Craby Joe's

[Feraud]

Did anyone ever visit this place before they closed their doors for good?
I just saw this article and am bummed that I missed it.

http://laist.com/2007/12/23/hoist_one_last.php

Hoist One Last Round at Historic Craby Joe's
Craby Joe's has been at the corner of 7th and Main in Downtown LA since 1933, and earned its place in local lore as a watering hole near and dear to the well-known downtrodden of the literary scene, like John Fante and Charles Bukowski. In honor of the bar's closing night, there will be a gathering of local historians and preservationists, and anyone else wishing to hoist a memorial last drink at Craby Joe's from 10 p.m. until last call on Christmas Eve. The night is being called a wake, in order to properly, and ceremoniously, say goodbye to the bar, whose "now-dead neon sign blinked gaily in the opening credits for Barfly and its pickled eggs were the day's only protein for too many."

Some of the folks getting the word out about the wake are Kim and Richard of the 1947 Project, who blogged about the Christmas Eve drink-fest this weekend and also shared the following sentiments about Downtown's shifting landscape:

Gentrification has come to Skid Row, and now Craby Joe's, the final holdout among the dozens of bars that once lined Main Street, is being shoved into history's dustbin. Its neighbor the Cecil Hotel, already on the skids when Raymond Chandler described it in early short stories, is now a self-described boutique hotel, a destination for the discerning European traveler. This fragile coral reef of artists, galleries (the hub of Art Walk is two blocks away at 5th and Main at Bert Green's), SRO hotels and their long time residents will suffer a severe blow with the close of Craby Joe's, and its fans and friends will miss the unpretentious neighborhood bar and its gruff-but-lovable co-owner Jenny.

Everyone is invited to join in the tribute and revelry tomorrow night as Craby Joe's closes its doors for good. If you listen closely, perhaps you can hear Bukowski's malcontent's growl as he summons up his drink order.

Craby Joe's
656 S. Main Street, Downtown LA
Closing Wake: Monday, December 24, 2007, 10 p.m. until last call

http://www.flickr.com/photos/79761301@N00/1177819724/in/set-72157601270627356/

 

[MisterCairo]

There's a chain of crummy restaurants in southern Ontario called Crabbie Joe's. No link I imagine, but perhaps the original was an inspiration for the name if nothing else...

 

[C-dot]

There's a chain of crummy restaurants in southern Ontario called Crabbie Joe's. No link I imagine, but perhaps the original was an inspiration for the name if nothing else...

I hear ya: Here's the link. My guy took me there for one of our economy date nights - We decided to spend the few extra dollars for Kelsey's or Turtle Jack's (very similar to Applebee's) in future. No more "Crappy" Joe's.

 

[Fletch]

In the midwest we have Joe's Crab Shacks. I like to call 'em Joe's Carb Shacks, as the seafood menu is mostly an excuse for breading, seasoned fries and beer.

But OT. Back to dive bars which I define as having at least 3 of the following: a. lousy beer selection, b. peanut machines on the walls, c. poor to nonexistent restroom hygiene, d. a permanent funk having nothing to do with spilled brew or tobacco smoke, and e. at least one male patron who looks ready to lose his $#!! with little or no provocation.

Dive bars may or may not be historic. Historic bar criteria are simpler than dive bar criteria. Pick two: a. unfriendly, b. overpriced or c. inconveniently located.

 

[C-dot]

There was a bar & grill in downtown Toronto where the waiters were actually supposed to be rude to you. It sounds quite funny. One of my aunts says you would say something like "May I have the sirloin steak?" and the waiter would roll their eyes and say "Whatever." lol

Can't remember for the life of me what it was called...