Char's Has the Blues   

Bigger is not necessarily better when it comes to the perfect blues venue, and the intimate setting at Char's is a case in point. Guitars cry and horns moan from a small stage, where little room separates wailing band members from the sympathetic ears and tapping feet of an interracial crowd. Pronounced "Char" as in "Charlene," a bygone owner's wife for whom the bar was named, the dark-draped dive has the blues five nights a week and R&B on the other two, Tuesdays and Thursdays. The music radiates a vibe that is heard from the parking lot and transcends age, gender and race, as mixed crowds bond with each soulful and doleful blue note. These blue notes are bathed by true-hued burgundy lights in the New Times' Best Blues Bar seven years running. Char's -- where tall drinks, bad teeth and an aching heart can equal one soulfully good time. -- Michael Brennan