The Curve Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Bay City

Sitting at the Curve Bar and [former] Grill, the bartender Jess is one of the most personable people I have met behind a bar. She has fun, knows how to talk to people, and can pour a heavy drink. This is what they call a Hole-in-the-Wall bar. I find them to be the best when done right. So far, it's done right. The bar edge is red and angles around the entire place, creating two areas to "pull up a spot". There's a pool table, of course. A necessity of any hole bar. The clientele drinks Bud Light, Budweiser, Coors, with large shots of fireball. They deal in cash and are extremely polite. The small group that has been here longer than me is enjoying themselves on the other side, periodically playing pool. Their choice of music from the jukebox is modern, hip, and upbeat. They just ordered Green Tea shots, a drink that I claim has trickled down from Mackinac Island. But I say that about every drinking fad. I once found a menu in Flint with two of our exact drinks: ingredients and names.

There's one old man to mix up the crowd. His white beard looks like he used to ride a motorcycle or wanted to. He tied his hair back in a ponytail, which sticks out the back of a hat I can only describe as a mix between a bandana and a beret. Classy as f*ck.

I love this place already and it's only been a couple of hours. It has all the decor of the old Mustang Lounge: carpet, Keno, and TVs in the corners. The place completes itself with bathroom doors that don't close and stalls that were installed in the 50s. If they choose, which I didn't, the men may urinate in a large trough-like basin that sits directly behind the swinging door and six inches from the sink where you are supposed to clean your hands.

Oh, and this place has f*cking Vernors to go with my bourbon. Enough said.

People will be plowing in soon. The Brantley Gilbert concert is letting out and the crowd is about to get country. That's not a bad thing. In fact, anyone that decides to come into this bar and stay for more than one drink is probably my kind of people. This place could turn people off in a half a second. It takes a keen eye to see a good time in a bar. And this place is a good time. Especially with enjoyable, chill people like Jesse serving you drinks, along with small crowds that seem to blend in with the walls, accept what they found, and dive into the unknown. But the unknown is the start of every great adventure and every great night. Even if this place no longer serves tatar tots, I highly...

I'm not quite sure how we found this bar, but I'm glad we did because it was excellent. Cheap beers and piles of tater tots, what more could you want? Apparently they just had a new set of taps installed so there were a half-dozen craft beers available on draft in addition to the wide selection of bottles and cans.

I got the Sriracha Pulled Chicken Sandwich and it was mouth-watering. Add on the $1.50 side of tater tots (you get a TON) and you've got a hearty meal. Whoever is running this kitchen knows exactly what they're doing and they're doing it...

Tried this place in a whim for the Halloween karaoke, and I will definitely be back. We were treated so wonderfully, I could tell they definitely wanted us to be returning customers. Eric was the sweetest and most attentive bartender I've ever had, and Gabby was a wonderful DJ and very charismatic!! The drinks were delicious and the pudding shot was delightful. We didn't eat but would definitely enjoy...