I like to be the first to scope out Indy’s latest hot spots but lately I’m beginning to wonder if I should give them a little room to grow first.
After meeting a group of people at Claddaugh for a friend’s going away dinner on Tuesday night, we went across the street to check out the new bar, Taps & Dolls. First off, had I not met the owner and his significant other several times at 6, I wouldn’t have known it was there. It’s not marked all that well from the street and there hasn’t been much press about it. For the record, its located above 6 Lounge and next to Cracker’s Comedy Club on Meridian.

The blonde, Nikki, has an astonishing ability to scope out beer taps in under 30 seconds and a minute later had a cold PBR in front of me. PBR seemed appropriate as the interior of the bar has a cozy “parent’s basement” feeling to me, complete with a pool table, dart board, dark wood walls and hunter green carpet if I recall correctly. It definitely has a neighborhood sports bar thing going on. There a few arcade games at the back, not all that appealing if you’re not into hunting, golf or bowling, although, Nikki and I gave it our best at Big Buck Hunter Safari. There is a small dance floor to the right of the bar and it appeared that some people were working on setting up the lighting and sound system while we were there. As I waited impatiently for the bar tender to finish her shot before she could serve me, the owners of the bar were sitting at one of the tables eating carry out and discussing the price of popcorn. Aside from one or two other people, the people in our group were the only customers there.

According to my oh-so reliable endless vat of social knowledge that is MySpace, the Taps & Dolls was scheduled to open in December of 2008 but the grand opening was supposedly held February 3, 2009.I understand that it’s not easy to open a bar. There are always going to be wires hanging out here and there or the lighting won’t be quite right. What I do think should be in place the second the doors open is customer service, and I can’t say that I was blown away with it at Taps & Dolls. I like the concept, and more power to any new establishments in Indy. I’m not saying it needs to be Cheers, no one needs to know my name but it certainly wouldn’t hurt for the environment to match the decor a little more.