Laid-back restaurant a great happy hour spot

If you’ve driven down Devine Street in the past four years, chances are, you’ve seen Burger Tavern 77. Located between Woodrow and King streets, it’s hard to miss, yet people do.

“It’s amazing how many times a week we hear people say ‘I’ve never heard of you’ or ‘I drive by all the time and just randomly stopped tonight,’ ” said William Mills, who’s been bartending there for two years.

The laid-back restaurant atmosphere brings in a mix of families and college kids, Mills said. But for those looking just to have a drink, the bar does not disappoint. First, you are greeted by a wall of vintage license plates. Then, as you take a seat, you realize the man standing in the corner is actually a life-size Jack Daniels figure. At the bar, a vintage license plate runner features the names of South Carolina breweries. Behind you, a wall of vintage beer cans. And then there are the dozens of beer taps hanging from the ceiling.

“He has a rather impressive tap collection,” Mills said of owner Matt Shmanske. “He’s a big fan of trying to get new taps. We have an impressive collection of tap handles floating around. He has a box of 35 in the back right now.”

The excessive taps help explain the bar’s well-received beer selection. And with 28 taps – 22 that rotate and six “old reliables” – it’s hard not to find a brew that can fix what “ales” you.

“We offer a great selection,” Mills said, “and we have a full liquor bar. I can make you any drink you want, but we lean much more to draft beer.”

Last spring and summer, the bar did a local tap takeover, where all 28 taps flowed with brews from either North Carolina or South Carolina, something they plan to do again this year given the positive feedback. Mills said one of their most popular local brews is River Rat’s Hazelnut brown. But Stella, Shock Top, Bud Light, Yuengling, Guinness and some form of Woodchuck cider will always hold down the fort.

“Those are the old reliables. The standards,” said Mills. “There’s some people who want their Bud Light whether it’s a Monday, a Friday, a good day, a bad day, hot, cold, whatever. There are some people who just aren’t going to branch out, so you have to have those on for those people.”

The drink selection is full of standards as well. Comprised of 14 cocktails and three “hurricanes,” the bar’s favored drinks aren’t fancy so much as they are familiar.

The peachy-keen, one of its popular mixed drinks, for example, is peach vodka, moscato and orange juice. The Jack’s honey lemonade is simply Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey, sweet and sour mix and lemon-lime soda. A BLT is comprised of bourbon, tonic water and a lemon wedge.

Even its signature drink, a 77 South is a play on a tequila sunrise. A Mexican toast is a play off of a breakfast shot.

So when you’re in the mood for a restaurant and bar that feels familiar even though you’ve never been, head to Tavern 77. Don’t forget to tip Jack Daniels on your way out.

Dwaun Sellers, dsellers@thestate.com

This story was originally published February 24, 2016 at 10:42 AM.