video poker machines along the back wall, with a few lighting for the pool table.
Most of the people here look like they lived a harsh life. If you want to see mullets, this is it. Some random stranger pulled my friend’s arm and whispered, «You think you’re hot… but you’re not.» She was more shocked at the rudeness than the statement. We had a good laugh.
I won’t be returning, but it was a great experience.

This was a nice surprise, from outside, and when you first enter, it may take a while to realize what a good atmosphere this little bar cum jazz club has. I like the clientele, and the fact that it is kind of out of no where… it has seating outside for us smokers, friendly stuff… go there… but be warned, it could have been anywhere in th eUSA: a good old dive bar!

Great music, but potentially your worst nightmare if you are female, have female friends and are under 40. Every time I’ve gone, friends have been hit on aggressively, and touched unwelcomely. Sunday nights have a great band, I just wish more young people were around to appreciate a great live jazz band and not just my mother.

I had read early reviews of the Candlelight when it was famous for being the smokiest bar in town and really a mixed bag of players, so didn’t venture there until going to see some friends of mine perform (the Gretchen Mitchell Band every Tuesday night). Now I love the place. I don’t know what the crowd is like before about 10 at night, when I go, but at that hour it doesn’t seem like a 30-​something meat market to me at all – primarily an older crowd and lots of regulars. The bartenders are eminently friendly and remember your drink after you’ve been there once. Having music seven nights a week is tremendous, especially since I live within a short walking distance. Some of the bands are too hard rock for me, but others are right down my alley. Can’t beat it for a late night hangout with no cover charge! Unfortunately I hear rumors it will be closing its doors at the end of 2010 – haven’t heard why or had verification this is true…

This place is a trip! My classmates and I walked by it for about 3 weeks before we decided to stumble in and have a drink, I’m kicking myself we didn’t stop sooner!
This review should really be broken up into a couple parts, because this place is like a chameleon that changes throughout the day.
When we stop after school, it kinda quiet with some music playing in the background, a couple of people swinging for the fences on the ping pong table. They also have 2 pool tables and a bunch of TV’s with random sports or movies on. The beer is cheap and the happy hour food is a bargain. The best deal is Taco Tuesdays where you get two for a buck, can’t beat that! It’s a nice place to grab a late afternoon drink and unwind before going home. The girl that works the day shift is the best!
At night, the scene changes completely. It goes from a laid back place to a live music venue with a bunch of Funk and Jazz inspired bands. The band on Tuesday night has a smoking hot chick with the old school horn rim glasses and killer pipes while on Thursdays is a Funky band called Cool Breeze. These cats are dressed in three piece suits and some dope hats. People are in there shaking their asses and having a good time. The crowd at night is older, so unless you’re looking for a cougar, don’t expect to hook up…

This place is actually a pretty interesting joint if you’re into people watching. I say interesting, but what I really mean is fascinating. This bar, for better or worse is like hookup central for the 40 – 50 something divorcé crowd. It’s actually pretty awesome to watch if you are a student of human behavior.
The bar is usually packed mind you with a jazz and funk band on the stage and the notion of sex lingering in the air. It’s a loud and raucous crowd celebrating the end of the working week and the beginning of «workin’ it». I’m 27 years old and by far the youngest person here. In one corner of the bar you’ve got the group of 4 – 5 heavy set late 30 – 40 something single ladies from Hillsboro out on the town drinking raspberry cosmos and fuzzy navels. On the dance floor you have a 50 something guy with a graying ponytail, a Hawaiian shirt and a pocket full of Viagra doing the white man’s overbite with some lithe Asian girl who is eyeing the brothers at the bar who are making eyes at the bridge and tunnel ladies. One of the regular ladies that just came off the factory floor about an hour ago is schooling a group of men in the art of shooting pool for money and is berating them for it. She’s hooping and hollering with an extra long Camel 100 hanging out of the corner of her mouth as she takes the men’s money and saddles back up to the bar. The rest of the regulars, which there are many, all seem to know one another and are swaying to the music, laughing and dancing with one another. The stench of too much cologne and cigarette smoke permeates the air choking your nostrils and blurring your eyes with tears. The space is large though, so it’s easy to melt into the corner to watch the overt flirtations and sexual innuendos fly throughout the room. My friend was hit on by no less than 3 separate guys within the first half hour after we arrived; apparently the rest of the men witnessed her emphatic refusals and decided to seek out easier prey. Interestingly the fact that I was there with her didn’t seem to be a deterrent. (Note to Self: go to the gym.)
It’s now 8:15pm and the brothers are entertaining the bridge and tunnel ladies. The man with the ponytail is making the rounds again asking random women to «cut a rug» while slipping back to the bar to refresh his white wine spritzer. The pool shark has won several more games by this point and is getting thoroughly drunk. She’s been throwing herself onto another seemingly regular in a way that says «If you don’t come home with me tonight I’m gonna kick your ass! And you know I can too». The crowd is tipsy with the strong and cheap drinks and there are more people doing the twist and grinding on the dance floor. A couple shady characters have been going in and out through the back door into the parking lot every few minutes, but I value my life so I don’t pay them much attention.
As the evening gets longer it gets even better. Arguments between drunken friends, the couple making out in the corner dry humping, hands in the air dancing to the music, laughter, cursing, smokin’ and drinkin’. It’s what a Friday night is supposed to be all about and my friend and I have a really great memorable experience. I can say truly that I love this place, though I haven’t been back since that one time 4 years ago.
Ps. They also have Boca Burgers…

