Home bars

Quatch$

Quatch$

Chieftain
Member
Building a house soon and a non negotiable with the wife was that I will have a bar in a finished basement. Wondering if anyone has any advice on layout and/or pics of their own for some ideas. Don’t need anything huge but want to be able to rip beers and watch sports in peace.

1610419620954.gif
1610419770750.gif


1610419821948.gif
 
I dunno about the cafe height thing, don't think I'd ever do that, but to each their own.
One thing I have found is using unique materials makes things a lot nicer to me. Example: I used old rusty corrugated steel around the bottom of the bar and used old barn siding off a grainery for the walls around the bar. Used old 2x12 from same grainery for bar tops. Just kind of unique a little I guess instead of just basic shit.
 
TJHall1 said:
Second the ice maker, also made sure I had room for a mini fridge under mine.
Click to expand...
Right. Mini fridge is a given. I’m focusing on what some people don’t think about. The dishwasher gets overlooked. And it doesn’t have to be an expensive one if you are on a budget. Not having to haul glasses or plates after a party, or simply throwing in a bourbon or wine glass without thinking about cleaning it is a simple pleasure you won’t regret.
 
Quatch$ said:
What are thoughts on a tap system? Even maybe just two taps (one domestic swill for pounding after cutting grass, etc. and one good craft / seasonal)?
Click to expand...
Sorry, not an answer to what you're asking as I didn't even put a tap in mine....but I highly recommend putting a counter/bar under your bar (on the inside of the bar, about 10 inches below) just for glasses, cutting lines, mixing. If you can picture what I'm saying
 
Not sure if you plan on doing it yourself or subbing it out. I did my own but it took me a lot longer because I kept adding and changing to my original plan on the fly. Only thing I didn’t do myself was the kegerator. Client of mine has a store that sells, installs and maintains my entire setup. They also deliver kegs from local brewers and other unique finds and set them up. I went with a stand-alone two-tap unit because I figured in the space I would need to have ample exhaust room and added a small exhaust fan. The counter depth units have the exhaust on the front but they are almost twice as expensive! Definitely look into that if you live in a decent size area. Also went with a cheaper model mini fridge for storage of mixers and other cold ingredients. Beer/Ice fridge out in garage (basement bar). Agree with the poster about having a dishwasher. It may be expensive but worth it. I have a drain/water line in the adjoining room so it will be an easy install for me. It’s a pain in the ass not having one near by. Still a work in progress but happy with how it’s turned out so far.
C748A0A9-622C-4638-B82D-272C7ADE6C67.jpeg
F06479CC-F556-4D24-ADEE-B1E16575DCC5.jpeg
57BE41B6-240A-44BA-BBB3-9285F2AF34D3.jpeg
C4DCA907-DABA-4627-8515-27F862A262B6.jpeg
Be happy to try and answer any other questions that you might have.
 
RAK187Vet said:
Not sure if you plan on doing it yourself or subbing it out. I did my own but it took me a lot longer because I kept adding and changing to my original plan on the fly. Only thing I didn’t do myself was the kegerator. Client of mine has a store that sells, installs and maintains my entire setup. They also deliver kegs from local brewers and other unique finds and set them up. I went with a stand-alone two-tap unit because I figured in the space I would need to have ample exhaust room and added a small exhaust fan. The counter depth units have the exhaust on the front but they are almost twice as expensive! Definitely look into that if you live in a decent size area. Also went with a cheaper model mini fridge for storage of mixers and other cold ingredients. Beer/Ice fridge out in garage (basement bar). Agree with the poster about having a dishwasher. It may be expensive but worth it. I have a drain/water line in the adjoining room so it will be an easy install for me. It’s a pain in the ass not having one near by. Still a work in progress but happy with how it’s turned out so far. View attachment 903View attachment 904View attachment 905View attachment 906Be happy to try and answer any other questions that you might have.
Click to expand...
Beautiful man.
 
RAK187Vet said:
Not sure if you plan on doing it yourself or subbing it out. I did my own but it took me a lot longer because I kept adding and changing to my original plan on the fly. Only thing I didn’t do myself was the kegerator. Client of mine has a store that sells, installs and maintains my entire setup. They also deliver kegs from local brewers and other unique finds and set them up. I went with a stand-alone two-tap unit because I figured in the space I would need to have ample exhaust room and added a small exhaust fan. The counter depth units have the exhaust on the front but they are almost twice as expensive! Definitely look into that if you live in a decent size area. Also went with a cheaper model mini fridge for storage of mixers and other cold ingredients. Beer/Ice fridge out in garage (basement bar). Agree with the poster about having a dishwasher. It may be expensive but worth it. I have a drain/water line in the adjoining room so it will be an easy install for me. It’s a pain in the ass not having one near by. Still a work in progress but happy with how it’s turned out so far. View attachment 903View attachment 904View attachment 905View attachment 906Be happy to try and answer any other questions that you might have.
Click to expand...
My man. This is exactly what I’m talking about. It’s pretty much the exact vision I had in my head.
 
