Rambler Cocktail Bar––Your New Basement Hang

Nostalgic food is taking over the restaurant scene, bringing back those classic snacks (with a twist) that you enjoyed when we were five. The Grilled Cheeserie’s sandwiches––yes, please! Adult Caprisuns at Mockingbird––I’ll have one! Spiked milkshakes at Burger Republic––we’re only a little sad you can’t get them togo. PB&J shots at Headquarters Beercade––don’t pretend you’re not curious. . . The list goes on. But, those teenage years? No one has really brought back food memories past the age of 5. Until now. 

Enter Rambler, the new bar within a bar, located in the basement of the Sutler. Remember when we were in highschool and everyone wanted to hang out in the cool kids’ basement? This is the cool kids basement and they’re taking those classic snacks we craved afterschool and aging them up a bit. Our paletes have refined since we were 15––or, hopefully anyways––and Rambler has refined those classic tastes as well. Because, if we're honest, we all still kind of like Bugle chips and Cheetos. At Rambler, we’re talking house-made Cheetos, Ham and Cheese on crackers taken to a whole new level––spread with pimento cheese and dipped in honey––a Christie Cookie Skillet Cookie, and Whiskey, Peanut Butter & Jelly shooters. Their cocktails certainly speak to our adult tastebuds too. The Silk Road is smooth as, well, silk. And the Rambler Iced Coffee will make even non-coffee drinkers swoon. 

But the menu isn’t just what takes us back. The space captures that electric vibe that buzzed between your dad's old neons and your band posters. Aged-up, it looks like sleek neon, expansive murals (if you look at the eyes staring at you from the entrance, you'll swear her hair is flowing down the bar towards you), and furniature that beckons you to sit down and stay a while. And the place is certainly big enough for all your friends. While bigger than any basement hang we’ve ever visited, the seating is stratigically placed so you can fit all your friends, but still hold a converstaion without having to yell.  

And what’s a cool hangout without games? Just wander down the hall and you’ll find yourself in Melrose Billiard Parlor with all the classic games––pool, darts, ping-pong, and foosball. This bar within a bar next to a bar sort of seems to have it all. So what are you waiting for? Invite yourself to the cool kids’ basement. Chances are, your frineds are already there.