Sine Irish Pub. Richmond, Virginia.

1327 East Cary Street

Guinness Tag: $5.00 | Overall Rating: 7.30

Today's Dedicated Pint: Cary Thaxton: a good friend, but a terrible dart thrower.

I've been touring Irish Pubs ever since I was a young adult, and I've been to over 100 in the last calendar year. I was chatting with the guy sitting next to me the other day at a neighborhood bar near my house (The Blue Goose), and when he found out what I do (wander the country, visiting as many Irish Pubs as I can), he goes, "Oh, dude, you've got to check out Schmidt's Sausage Haus up in Columbus, you'd love it." Apparently when you tell someone you specifically venture into the niche market of Irish Pubs, that means you also venture into German restaurants, too. I mean, don't get things twisted, I love the atmosphere inside German spots; be it the food, the music, the beer, the lederhosen, the silly accents, everything. So,

will I eventually end up going to Schmidt's and probably have one of the best times of my life? Yes, but that's not the point here. The point at hand is that I'm beginning to think people have officially chosen to turn off their brains and live on cruise control, because he's not the first one to refer an obviously non-Irish restaurant to me, and I just don't understand the logic behind it. If you told me that you travel the country with the mission to step foot inside every bowling alley in America, I couldn't imagine having the initial instinct to say to you, "Oh, dude, you've gotta hit up the badminton facility down in Louisville, KY, you'd love it." Am I nuts? Or am I nuts? I don't get it.

I was elated to visit Sine's after the three previous Pubs earlier in the day.

Before this afternoon, I never stepped foot inside a Pub in the state of Virginia. I'm delighted I paid a visit here today though, because it's certainly the best one so far. I cranked the car in Sharonville, Ohio at around 5am this morning, stopped at a few subpar Pubs in Lexington and Charlottesville before stopping in here, with the final destination being Virginia Beach. I'm on my way to compete in the second largest Steel Tip Darts tournament on the continent, so I figured a few pints of Guinness couldn't impair my dart throw upon arrival. My dart game isn't the shabbiest, but it needs all the help it can get whenever I compete against the big dogs in these tournaments.

As I hopped off the highway to finally plant my flag in Richmond, the downtown area instantly reminded me of Dayton, Ohio, but perhaps a little bigger and nicer. Don't get things twisted, I wouldn't want to live here, so don't think I'm in love with it! It's a big city within a small city. The traffic is pretty congested but not as bad as most, and the people are a little sketchy, although, you'll come across some cordial faces. I like the street Sine chose to lay its bones on; it's quiet, it's scenic, and it's laid in brick. The curb appeal is meh; it provides attractive windows and vibrant signage.

I've seen better curb appeal throughout the last 100+ Pubs I've been to within these previous couple of years, but I've certainly seen worse. The sign out front is very legible, but a bit ugly in my opinion. Hey, I've seen some ugly faces out there who turn out to have some great personalities, so at the end of the day, who cares? Nothing's wrong with a butterface. (Look at Cary Thaxton: ugly as hell, yet one of the jolliest humans out there)

As soon as you stumble through the door, you're greeted by a hostess looking to lead you to a table, and the neat bar area to your left. I opted for the barstool. When you look above, you'll notice a painted ceiling that aims to look old and worn out, but it's clearly a manufactured look. It's better than nothing, though. I'd rather see you try to spruce the place up rather than leave it the way it is and expose us to boring looking drywall. Behind the bar, you'll find some really neat things, such as a bunch of large Guinness harps surrounding the liquor, decent craftsmanship, a TV or two, and some clutter. Turn the barstool on a swivel, and you'll find a nice fireplace, plenty of tables, booths along the window, appropriate & well-crafted furniture, and a thick ceiling beam. Unfortunately, you won't find a dart board. The place as a whole has fantastic lighting, with a dim, amber glow. People underestimate the power of good lighting.

Sine has some proper touches to it, but there's something about the place that makes me want to either take a nap or just down my beer and leave. Speaking of beer, I came in at the perfect time, as my Guinness rang in at just 5 bucks. It wasn't the best Guinness I've ever had, but the price is nice. The whiskey selection will get the job done, too. You'll find better collections nearby, but if you're not a snob then you'll be fine at Sine.

You know you're in a good Pub when the staff is really outgoing, really receptive, and want to strike conversations with you. I'm not going to go on a limb and say that's not the case here, but I've had much healthier portions of hospitality at 40 or 50 other Pubs. Sometimes you catch a Pub on a bad day, and other times you realize the Pub has an unfortunate type of staff who are just trying to make it through the shift at hand. My experience here was pretty dull, although I can assure you that yours might be a lot better. I'm confident that you can have a great time at Sine. I wish I could revisit sometime soon, but I know that's not in the cards. It's kind of gloomy in here, and I have no business coming back to Richmond unless someone opens up a new Pub in the next decade or so.

Is it just me? Or is the entire state of Virginia sort of just there? Sure, it's got some beautiful pockets, (just like every other state), but dude... this state is lame. Am I wrong? If I ever plan a leisurely roadtrip somewhere, you can bet your ass it's not going to be to the state of Virginia anytime before I die. Maybe I'll hit up Virginia Beach one summer, but that's a strong maybe.

My eyes are now on Murphy's, which sits a couple of blocks away from the ocean. Thanks for the inexpensive pour, Sine. I wish you the best. Slainte!