Spigot Cafe

Hartford, Connecticut

The Spigot Café in Hartford’s West End is hard to miss, a bright red building that has occupied its corner of the city since 1963. Opened by David Taylor, the Hartford dive bar served as one part of a mini-complex that included a pizza shop Taylor operated in his spare time while holding down a separate full-time job. His son, David Jr., took over management of The Spigot in 2000 until passing away 2019. Ownership passed to Joe Grillo who worked to revamp aspects of the bar (including famously remedying what was once a foul stench in the bar’s bathrooms) before selling the bar once more in 2021.

Today, The Spigot has been revamped under its refreshed ownership, including new surfaces throughout, a makeover to the dive bar’s exterior and the introduction of credit cards as payment options. Inside, dart boards, pinball machines and a jukebox command the renovated space that doubles as venue for a weekly live comedy show and the occasional speed dating event. Keep an eye out for the wall of caricatures depicting staff members past and present.

The Basics

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Classification:
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Further Reading