Post: #1

I thought this would be helpful to post for our International Brothers, and American ones looking to travel in the US.

Hell, I didn't know most of these (I bolded some places of note and added some comments in parentheses) :


City-specific laws
Albany, New York: 4 a.m. (Who knew?)
Atlanta: 2:30 a.m.; 4:00 a.m. in Underground Atlanta. Midnight on Sunday night/Monday morning. (What the f*ck is "Underground Atlanta"?)
Atlantic City, New Jersey: 24 hours.
Austin: 2 a.m.
Baltimore: 2 a.m.
Bloomington and Normal, Illinois: 1 a.m. on weeknights, 2 a.m. on weekends.
Bloomington, Indiana: 3 a.m.
Boston: 2 a.m. (lame)
Buffalo: 4 a.m., 24 hours on specific holidays. (surprising)
Champaign, Illinois: 2 a.m.
Charlotte: 2 a.m.
Chicago: Some bars may choose to close at 2 a.m. or earlier. They may alternately get an extension which allows them to close at 4 a.m. or earlier. On Saturdays, closing times are shifted an hour back to 3 and 5 a.m.
Cincinnati: 2:15 a.m. for last call; 2:30 a.m. for closing time.
Cleveland: 2:30 a.m.
Columbus: 2:30 a.m.
Denver: 2 a.m.
Florence, South Carolina: 2 a.m. for hard liquor, 3 a.m. for beer. This includes Sundays where any bar that is defined as a private club may operate 7 days a week, otherwise last call is midnight Saturday night, until the establishment reopens for business on Monday.
Fort Wayne, Indiana: 3 a.m.
Houston: alcohol service stops at 2:00 a.m.
Indianapolis: 3 a.m.
Kansas City, Missouri: 1:30 a.m. for most bars, 3:00 a.m. for specially licensed bars in certain geographic areas. 6:00 a.m. for one bar only, the Mutual Musicians Foundation. (Whoever owns that bar is sitting on a goldmine).
Las Vegas, Nevada: Bars may stay open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Los Angeles: 2 a.m. (more like 1:30am, weak)
Lexington, Kentucky: 2:30 a.m.
Louisville: 4 a.m.
Miami: 5 a.m.; Bars may stay open 24 hours, 7 days a week in the Downtown Entertainment District.
Minneapolis / Saint Paul: 2 a.m.
Mobile: No last call for bars operating under a private club license
New Orleans: Bars may stay open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
New York City: 4 a.m., nightclubs are permitted to stay open after 4 a.m. but cannot serve alcohol.
Pensacola, Florida: 3 a.m. (within city limits, 2 a.m. for county)
Peoria, Illinois: Bars in the downtown district may stay open until 4 a.m. Bars in other areas may stay open until 1 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Bars may stay open 2 hours later than normal closing hours on New Year's Eve, providing additional patrons are not allowed after normal closing hours.[14]
Phoenix / Scottsdale: 2 a.m.
Philadelphia: 2 a.m.
Pittsburgh: 2 a.m.
Providence: 2 a.m. on weekends, 1 a.m. on weeknights.
Rochester, New York: 2 a.m.
Salt Lake City: 1 a.m.
San Diego: 2 a.m. (more like 1:30am, weak)
San Francisco: 2 a.m. (more like 1:30am, weak, although SF places are known to break rules, thank God.)
Savannah, Georgia: 3 a.m.
Seattle, Washington: 2 a.m.
Shreveport, Louisiana: 6 a.m. for Downtown, 2 a.m. everywhere else.
St. Louis: 2 a.m. on Weeknights, 3 a.m. on weekends.
St. Petersburg: 3 a.m.
Tampa: 3 a.m. (not bad)
Washington, D.C.: 3 a.m. on Friday night, Saturday night, and the night before a federal or DC holiday; 4 a.m. on the night of New Year's Eve; 2 a.m. other nights.[15]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_call_(bar_term)

Post: #2

Yeah, really New England still has those Puritan roots messing things up.

Portland, ME: 1 AM (Are you kidding?? Growing up here was rough)
Boston, MA: 2 AM (You'll have more fun pretending to be a college kid and getting into parties then going out in Boston)
Newport, RI: 1 AM (Remember, a century ago this was the place to be. Vanderbilts/Rockefellers spent all summer here)

Post: #3

I would add that most DC bars close by 1:30 on weeknights. Tampa has a casino that serves alcohol 24/7 and a couple of strip clubs will aid you by selling you beers in the parking lot after 3 a.m.

Post: #4

(03-26-2013 06:59 AM)slothpiece Wrote:  I would add that most DC bars close by 1:30 on weeknights. Tampa has a casino that serves alcohol 24/7 and a couple of strip clubs will aid you by selling you beers in the parking lot after 3 a.m.

Really?