Finishing basement currently. Bar will have 4” concrete top, 2” concrete counter tops on cabinets, ice maker, dish washer, and bev fridge. All appliances came from that guy that gives out insider pass on TOS. Not sure if he’s made it over here, but deal was pretty damn good.
 
RAK187Vet said:
Not sure if you plan on doing it yourself or subbing it out. I did my own but it took me a lot longer because I kept adding and changing to my original plan on the fly. Only thing I didn’t do myself was the kegerator. Client of mine has a store that sells, installs and maintains my entire setup. They also deliver kegs from local brewers and other unique finds and set them up. I went with a stand-alone two-tap unit because I figured in the space I would need to have ample exhaust room and added a small exhaust fan. The counter depth units have the exhaust on the front but they are almost twice as expensive! Definitely look into that if you live in a decent size area. Also went with a cheaper model mini fridge for storage of mixers and other cold ingredients. Beer/Ice fridge out in garage (basement bar). Agree with the poster about having a dishwasher. It may be expensive but worth it. I have a drain/water line in the adjoining room so it will be an easy install for me. It’s a pain in the ass not having one near by. Still a work in progress but happy with how it’s turned out so far. View attachment 903View attachment 904View attachment 905View attachment 906Be happy to try and answer any other questions that you might have.
Click to expand...
Looks great! How much room do you have behind the bar?
 
Mikeru09 said:
Looks great! How much room do you have behind the bar?
Click to expand...
It’s ~ 4.5’ from back counter to bar. A little more narrow then I would have liked but had some obstacles to overcome in order to make it wider and didn’t want to eat into the entertaining space. It’s ample room for 2 behind there and tight but doable with three. Only time it’s been a clusterfuck is when we are hosting big parties and all the drunk assholes get impatient for a refill.
 
RAK187Vet said:
Not sure if you plan on doing it yourself or subbing it out. I did my own but it took me a lot longer because I kept adding and changing to my original plan on the fly. Only thing I didn’t do myself was the kegerator. Client of mine has a store that sells, installs and maintains my entire setup. They also deliver kegs from local brewers and other unique finds and set them up. I went with a stand-alone two-tap unit because I figured in the space I would need to have ample exhaust room and added a small exhaust fan. The counter depth units have the exhaust on the front but they are almost twice as expensive! Definitely look into that if you live in a decent size area. Also went with a cheaper model mini fridge for storage of mixers and other cold ingredients. Beer/Ice fridge out in garage (basement bar). Agree with the poster about having a dishwasher. It may be expensive but worth it. I have a drain/water line in the adjoining room so it will be an easy install for me. It’s a pain in the ass not having one near by. Still a work in progress but happy with how it’s turned out so far. View attachment 903View attachment 904View attachment 905View attachment 906Be happy to try and answer any other questions that you might have.
Click to expand...

Where do you get your juicy jay kegs? From your beer, I can tell you live around CLT. Also, if you need any new friends to drink it, I’m here.
 
Haha! Yep, I’m in CLT. Actually Total wine started carrying their kegs but there’s a place called Custom Home Pubs off Sardis Rd that can get all the local kegs and more. They also deliver! Attaching their current inventory. If they don’t have it in stock, they can get it in a couple days. They also have a cool little bar setup with local limited releases on tap for tasting. Only place I saw Highland Imperial Cold Mountain this year. Juicy Jay is my go-to and a crowd favorite but Wooden Robot’s Good Mornining Vietnam is the GOAT!
A4284C42-840D-473A-8A94-91B98FF9F9C9.png
 
This may sound odd, but I too negotiated the perfect man cave for my basement when we built our house.

One small problem is I never go in the basement. Shit gets old going down there. Demand a man cave bar area on the main level or an indoor/outdoor bar area on the back porch.

I love to grill, be near the main kitchen and be outside. I would have done some things a bit differently in hindsight.

I’m trying to save you future lack of use. They want you to take the basement like a good little husband.

Don’t do it!

Have a gym, office and two bathrooms, laundry room, spare bedroom and kitchen. The entire set up is perfect for gaming also can run a bunch of systems. Just never go down there. Wish it was upstairs...

And yes I look like a homer with no class..:LOL:
9E48A1A9-0C53-483D-9112-851AE4454F2F.jpeg
128E8014-5A6F-44B2-9475-C29444ADAE71.jpeg
33D9C271-CC1B-4F0A-8A95-C343A22A4440.jpeg
2F6495AA-76AE-4CD1-918E-E1B425BD8A46.jpeg
 
Last edited:
We'll be buying a house in Highlands as early as end of year. I've already got my wife on board with out door kitchen concept complete with fireplace, TV mounted above that, Big Green Egg, Gas Grill, all weather wine fridge and lockable liquor cabinet. Will be covered and still be able to watch games during a thunderstorm hopefully. This is my ideal concept. Obviously, TV would be much larger.

