Bar: The Original Pinkie Masters
Location: 318 Drayton St, Savannah, GA 31401
Score: 9.8/10
I was strolling the streets of Savannah, Georgia, and was about to go to my hotel to freshen up before dinner. All of a sudden I saw a glorious sign out of the corner of my eye. That sign happened to be the giant PBR sign outside of Pinkie Masters. I had never been to Savannah and was not aware of how much of a staple Pinkie’s is. I could not have been happier to accidentally stumble upon it.
When you walk in, you just know this place is special. This place was packed at 4 pm on a Thursday and immediately I knew I was in the right spot. Scattered across the walls might be the most impressive PBR signage collection I have ever seen. Every single inch of the walls was covered, and it seemed like 90% of the signage was retro PBR. As mentioned in previous posts, I have a deep appreciation for old signage. Not only was this signage old, but rare as well. A simple eBay search could reveal how valuable some of these pieces are. My favorite pieces happened to be the unique lamps that were along some of the walls. These are difficult to come by as they are often beaten to shit or just broken.
The bar itself was everything I could want. Other than the killer décor, the bar had a lot of seating along an old wooden bar top which happened to have the slept-on padding feature as we have previously called out for other bars. It’s the minor details, folks. If you do not want to sit at the bar, you can sit at some of the awesome booths that they have. While I love a great bar top, I love a great booth even more. There is nothing like snagging a great booth and just camping out all day with your friends.
While I thought Pinkie Masters could not get any better, they had a phenomenal beer selection. They had tons of great domestics on draft and while the place screamed “Get a PBR” I saw the High Life Ponies and my decision was made. You know the rule, see a Pony, get a Pony. It is as simple as that. Beyond the beer selection, I also saw one of the scariest bottles in the game. A bottle of Jepsons Malort was on the corner of the bar which sent a shiver down my spine. If you know, you know. Seeing this bottle confirmed that Pinkie Masters likes to have fun. It should be a mandate for every bar to have these bottles on deck. Just for a scare tactic alone.
Pinkie Masters is also incredibly rich in some cool history if that is your type of thing. They were founded in 1951 and much of the décor was about the same, I’d imagine. The original owner Luis, known as Pinkie, designed the bar as a place to gather, just to take the load off. After visiting the bar, I’d say he accomplished just that. One cool part of Pinkie Masters is the “Jimmy Carter” section. I happened to be sitting right in this area where I saw tons of Jimmy Carter photos and articles along the wall. While President Carter was on his campaign trail he stopped in Savannah and visited the bar. To show how incredible this bar was when the owner passed, Jimmy Carter wrote a letter sending his condolences (Pinkie and Jimmy in the photo above). This letter is framed on the wall. This shows how great of a person Pinkie was as well as a noble move from the president.
Another great feature of the bar is a killer jukebox. From the second I entered until I left, great tunes were being played from all eras and genres of music. Additionally, this is a cash-only bar. Very fitting for how old this bar is.
Décor: PBR signage, old advertisements, and Jimmy Carter photos. Unique design and memorable signage.
Prices: Dirt cheap. I want to say a Pony ran me $2. I then opted for a Miller draft and that was $4.
Service: Stellar service. The bartender gave me a history lesson on the bar when I asked.
Atmosphere: Like I said. The place was busy at 4 pm on a Thursday.
Cleanliness: Spotless. Well maintained.
Bonus Points: Cash-only bar. Bonus points awarded.