20 Unique Pub Attractions

Turtle Racing

Every Thursday night at Brennan's Pub in Marina Del Rey, Calif. you can stop by to watch the turtle races. Patrons can either bring their own turtles to race them, or rent them from the bar. Prizes are given away, but spectators are not allowed to point at the turtles or they are fined. Finally, women at the bar volunteer as ring girls, who sexily bend over to set the turtles in the race.

Phone Booth Entrance Inside a Hot Dog Shop

Some places make it very difficult to get in because they are that cool, and such is the reputation of PDT (Please Don't Tell). The bar is an annex to Crif Dogs, a hot-dog joint in New York's East Village. You enter through a vintage phone booth and can enjoy both the classic cocktails they make and the food Crif Dogs has to offer.

Blues Every Night

At BB's Jazz, Blues, and Soups in St. Louis, guests are treated to the best blues and jazz every single night, no exceptions.

Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey

At Char No. 4 in Brooklyn, whiskey should be your drink of choice. They serve more than 150 American whiskeys, their drinks menu is heavy on the bourbon, and their food menu is focused on smoked meat that goes with whiskey. Even the design of the bar itself takes inspiration from the construction of whiskey barrels.

Custom Ice Program

Some believe that ice can make or break your drink, and at The Violet Hour in Chicago, they take that belief to a new level. Bartenders here have eight types of ice to choose from to match perfectly to what you're drinking. For example, a scotch on the rocks gets a slow-melting ice sphere, whereas an ice spike is better suited for a tall drink.

Spiked Punch

At Clover Club in Brooklyn, you don't have to worry about somebody spiking the punch; it just comes that way. The bar serves up a selection of punches for you and several of your friends at $46 a bowl, built on the research of noted barfly and Brooklynite, David Wondrich (a "friendly neighborhood cocktail historian").

Urinal Trough at the Bar

It's no longer acceptable to use, but if you're sitting at the bar at the Comstock Saloon in San Francisco, look down and you'll see a trough that runs along the base of the floor. Believe it or not, back in the day this was meant for pissing in, so you didn't have to leave your seat to clear room for another drink.

Indoor Plantation

Green Russell is another cocktail lounge with a hidden entrance (through a small pizza stand), this one located in Denver. The secret entrance is not the unique attraction, but rather the indoor plantation located behind the bar window that is used to grow fresh ingredients (lemons, kumquats, mint leaves) for customers' drinks.

Serial Killer Appeal

L&L Tavern in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood is consistently on the list of America's best (or worst) dive bars in America, and it does feature a free jukebox, but that's not the main draw. Its claim to fame is that notorious serial killers Jeffrey Dahmer and John Wayne Gacy both used to hang out there.

Absinthe Flows Like Wine

There are a few notable absinthe bars in the U.S., but the cream of the crop seems to be Maison Premiere in Brooklyn, which hosts the world's most accurate working replica of the absinthe fountain which once flowed in the Olde Absinthe House of New Orleans. A runner-up for awesome absinthe is Absinthe Bar in Breckenridge, Colo.

Chicken Shit Bingo

Sundays are a magical time at Ginny's Little Longhorn Saloon in Austin, Texas. On Sundays you can go play bingo and win money, but it's no ordinary bingo. You bet on a number and an incontinent chicken runs around a bingo board spread out beneath it. Wherever it decides to do it's business is the winning square.

Tiki Tuesdays

At Anvil Bar & Refuge in Houston, they believe change is good. Like other bars, they use many local flavors and ingredients, and feature a constantly changing selection of 13 rare beers on tap, mostly American microbrews. But their focus on staying fresh and forward-thinking has led to "Tiki Tuesdays," where guests are invited to come for happy hour and test out new recipes the bartenders have worked on.

Free Lobster!

At The Happy Ending Bar and Restaurant on Hollywood's Sunset Blvd., there is a claw game you can play that gives you a chance to catch a live lobster in a tank. If you do, the bar will cook it up and serve it to you free.

Nothing But Zydeco

Another dive bar with a stellar name, The Big Easy Social and Pleasure Club in Houston features live music every night of the week, but Sunday nights are reserved for zydeco only. So if you're looking to break into the zydeco music scene, this is your spot.

Sand in Your Drink, Literally

If you're heading to The Beachcomber in Wellfleet, Mass., you might want to bring your bathing suit. The bar lies on the sand right by the Atlantic Ocean, and is one of the best summer spots in New England.

An NBA Championship Spirit

Spirit of 77 is a sports bar in Portland, Ore. named after the 1977 NBA Champion Portland Trailblazers. While that is cool enough in itself, the bar's layout consists of high rafters and long communal tables that make you feel like you're in a basketball gym. There's also a sweet four-station pop-a-shot basketball arcade game to play free!

Local Only

As mentioned before, a lot of bars attempt to use as many local ingredients as they can to give their place that special neighborhood feel. Spur Gastropub in Seattle, however, uses only local and seasonal ingredients for everything. This includes all food and beverages. Because of this, their menu changes frequently, so you should call ahead if you want to know what's being served at this highly rated hot spot.

Homemade Bitters

Another Portland spot, Teardrop Cocktail Lounge is located in the Pearl District and features a distinct attraction: a dizzying display of blue eyedropper bottles at the bar. These little bottles are filled with bitters and tinctures, the secret ingredients to the lounge's unique flavor combinations in its cocktails.