The Black Sheep Pub

didn't know there was a song "cut the mullet."

Yeah, that place was good for about a week. And then it went to shit really quickly. Went last week for a beer and then had to walk down the street to get cash (ATM at Mr. Zip was down too). Not to mention the fact that their hours are all over the place. Sometimes they're open, sometimes not.

Check out Sonny's on Dayton Blvd.

There's an Irish Pub in Philly called "The Black Sheep" that would put this other place to shame. It also has the best Guinness around. If you're ever in Philly...

Wait just one minute Jo. Though I may in some ways agree with your review of the dining experience at The Black Sheep, I have to call a spade a spade and state that few if any in Chattanooga (a town in which Rock Creek Outfitters is seen as the bastion of haute couture) have the pedigree to play the fashion police (in reference to point 8). The "hipster" waiter in question happens to be a very interesting and kind individual with an extensive understanding of fashion trends in both European and Far Eastern fashion movements. I believe he deserves better than a "been there done that" one liner based around a Wesley Willis reference. Whether or not you like his haircut of choice is your call but until John Galliano starts asking Coptix for advice I would personally take the lowest seat on this issue.

Don't want to start static, I'm just saying that what you said was a bit back-handed.

Fair point *c, and while I'm a through and through fan of RCO, I'm holding out for a call from D&G. Galliano can get in line.

That said, and mullet is still a mullet and is still lame. Even more so if worn ironically for more than a few days.

And as an aside: to be familiar with the term Haute Couture is to have at least SOME sense of what it entails, and by definition could not be Rock Creek Outfitters. It just wouldn't make any sense, and however fashion deficient you may think the average Chattanooga, that doesn't mean they're stupid.

Jo, I don't think that you understood my pun when I mentioned Rock Creek as Haute Couture. Haute means high, Rock Creek being a retailer that sells clothing intended for high locales. I do not consider Chattanoogan's stupid by any stretch but I wouldn't consider most of them among the most traditionally fashionable either. Yet I digress, this isn't about the semantic breakdown of what I may or may not have implied. I was just stating that the waiter in question, who happens to be a friend of mine deserves better then he was dealt. I wont respond to the mullet comment b/c that is a matter of personal opinion.

BTW, I consider myself to be one of the unfashionable Chattanoogans. I only hope to aspire.

Yes, Haute means high, but the traditional definition of Haute Couture has meant custom fashions (though the definition has shifted of late). See: Wikipedia.

Sure, it's a matter of "opinion", but it's one that's shared by the masses, the intelligentsia, and the Design houses. So sure, claim it's just a matter of opinion, most folks still think the mullet is ridiculous (and I've yet to hear an argument to the contrary).

If it makes you feel any better: his sneakers were cool.

i don't know a thing bout the blacksheep, but you two are lame.

*c, come on, use a real name (one that I can pronounce preferably, so don't be usin' no more of them fureign words, you hear?) and let's make fun of each other out in the open. You're probably a hipster douchebag, although I can't be certain until you use a real name. Oh, and I don't know if this is relevant, but I think it'd be fun right now to say "get a job."

Josiah, I agree, Black Sheep has taken a serious nosedive on a number of counts. They used to have a great "kobe" burger, although my friends and I always joked that it must be from a ranch in Kobe, GA because there's no way to sell a kobe burger and a drought beer for $5. That said, they filled the place up on Wed. nights, with a variety of interesting people, from your dirty hippies to closet homosexuals, artists, musicians, all the way to yuppies.

Basically, if you were one of those people who defy categorization and appreciate something in everyone, this was a great place to hang out. And whenever you got your food, it was going to be good, hot, and fairly priced. Not an easy undertaking for such a small footprint. They needed twice the square footage to make it sustainable.

On the other hand, dirty-hippy-wise, it's moved up a notch, so it depends on which couture you're into, because it's definitely not haute. I personally hate noodle-music and crappy jam bands. And it has lost the diversity that made it so interesting in the beginning.

As a north shore resident, I'd really love to see another pub open up that can provide a community atmosphere without devolving into some kind of scene. On a sociological note, why does this happen? There are plenty of great places to spend time in other cities, where no one scene takes over and pushes out other interesting people. I'm sure Jane Jacobs has an answer to this somewhere.

Mark, I think part of the problem is we don't quite have the population density yet to support non-scene "local" bars. Though, Hoppy's was making it, so...

Further, I think in those areas w/ the requisite density you need a population that is either a. new but looking for a local watering hole or b. been around for awhile, so appreciate "local" digs

Still, you'd think the North Shore could handle something like that, seriously. Once I have the $$, I will open up a local bar if my neighborhood doesn't already have one.