The Quarter Gets Reviewed
By floor9 on Jun 12, 2006 in Downtown
Looks like Harrisburg is pretty popular these days. Club Systems International, the leading nightlife trade magazine, has just published a review of The Quarter. “What happens when drink prices rival gasoline prices in Central PA?” Fancy that!
Here are some snippets from the review:
Harrisburg Pennsylvania — often nicknamed the city of cows — is an otherwise nondescript medium-sized city sitting at the intersection of Interstates 83 and 81 in south central Pennsylvania. Three and a half hours west of New York City, Harrisburg’s only claim to fame is its proximity to Three Mile Island. That, and its revitalization of downtown. What used to be a deserted run-down mesh of sidewalks you’d only be caught dead on after dark has now turned into a bustling, thriving mecca of nightclubs, bars, lounges, and restaurants. One of the newest additions to the secne is The Quarter, a New-Orleans-themed five-level powerhouse that bucks the trend of just-turned-21 “OMG PARTY BARS” by going after a slightly more mature late-20s-and-up crowd.
We waltzed right in and took it all in: the smell of paint, Top 40 with a touch of hip-hop, just loud enough to provide atmosphere but not to be obnoxious. A bar where I don’t hear “Holla Back Girl” 27 times a night? Awesome!
… Then my girlfriend ordered: $9 for a Red Bull and Vodka. That ,my friends, is beyond ridiculous for Harrisburg. The same RBV would cost me $4.50 at a local club. The drink was basically Red Bull; I think maybe the bartender waved the vodka bottle near the drink. … My 7&7 set me back $6. They went a little heavy on the 7 (Up).
… The basement is a very cool speakeasy-like layout with rough stone walls, old-looking pub tables, and a fake distillery. Damn that thing was cool! The soundtrack was mostly early-20th-century jazz. I’m all about my ultralounges, but every now and then, ya just gotta kick it old school.
The high prices are mentioned a couple of times, as is the lack of security. Compliments went out to the sound system. Look, just subscribe to CSI. Show them some love for the love they show Harrisburg.
LOL I think I missed my calling as a critic/reviewer. I said the same exact things a month ago but did it for free! Imagine if I was getting paid…
My optimistic side - now that The Quarter is getting national attention, it may be forced to clean up its act.
My pessimistic side - Nah. It will continue to feel that it can charge whatever it wants to and will fade into obscurity. Noma, anyone?
I guess time will tell and we will see if the angel or the devil wins out in this one…
Dave | Jun 13, 2006 | Reply
i remember seeing an issue of that magazine at district one night and i picked it up thinking it was club international… not club systems international. i was kind of disappointed.
has anyone seen… perhaps even ordered… the “gourmet” pizza at the quarter - it looks a french bread pizza from a middle school lunch, except no complimentary apple sauce and pint of milk.
cosby | Jun 13, 2006 | Reply
The security system is their cameras. He told me the place is wired up like a Las Vegas casino. He said “if anyone causes any problems, I’ll burn a disc and send it to the cops.”
What’s with bars these days serving bad pizza? Add Max’s to the bad list. Bricco’s is the best so far.
Mike | Jun 13, 2006 | Reply
Bad mistake. Assuming you get a clear picture, and assuming that the police can identify someone from the video, and assuming it’s not an out-of-town person, it still doesn’t prevent issues from happening in the first place, nor does it prevent escalation. Replacing bouncers with security cameras is not unlike replacing brakes and seat belts with a higher insurance policy. Sure, you get your money in the end, but you’re still dead.
Cosby, weren’t you written up in CSI once?
floor-9 | Jun 13, 2006 | Reply
yes, some mystery writer somehow mentioned me. i wish someone from club international magazine would write about me though…
cosby | Jun 13, 2006 | Reply
Ah yes, here it is:
http://floor-9.com/wp/2005/08/15/nightstalkers-v2-live-at-the-fly/
I have a “Club International” ringtone on my phone, does that help?
floor-9 | Jun 13, 2006 | Reply
Mike: You really think Max’s pizza is bad? IMO their pizza is some of the best… but you have to like California style. Its oh, so, “light & crispy”. Good stuff, everything else I’ve had there is pretty good too.
I went to the Quarter last night and bougt a Snickers bar for only $11.50 — what a deal.
Mak | Jun 13, 2006 | Reply
Cosby: It’s funny you say that, as the pizza was the biggest joke our first night there and we laughed about it all night! My one friend said, “It looks like they heated up a Tombstone for ya,” when it came out LOL
I thought Max’s pizza was pretty good, but I had it when they first opened and it is def. possible the quality took a nosedive…
Dave | Jun 13, 2006 | Reply
Yes the drinks are extremely overpriced, the food is fair but also overpriced. The concept and design of the Quarter is great but it helps to NOT have a complete douchebag of an owner who knows nothing about the bar/restuarant industry running the place. But don’t fret…if you want to discuss it with him you can always find him there nightly more drunk than Keith Richards on Bourbon Street. He has officially earned the title of the Jackass of 2nd street.
Snoogins | Jun 16, 2006 | Reply
Snoogins: Yeah, and I can tell you A LOT of stories about some of the shady crap one of the “silent owners” of The Quarter does too. That place is a mess LOL!