Post: #5

(03-26-2013 07:20 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(03-26-2013 06:59 AM)slothpiece Wrote:  I would add that most DC bars close by 1:30 on weeknights. Tampa has a casino that serves alcohol 24/7 and a couple of strip clubs will aid you by selling you beers in the parking lot after 3 a.m.

Really?

You really have no reason being out that late in DC Monday - Thursday. By then you will have either pulled or failed. I can't think of a venue that's not dead around that hour.

Post: #6

(03-25-2013 09:57 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  Kansas City, Missouri: 1:30 a.m. for most bars, 3:00 a.m. for specially licensed bars in certain geographic areas. 6:00 a.m. for one bar only, the Mutual Musicians Foundation. (Whoever owns that bar is sitting on a goldmine).

Anyone been to this place?

Post: #7

(03-26-2013 09:47 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(03-25-2013 09:57 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  Kansas City, Missouri: 1:30 a.m. for most bars, 3:00 a.m. for specially licensed bars in certain geographic areas. 6:00 a.m. for one bar only, the Mutual Musicians Foundation. (Whoever owns that bar is sitting on a goldmine).

Anyone been to this place?

I will be in Kansas City the weekend after next. I will check it out and report back.

Post: #8

Wisconsin
Sunday-Thursday 2AM
Friday-Saturday 2:30AM
New Years Eve can stay open as long as they want.

Post: #9

(03-26-2013 07:16 PM)Hotwheels Wrote:  Wisconsin
Sunday-Thursday 2AM
Friday-Saturday 2:30AM
New Years Eve can stay open as long as they want.

That is bizarre.

You should petition Jesse Ventura to make that spot 24/7, 365.

Post: #10

The Body was Minnesota's guv.

As I recall, bar time over there is 1AM.

Not sure if that is statewide like Wisconsin's bar law is.

Being known for drinking like we are, it has always surprised me the closing times are mandated statewide and at the somewhat early times they are.

Of course, WI also has loads of religious sorts. Which kind of offsets the drinkers even if the Tavern League is considered a pretty powerful lobbying group.

Of course they weren't powerful enough to defeat the no smoking law a few years ago.

The liberal bastions of Milwaukee and Dane (location of Madison) counties made sure that passed.

Post: #11

I remember moving from Vegas to Colorado. I was drinking at a bar and wanted to smoke. They had this annoying smoking law that I wasn't used to, so I brought my drink outside with me to have a smoke. Everyone started freaking out, "What are you doing with your drink outside?!" I'm thinking, "What the hell are they talking about?" I wasn't used to not being able to drink outside. Then I heard "Last call!" I had to ask, "Does that mean the bar is closing at 2:00? Let's go to another one then." I couldn't believe when they told me there were no other bars to go to because all bars in town close at 2. That was odd to me. I didn't know that bars weren't open until the wee hours of the morning and that you couldn't drink outside in most of the states.

Post: #12

(03-26-2013 08:27 PM)Hotwheels Wrote:  The Body was Minnesota's guv.

As I recall, bar time over there is 1AM.

Not sure if that is statewide like Wisconsin's bar law is.

Being known for drinking like we are, it has always surprised me the closing times are mandated statewide and at the somewhat early times they are.

Of course, WI also has loads of religious sorts. Which kind of offsets the drinkers even if the Tavern League is considered a pretty powerful lobbying group.

Of course they weren't powerful enough to defeat the no smoking law a few years ago.

The liberal bastions of Milwaukee and Dane (location of Madison) counties made sure that passed.

Wisconsin also doesn't allow the sale of alcohol, in stores, past 9 pm. Which is really weird considering how infamous the state is for drinking.

Post: #13

(03-26-2013 09:47 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(03-25-2013 09:57 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  Kansas City, Missouri: 1:30 a.m. for most bars, 3:00 a.m. for specially licensed bars in certain geographic areas. 6:00 a.m. for one bar only, the Mutual Musicians Foundation. (Whoever owns that bar is sitting on a goldmine).

Anyone been to this place?

Not for about 15 years, it's an after hours jam session for jazz musicians. It's a good time if you appreciate jazz, pretty bad for meeting girls.

Post: #14

In Pittsburgh they stop serving drinks like a half hour before last closing.

They also don't sell beer in gas stations there.

Post: #15

(03-26-2013 08:28 PM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  I remember moving from Vegas to Colorado. I was drinking at a bar and wanted to smoke. They had this annoying smoking law that I wasn't used to, so I brought my drink outside with me to have a smoke. Everyone started freaking out, "What are you doing with your drink outside?!" I'm thinking, "What the hell are they talking about?" I wasn't used to not being able to drink outside. Then I heard "Last call!" I had to ask, "Does that mean the bar is closing at 2:00? Let's go to another one then." I couldn't believe when they told me there were no other bars to go to because all bars in town close at 2. That was odd to me. I didn't know that bars weren't open until the wee hours of the morning and that you couldn't drink outside in most of the states.