ISxvm6onj71tyt1000000000.jpg
 
L
HunterPKP said:
We'll be buying a house in Highlands as early as end of year. I've already got my wife on board with out door kitchen concept complete with fireplace, TV mounted above that, Big Green Egg, Gas Grill, all weather wine fridge and lockable liquor cabinet. Will be covered and still be able to watch games during a thunderstorm hopefully. This is my ideal concept. Obviously, TV would be much larger.

ISxvm6onj71tyt1000000000.jpg
Click to expand...
Legit
 
Quatch$ said:
L

Legit
Click to expand...

Yeah, I moved to this because I have 3 buddies with finished basement and they all said the same thing you did. They loved it at first, but the novelty wore off and only use it when people come over to watch games or something like that. I love to grill and have two large yellow labs. Being outside will be better. Especially during summer and football season. The one above is a 30-40k addition. May make it slimmer in size to get down into the 20-25k range.
 
RAK187Vet said:
Not sure if you plan on doing it yourself or subbing it out. I did my own but it took me a lot longer because I kept adding and changing to my original plan on the fly. Only thing I didn’t do myself was the kegerator. Client of mine has a store that sells, installs and maintains my entire setup. They also deliver kegs from local brewers and other unique finds and set them up. I went with a stand-alone two-tap unit because I figured in the space I would need to have ample exhaust room and added a small exhaust fan. The counter depth units have the exhaust on the front but they are almost twice as expensive! Definitely look into that if you live in a decent size area. Also went with a cheaper model mini fridge for storage of mixers and other cold ingredients. Beer/Ice fridge out in garage (basement bar). Agree with the poster about having a dishwasher. It may be expensive but worth it. I have a drain/water line in the adjoining room so it will be an easy install for me. It’s a pain in the ass not having one near by. Still a work in progress but happy with how it’s turned out so far. View attachment 903View attachment 904View attachment 905View attachment 906Be happy to try and answer any other questions that you might have.
Click to expand...

Absolutely beautiful.

Id love to have something similar but do you use it on the reg?
 
HunterPKP said:
We'll be buying a house in Highlands as early as end of year. I've already got my wife on board with out door kitchen concept complete with fireplace, TV mounted above that, Big Green Egg, Gas Grill, all weather wine fridge and lockable liquor cabinet. Will be covered and still be able to watch games during a thunderstorm hopefully. This is my ideal concept. Obviously, TV would be much larger.

ISxvm6onj71tyt1000000000.jpg
Click to expand...
Get primo instead of a green egg.
 
mtsuhog85 said:
Absolutely beautiful.

Id love to have something similar but do you use it on the reg?
Click to expand...
I personally do. I have friends that have them and don’t use them hardly at all. My neighborhood is pretty much like frat row so we are always looking for a reason to drink. I have a four screen set up around the bar/basement so we are always watching multiple games. We also host a card night with the guys, karaoke night for couples, etc so we use it quite a bit. Also helps the wife is 6 mos. pregnant so I’ve found a logical reason to use it even more. 🙄
 
HunterPKP said:
Yeah, I moved to this because I have 3 buddies with finished basement and they all said the same thing you did. They loved it at first, but the novelty wore off and only use it when people come over to watch games or something like that. I love to grill and have two large yellow labs. Being outside will be better. Especially during summer and football season. The one above is a 30-40k addition. May make it slimmer in size to get down into the 20-25k range.
Click to expand...
Looks like you could probably donate some money to me. Your bar will be worth more than my house.
 
HunterPKP said:
We'll be buying a house in Highlands as early as end of year. I've already got my wife on board with out door kitchen concept complete with fireplace, TV mounted above that, Big Green Egg, Gas Grill, all weather wine fridge and lockable liquor cabinet. Will be covered and still be able to watch games during a thunderstorm hopefully. This is my ideal concept. Obviously, TV would be much larger.

ISxvm6onj71tyt1000000000.jpg
Click to expand...
What kind of outdoor flooring are you using? Supplemental heaters in ceiling?
Thanks
 

Similar threads

Ash242
Columbine High School for any first person shooter
Replies
23
Views
2K
ChingChongDingDong
ChingChongDingDong
bnugget
Anybody have a home golf simulator?
Replies
11
Views
824
LaffertyDaniel
LaffertyDaniel
Chris Farley
Whale, whale, whale… Grettings GHEY BOYS!!!
Replies
11
Views
2K
TheNJNole
TheNJNole
mrt
My old Truck update
Replies
3
Views
804
d-tiger45
d-tiger45
Free_Pepe
The script for the funniest sketch show EVER!!!
Replies
33
Views
3K
postngone
postngone

Latest

Support Free Speech

Current cycle
$118.17
Total amount
$740.17
View
Back
Top Bottom