Water Hole Lounge is the place you're thinking of when you say you love small, local bar. The drinks are affordable ($4-$6), the TV's large, and the atmosphere is welcoming. Sure the outside view of a truck depot doesn't exactly scream "great location," but the regulars here aren't typically the bar-hopping type.

If there's one thing that gives the Water Hole Lounge its distinctive personality, it's the bartender and owner, Sony. Clad in dark glasses at all hours of the day, the man practically makes you loosen up. If he doesn't, the music will; the free jukebox is full of everything from B.B. King to Al Green to Billie Holiday. So pull up a bar stool, check out the pictures of NBA players strewn about the interior and enjoy the feeling of a bar that's not trying to keep up with any trends. You'll be glad you did.

Centerstage Reviewer: Beatrice Smigasiewicz