So who wants to join me in my, “How long before The Quarter closes and/or gets shut down?” pool. ;)
Dave | Jun 16, 2006 | Reply
Wow! a lot of horrible things to say! I for one, had a wonderful experience when I went to the Quarter. I got the Crabcakes, and they were absolutely delicious. A little over priced, but I’m willing to pay a couple extra dollars for quality food and a good atmosphere. As far as security goes, they do have security on every floor, they are just plain clothed. And I know that for a fact because my brother works with one of them. Also, my drinks were expensive, but the amount of alchohol in them compensated the price. Not to mention that you have access to 4 different floors for free! I don’t think that the Quarter will fail. In fact, I would have to say its a breath of fresh air in downtown Harrisburg.
Caitlin | Jun 21, 2006 | Reply
I’m with you, Caitlin. I can’t say it enough; The Quarter’s problems are still minor, and they’re news enough that they can be easily corrected and written off as opening glitches. Fix them now, and by this time next year people will be talking about how great The Quarter is, and what a breath of fresh air it is, and not about the drink prices or lack of security.
About security — plainclothes security in a nightclub is also a bad idea. You need your patrons, especially the troublemakers, to know that security is around. Prevention is the goal, not retribution.
floor9 | Jun 24, 2006 | Reply
I agree with your last statement Floor9. The quarters problems are very minor and i have seen some improvement. If they continue to fix their issues one by one eventually the quarter will be THE PLACE downtown. And as for security…Has anyone ever noticed how there are about 15 guys all in yellow button downs with headsets in their ears walking around everynight? Yeah the entourage of guys in yellow shirts…That’d be the SECURITY staff…The quarter doesn’t have a group of meatheads dressed all in black staring you down as their bouncers..they have well dressed personable and respectable guys who do their jobs and aren’t drunk by the end of the night and causing fights themselves unlike some other downtown bars.
Bartender | Jun 29, 2006 | Reply
I’d love to share your optimism, Caitlin, floor-9 and Bartender, but I sand by my statement: “We’ll see…”. I’ll drop back inot Harrisburg sometime next year and see where the Quarter is at. If it is the place to be then I will gladly stand corrected…
Dave | Jul 1, 2006 | Reply
Sounds like the management at the Quarter is doing a little damage control i.e. Caitlin and bartender. I have been there a couple of times(I did give them a chance to improve) and I will never go back. First off I don’t like to sweat to death while I’m being overcharged for drinks. On every floor I was rubbing up against people who were sweating as much as me. And come to find out there is no air conditioning running on the first level at all. I’ve working in this industry a while and there were many red flags about the kitchen. First off not everyone behing the line was required to wear a hairnet or hat. Second, cross-contamination was a huge problem. I watch a cook put raw chicken on the grill with his bare hands none-the-less and then plate a finished order without washing his hands and all of this after coming back from the dish area. Finally my biggest concern…what genius decided to put an open kitchen on a floor that is not only running at 90+ degrees anyway but that has three huge doors wide open. I’m sure that some of you have been on that first level, day or night, and have had the frequent fly, gnat, mayfly, mosquito, etc. buzz around you. Well if you’re smart enough to realize they don’t stop at the bar, they very well go all the way back to the kitchen. Must be some of the special ingredients.
If things were done differently the place could be great…but after chatting with a few people who have been and are associated with the place, it seems the management can only do so much and are kept on a short leash. I’ve also heard that their employees are paid under the table and at times their pay is withheld at the owners discresion.
In summation, you can tell that the guy calling the shots has no clue about running a bar/restaurant. Just because you been to and been trashed at numerous bars does not make you an expert. If you were a porn star, you might be in a lot of them, but that doesn’t make you an OBGYN and know how they work.
Zach12 | Jul 3, 2006 | Reply
I don’t think that Caitlin and bartender are necessarily Quarter employees just because they have something nice to say about the place. If not saying something negative = working for The Quarter, then I’m owed some back pay.
As for the kitchen being open to the outside, that doesn’t bother me. Ever cooked out on a grill? Ever eaten something from City Island? Ever purchased food at Kipona / Artsfest / Musicfest / etc?
floor9 | Jul 3, 2006 | Reply
Great points, Zach12! If all of those things are true, then a lot of state and federal laws are being broken. It won’t be long before someone finds out…
Dave | Jul 13, 2006 | Reply
I’ve been to the quarter twice so far. Nice that there’s no cover but I have yet to rob a bank so no food or drink for me. I live near Carlisle and used to frequent Fast Eddies (which is know owned by the same guy as the quarter). Prior to his taking over it was always packed, had an amazing $2 happy hour(even top shelf), and pool was only .75/game. Now after his failed attempt to create a martini bar in a Gman kinda town - happy hour sucks, pool is $1/game, and the only time the crowd is decent is when the richie rich Dickinson College kids are in town. I guess he assumes high prices make up for no cover but imagine how much alcohol would be consumed if he lowered the price? My friends and I have learned to take advantage of the quarter’s no cover but only after happy hour ends at Hardware. The only drink I’m paying more then $6 for is basically a pitcher full of liquor with a splash of OJ. I’d rather use my $9 for 3 gal. of gas to get my ass to Harrisburg than to buy one drink when I get there.
Divacutie316 | Jul 26, 2006 | Reply
That place is absolutly horrible, not only are the drins extremly over priced but the bar staff is extremly rude. They seem to think that the customers work for them and not the other way around.I ahve personaly experinced this along with at least ten of my freinds. Plus there is arumor that the reason the construction took so long is that they found asbestos in the building!
Kirk | Nov 5, 2006 | Reply