Lines. We all hate them, and we hate being IN them even more.

Many nights at The Sandbar, a line is a fact of life. Back when I started going to the bar (yikes, has it really been almost 10 years??!!??), if you weren’t inside by 9 p.m. on a Tuesday night, you were guaranteed to be hanging out in line outside for the next ninety minutes, at least. Weekend nights were the same way.

In a way, the line outside adds to the bar’s appeal. If you drive by a place and see hordes of people waiting to get in, especially if it’s cold outside, then surely it’s a cool place, right? Maybe that’s why so many people keep coming back.  My dad couldn’t understand why people would actually wait in line, and then pay a cover charge on top of it, just to come inside.  After he spent a few evenings inside, however, he quickly changed his tune.  (Or, it might have been the cute girls in cowboy hats dancing on the bar that made him rethink this…)

People will try almost anything to skip the line. The most brazen try to just walk right in, past the twelve other people patiently waiting their turn.  Others try to coax the doorperson- they’ll flirt, tease, demand, threaten….we’ve heard it all.  Lots of people use the old "I know the owner" line.  Trust me, that doesn’t work.  If you really knew the owners, you’d know better.  We also hear "I’m on the list" sometimes.  List?  There’s no list.  Whoever told you there’s a list was lying.

What many people don’t realize is that everybody waits in line.  The employees wait in line.  So do the regulars.  Dave’s wife waits in line.  Heck, even Dave has waited in line before. 

It’s not always that bad. Back in the day, there was such a regular crowd on certain nights that everyone in line knew each other. We managed to have fun even though we couldn’t get inside to get a drink. It’s all what you make of it- there’s no point getting grouchy about the line and ruining the rest of your night. Besides, just hang around until a little after ten- lots of people leave right after the hurricane.