1. The Monkey’s Paw, 420 Main St., Spfd., 541-505-7975, Facebook.com/themonkeyspawtikibar.

2. Party Bar, 55 W. Broadway, 541-345-8228, PartyEugene.com.

3. Crow & Cart, 543 Blair Blvd., 541-505-7240, CrowandCart.com.

Some people have neighborhood bars where sports highlights light up the TV screens and the hoppy beer flows all night from the taps. But that’s not for me. Give me a night of mixed drinks from Monkey’s Paw Tiki Bar anytime. 

The Monkey’s Paw is one of the few places in the area that celebrates the art of tiki drinks while diving deep into gimmick. The bar has the tried and true classics like the Blue Hawaiian and the Mai Tai 1944. But it’s also willing to don pomp and circumstance, especially when it lights up the Scorpion Bowl as a sort of high mass incense burn for the tiki bar patrons. The Monkey’s Paw can be a place for a brief getaway, a blackout curtain for day drinking if you will. But it’s also providing much needed free or cheap nightlife options for downtown Springfield. With weekly karaoke, frequent live music and a no cost pool table, don’t expect any curses when you wish for a good time with this Monkey Paw.