Binks

I don’t think there’s an apostrophe in the name. Binks is a sweet little place, with abundant and loyal clientel. The bartenders are cool and nice, and smile. There’s a slick little garden out back that you can see but not get to, but fortunately there’s some seating out front and on the small patio. It fills up quick on nice days, so get there early or good luck. The layout of Binks is a bit different. The main room, where the bar is, has a fireplace, wonderful on cool nights, a couple large (for Binks) tables, a counter seat by the window. Hidden off to one side is a smaller room, dimly lit with two tables, and to the other side is the pool room, with one bar table. The wall of the pool room is a rolling garage door, and it is usually open in the summer. The smaller room is nice, and I’ve found myself in good conversations with strangers on many occasions.

The beer selection is adequate, with five taps, generally featuring an IPA, Summer Wheat (with a slice of orange, it’s great), the obligatory PBR, something dark, and something light. Don’t quote me on that though. When Binks opened several years ago, it was visionary. Now it’s comfortable. Many of its qualities have been duplicated around town. Its atmosphere has not been duplicated, Binks is a really nice and friendly place to grab a beer. The pizzas that they make are good food, not a spectacular pizza, but fun toppings and a good product make them pleasing, and great with a few pints. Binks is a great spot to avoid on Last Thursday if you want a beer or even to get inside, but pretty much any other day a visit will be well-rewarded. They’re at 2715 NE Alberta. It was at the edge of the thick of it, but now it’s more in the middle.