After I got past the fact that this bar smells of malt vinegar, I had a really great time!
I went to the Castle for TenderNights (Loiners with Drinks) to meet some neighbors as I live near the TL. It was definitely a divey bar, not some place I'd choose to use the restroom, but it was clean enough that I didn't feel dirty inside or walking out.
They had special drinks for the Tenderloin event -- they were very reasonably priced and equivalently strong. The atmosphere was very fun. It drew in a good crowd (I'm not sure if I can credit the TenderNights group for that, but I really enjoyed it).
Great TL experience!
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