Yeah, Menver can f*ck off as far as I am concerned.

Post: #16

EZ last call guide...I thought this thread was going to be about last minute moves at closing time. Who's got em?

I have a friend who would run out of the club at last call go get his Porsche and drive it right up to the door and sit on the hood trying to use it as bait to give girls a ride. It worked once in a while

Post: #17

Underground Atlanta is this huge place, literally underground, in downtown ATL near the Coke museum - very urban crowd. I had no idea last call was 4am there. Never actually been there at night.

Post: #18

(03-27-2013 08:43 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(03-26-2013 08:28 PM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  I remember moving from Vegas to Colorado. I was drinking at a bar and wanted to smoke. They had this annoying smoking law that I wasn't used to, so I brought my drink outside with me to have a smoke. Everyone started freaking out, "What are you doing with your drink outside?!" I'm thinking, "What the hell are they talking about?" I wasn't used to not being able to drink outside. Then I heard "Last call!" I had to ask, "Does that mean the bar is closing at 2:00? Let's go to another one then." I couldn't believe when they told me there were no other bars to go to because all bars in town close at 2. That was odd to me. I didn't know that bars weren't open until the wee hours of the morning and that you couldn't drink outside in most of the states.

Yeah, Menver can f*ck off as far as I am concerned.

This was Aspen, but unfortunately I'm headed to Menver this weekend to stay 4 months or so. I'm going to tough it out though and after I get paper stacked I'm headed to Europe for a couple months. Never lived in Denver, but I have a good group of friends there. At least the bars closing early will help me save money and not encourage me to go out as much. I'm not real excited on the move, but it will be my best bet on saving money fast, as I have free rent there for watching my friends house while he's out of town 3 weeks each month.

Post: #19

For serious ? I didn't know something like that exists in the US.
That's pretty lame, what's the reason that they have to close that early?
Do you think it's good/reasonable that such a law exists?
US cities are quite sprawled , so usually there won't be too many residents near a club , or are there?

I'm just curious.

I know that such a law also exists in UK, but given that they take their drinking culture to the extreme, it may be better so for their own health lol.

Although alot of things are quite regulated here of course, but far as I know there's no such law in Germany.
E.g. there's tons of clubs and bars here in Cologne in the city center, which is quite small although with a big population (16 km² / 130.000 inhabitants), and the rents still are one of the highest in Germany and the demand is very high. Many clubs have open almost everyday.

Post: #20

(03-27-2013 01:23 PM)Branimir Wrote:  For serious ? I didn't know something like that exists in the US.
That's pretty lame, what's the reason that they have to close that early?

I think it is just the idiotic puritanical people in America.

I am not sure the exact "Why" though.

Probably to stamp down Catholics.

Anyone know the origins?

Quote:Do you think it's good/reasonable that such a law exists?

It is horrible.

Lack of freedom usually is.

Post: #21

(03-27-2013 02:04 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(03-27-2013 01:23 PM)Branimir Wrote:  For serious ? I didn't know something like that exists in the US.
That's pretty lame, what's the reason that they have to close that early?

I think it is just the idiotic puritanical people in America.

I am not sure the exact "Why" though.

Probably to stamp down Catholics.

Anyone know the origins?

Yeah, it really is due to a number of factors.

1) Puritan influence that our country was founded on (even though many of the founding fathers themselves completely disagreed with most religious ideals, John Adams was an atheist).

2) After they repealed prohibition, the federal government gave the power to regulate alcohol to the states. Keep in mind that prohibition came about because of huge populus movements. So, despite the rise in Al Capone types that came about because of prohibition, many of these populus movements lobbied their state legislatures to put strict laws on the books.

3) Modern times we owe the continuation of these policies to lobbying groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Fraternal Brotherhood of Police, etc.


Thinking about it, damn, being a bootlegger in 1920s would have been an awesome racket. I think I heard somewhere that bootlegging is how the Kennedy's made their money.

Post: #22

I've been in last calls in LA as early as 12:45am. Places usually close at 1:30....to find a place actually open until 2am is kind of odd...i guess. depends i suppose...its been a while since I've "closed a place down".

Post: #23

I'm surprised! I thought my city was being fascist when they tried to moved the last call from 5am to 4am (which was recalled after a storm of protests).

Post: #24

(03-27-2013 05:37 PM)Vicious Wrote:  I'm surprised! I thought my city was being fascist when they tried to moved the last call from 5am to 4am (which was recalled after a storm of protests).

Same here. My town changed the closing time from 5:00 A.M. to 3:00 A.M. and I really think it did more harm than good. People gradually started going to bars in other towns thereby causing some businesses to close and causing others to suffer tremendously.

Post: #25

does Isla Vista (UCSB) still have midnight Last Call?