Year opened 1976
Distinguishing features Red carpet, of course, and booths, plus five video-lottery machines. Thursday is Steak Night: $14 for ribeye, salad, bread, and two sides. Smoking was banned in 2008, but resinous walls still evoke a more decadent past.
Who drinks here Blue-collar locals, plus journalists, lawmakers, legislative staffers, and lobbyists from the nearby state capitol.
Signature drink Watermelon shots (vodka, pineapple juice, orange juice, Southern Comfort, crème de almond), $1.25.
Celebrity sightings Nick Nolte (he’s married two local women); Leslie Nielsen (the Airplane star was a fan of the Mountain State). One longtime patron swears she saw former First Lady Rachael Worby bark for a Red Dog Beer, as was required under house rules when ordering that brand.
Off the record If someone invokes the “Red Carpet Privilege,” it means everything you hear is on background.
Nickname Carpay Rouge.
Send recommendations for this feature to openbar@cjr.org.
Credit should be given to Tom Knight (late journalist and legislator) for coining the phrase "Red Carpet Privilege"
Also, smoking still encouraged on the huge porch outside.
#1 Posted by Local , CJR on Wed 9 May 2012 at 10:31 AM
I used to drink at the Rug after deadline back in the '80s, starting my career at the Charleston Gazette. This picture does not look like the place I remember. Way too bright. There used to be a traffic signal on the wall to indicate last call, and you had to show your face through a little window at the door to get in, like an old speakeasy.
#2 Posted by Thomas Buell Jr., CJR on Wed 9 May 2012 at 07:44 PM