Hannibals Waldo Bar and Grill

I was excited to find this little hole in the wall type of place when first moving to Waldo in 2009. We were regulars and enjoyed getting to know the bartending staff. There was nothing too yuppie about this place and there were plenty of folks of all different types.
The happy hour is and was the best time to drink and the food wasn’t bad especially for bar food. My only complaint was it is always pretty cold in the bar in the winter, cold enough in fact I have to wear my jacket while there. But in the scheme of things not too bad.
I have noticed a change in the past few months with new bartenders and the costs of drinking seems to have went up. I don’t think they have the atmosphere they once did, it seems to have lost it’s charm and with drink costs the same as Kennedy’s, Lew’s, or The Well I will migrate to those establishments.

It’s a dive or it used to be…
I’ve always liked dives. Like a moth to a flame I’m drawn to them. It might be the way the «locals» look at you when you walk in, the sweet aroma of stale smoke and cheap beer, or the gravel voiced bartender that is always willing to chat. Either way, it had been awhile since I made it out to Fins and when I heard they got a remodel I had to check it out.
I got to tell you. Change is not always for the better.
New garage door — Does every bar really need one of these? It’s a fad and it’s getting ridiculous. Maybe I’m alone in my opinion but I enjoyed the single solid door. If you had never been there before there was a sense of mystery. You didn’t know what you were walking into, it could be a biker bar, strip club, or gay bar. You were taking a risk just walking through door. Plus, I was always hoping I would walk into a bar one time and everyone would yell «Norm!».
Higher ceilings — Great. While the smoke stained ceiling tiles are gone, so is the warm and fuzzy feeling you can only get from your mother’s womb.
Bartender — While the staff was courteous it just wasn’t the same. I guess they are looking for urban professionals now. Back when it was Fin’s they put real people with life experience behind the bar. Someone that was rough around the edges and would help ease a stressful day by telling you stories about their glock or how long they’ve been collecting ovens.
Name — if your going to change the name then change the name. I don’t really understand keeping the Waldo bar sign and putting Hannibal’s in front of it. It’s definitely not the same bar so why keep the same name?
The upside is they still have cheap beer, its cleaner, and they got live music.
Unfortunately, for me a lot of charm was lost in the remodel and there are better «garage door» bars out there.

Since the buyout and remodel a couple year back, this place looks good. It’s clean, it’s hip, it’s trendy, it has a decent selection of beer and some good-​looking food. It has a cool garage door front that opens to a sidewalk patio. And yet, to me, anyway, it’s not quite right.
Despite the open brightness, it comes across to me as stuffy. I can’t relax when I’m here. I feel like all the yuppies are staring and waiting for me to do something to annoy them. Even the bartender came across as a little too uptight.
Personally I liked this place better back when it was Fin’s, when it was a dirty-​dive with beer-​soaked carpet and super-​cheap pitchers of beer where you could relax and cut loose with your group of friends without anyone else judging you.
But I know there’s also the more upscale set who like it better as Hannibal’s. It’s just not my thing,.

For being pregnant and not able to drink, this bar is pretty fun. They have a pool table, arcade games, cheap soda and juice (oh, and beer/​well drinks, hah!).
Very laid back atmosphere, full of locals and college kids with nothing too fancy on the walls. Always a game on, good comfort food on the menu and nice bartenders – this is a good spot to just hang out.
I believe they were voted Best of for their happy hour, from 3 – 8 (which is a pretty long happy hour folks) from the Pitch where every drink is $ 2! If only I could drink…

I didn’t eat here, I barely drank here, but it was fun. A few friends and I stopped by to have a beer because this location has changed and it is always fun to try something new.
Would Hannibals find itself in an interior design magazine? Never. Would Hannibals standout in the mind of a traveler. No. Would Hannibals become a dining destination too? I doubt it.
Is Hannibal’s a great little nieghborhood bar that boasts cheap drink specials and freindly faces that I can envision becoming like the posse from Cheers? Yes.
And isn’t that all we really want in a nieghborhood watering hole?
****Good for smaller groups