🍸 About On the Bar Fly

Before On the Bar Fly had a name, a podcast, or a sock monkey named Stan…
there was Road Side Pit Stops.

Back in 2009, we started writing reviews of the little pubs, taverns, and dives we kept stumbling into during our travels. We traveled a lot for business, but the best part was always the time we spent off the clock — sitting with locals, talking to bartenders, and finding places you’d never see on a “Top 10” list.

Road Side Pit Stops wasn’t polished.
It wasn’t strategic.
It was honest, opinionated, and fueled by curiosity — and beer.

From Pit Stops to On the Bar Fly

Over the years, we gathered thousands of photos, stories, and moments that never quite fit into one neat place. Pictures with bands. Conversations with strangers. Bars that felt like home after ten minutes. Places that were amazing, questionable, or wildly unforgettable.

On the Bar Fly was born from all of that.

This blog and podcast are the continuation of years of:

traveling
listening
observing
photographing
and occasionally asking, “Should we really be doing this?”

This site is full of our opinions, views, observations — and a whole lot of stuff we just feel like sharing. The purpose is simple: have fun. Nothing here is meant to be taken too seriously. And yes… there is always beer.

Who We Are

We’re Fe and Mo — social travel enthusiasts who love:

small places
local flavor
bars with personality
food that doesn’t try too hard
and people who make a place memorable

We’re drawn to spots that offer something different — even if that “something” is a little weird.

Some of the photos you’ll see here are polished.
Some are not.
Many include bands, locals, strangers, or moments that made us laugh enough to pull out a camera.

That’s intentional.

What You’ll Find Here

We share:

Bar reviews (the good, the bad, and the “what just happened?”)
Recipes inspired by bars and trips
Travel tips based on real experience
Stories & podcast episodes that didn’t fit neatly into a review

Not all information here is useful.
Most of it probably isn’t useful at all.

But we promise it’s honest.

🍺 What the Beer Ratings Mean

We don’t use stars. We use beer.

Here’s how it works:

🍺 1 Beer — Poor
There’s nothing good about the place. We won’t be returning.

🍺🍺 2 Beers — Okay
A couple of redeeming qualities — maybe a decent dish, helpful staff, or a pleasant atmosphere — but probably not enough to bring us back.

🍺🍺🍺 3 Beers — Good
A solid example of what the place is trying to be. Good food, drinks, and service. We’d consider returning.

🍺🍺🍺🍺 4 Beers — Excellent
Delicious food, appealing atmosphere, attentive staff, and great service. Definitely on the return list.

🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺 5 Beers — Extraordinary
The standard by which others are judged. Outstanding food, excellent service, clean premises, and an atmosphere that makes you want to stay longer than planned.

Join the Pit Crew

If you’ve ever:

chosen a bar over a landmark
trusted a local over a guidebook
stayed longer than intended
or ordered one more just to hear the rest of the story

You’re already part of the Pit Crew.

Join us as we keep updating the site, sharing stories, and revisiting places that left an impression — for better or worse.

Grab a beer.
Poke around.
And enjoy the ride.

— Fe & Mo 🍺🐒