Yet another bar that makes me question my reality every time I go there. It has a great atmosphere and a lot of friendly people, as well as a righteous ping pong table and good food. Sometimes bands play as well.
But there’s just something about knocking back a few drinks and suddenly realizing that you’re intently watching two men in their forties wage war on the ping pong table that makes anyone wonder what it means to be human. I think it’s the mixture of beer, ping pong, and forty year old men that leaves me utterly bewildered as to how I came to be in this strange and awesome place…
Also the ping pong tournaments are epic.

I’ve been going to the Candlelight for years and thought I would throw in my two cents on the place. As a ‘regular’, the Candlelight is like the bar in Cheers. I don’t really have people yelling my name in unison as I walk in, but it’s pretty close. I spend the first five minutes saying hello to other regulars, inquiring about their lives, etc.
The best part is live music every single night of the week and no cover. NO COVER! And it’s usually good music. Sure, there are bands that I don’t bother coming out to see, but for the most part, quality bands every night. Check out their website for a monthly listing.
They also make really strong drinks for what I consider reasonable prices. That could be because I’m a regular but from talking to newbies and the like, everyone feels like they are getting their money’s worth. The food has always been good as well. They make a good chicken nacho, their burgers are great, and after a night out with the girls, their fries are pure nirvana.
If you want to play pool, you either have to get there early and/​or put your name on the chalkboard and wait your turn. You also have to be prepared to have several dozen eyes watching your every move as you knock the balls about the table. Tip: if you have to write your name on the chalkboard, you should probably be able to actually play a good game.
Get there before 8:30 and they have a ping pong table set up on the dance floor. I’ve yet to pick up a paddle (okay, I mean for ping pong) but there are usually people there battling it out for PP supremacy.
As mentioned by other Yeeps, the place can get really smoky with their low ceilings and lack of ventilation. Plan on taking a shower when you get home to wash the nicotine off.
I think the crowd and age range is wonderfully diverse and always meet some amazing people there. It’s a great place to go as a single woman looking for interesting conversation, good live music, and an occasional dance.

Unlike James Bond, I don’t consistently win at craps in Monte Carlo. And, that’s what this place is, a crap shoot: one night you can get some decent Blues and you can taste the booze in the drinks, and another night you’re getting water or coke and the music is awful — even covers of awful songs by others. Oh, and as far as a singles scene for 30’s…not for me! I’m just not quite ready to consign myself to being a caricature of a shuffling corpse, not even for a nice pair.
Despite the inconsistency of the music, this place actually has the Marathon beat in terms of how consistently lame the food is. Okay, maybe not, but with that and the chance that the music’s making your ears bleed and the drink tastes like a glass of diet Pepsi that sat out on the balcony too long one afternoon last July, not to mention that there’s no frigin’ room in this place now that the caterwauling has begun… it’s just not worth it unless you’re around and happen to luck out.

Candlelight Bar and Caf
The place is awesome because you can listen to live music seven nights a week and never pay a cover. Even better than that, it’s actually a good place to go if you’re single in your 30s. Anyone will tell you in that age group that it’s hard to find good spots that don’t cater to the 20-​something crowd.
Along with good live music, mostly the Blues, you can dance on the intimate dance floor or dabble in some pool. There’s also a decent bar menu if you get the munchies.
Tip: As strange as it may sound for a lounge, order the egg salad sandwich if you’re hungry. It’s very tasty comfort food.