There is no shortage of appropriate pop culture references inside the bar Summer of ’85 (2213 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.). This means lots of neon, colorful graffiti, video (think Jane Fonda in leg warmers doing aerobics) and video games, and the tunes. Anyone who knows the ’80s could tell you about that wild mix of new wave, hair metal, rock and pop genres.
Co-owner Paul Burgess loves all of the things but perhaps movies most of all. Burgess was born in 1980 and calls himself a “true ’80s baby.” He moved around a lot when he was a kid and when he settled in to a new spot, movies shown on TV were his escape. From his favorites, he names three: Beverly Hills Cop, Ghostbusters and The Karate Kid.
When Burgess grew up, he made his living tending bar and running local bars. One of the bars he worked in was SkyBox Sports Bar, which was located in the exact spot that Summer of ’85 is living in right now. He and his wife/partner Julie Lukas opened their concept in early September.
Summer of ’85 isn’t just a bar. It also serves a menu of casual American staples with clever, ’80s-themed names such as Take Those Broken Wings (chicken wings), the Hulk Hoagie, Totally Tubular Tacos, and Tendernater (fried chicken tenders), $9-$18.
The cocktails sound fun and delicious, too – for example, Ice Man (a Long Island iced tea), Sixteenth Candle (gin, strawberry, elderflower tonic), Ectoplasm (cognac, Hypnotic, coconut liqueur) and Karamel Chameleon (bourbon, salted caramel Bailey’s).
Though the hours are currently open daily from 4 p.m., the way to know for certain that they’re open is the lighted sign above the entrance – a bright purple checkmark.
