Photos courtesy of Aversa PR
Are you ready for a completely unique experience in the West Chester bar scene? The new concept is thanks to Justin Weathers and Joe Monnich, the owners of Stove & Tap, who created a different, enticing vibe downstairs from their successful eatery.
Good Bad and Ugly is the first-ever bar-focused concept from the duo. The idea is to give an “ode to dive bars,” says Weathers. He and Monnich were inspired by a type of country, honky-tonk sports bar that is fun, light-hearted, interactive, bright, modern and cleaner than the standard dive bar.
West Chester hasn’t seen anything quite like GBU, which boasts the town’s only pool table, plus foosball and shuffleboard. Monnich and Weathers are planning special events like comedy night, karaoke, live country music and more down the line as well.
The bar is open Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to midnight, Thursdays and Fridays from 4 p.m.-2 a.m., Saturdays from 12 p.m.-2 a.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m.-12 a.m. It will also host happy hour nightly from 4-6 p.m.
GBU is the sixth opening by the partnership. The two first started working together at Parc Restaurant and then at Dandelion. They then planned to start their own businesses as a team.
The menu at Good Bad and Ugly has a long list of cocktails and bar food. Weathers’ favorite drinks are the fresh margarita and ranch water. As a tequila lover, his goal was to give GBU a tequila-based bar menu.
When the duo first opened Stove & Tap last year, they knew they had the basement to use, so they planned to turn it into a speakeasy type of bar. The former nightclub took a big transition into a modern-day western saloon with elements from the owners’ love of Clint Eastwood and Quentin Tarantino movies.
“It was a rough year last year [in] 2021. Building this bar and getting it done was very difficult,” says Weathers. “Between supply chain, getting people to work and contracting, it seemed bleak at times if we were ever going to get it done. We’re just excited it’s open, it’s successful, people are really enjoying it and it’s just this bright spot that’s happened to us after going through a rough year.”
Check out the 2,000-square-foot bar featuring seating for 52 people across 80-plus feet. Although the hotspot is located in the basement of Stove & Tap, GBU has its own external entrance below the main dining room entrance.
“With Good Bad and Ugly, we wanted to bring something a little different and new here to West Chester. There are tons of great spots for a drink on the town, happy hour and dinner, but we wanted to create a brand-new spot where you can come as you are, let your hair down, have fun and have things to do,” says Weathers. “Sometimes you want to go out for a casual night after work and play some pool, grab a great beer and hang with friends. Other nights, you want to stop out for a drink before a date night on the town. We want to be all those things. We want to cater to those that want to go out and have fun and escape for the evening,” he adds.
Related: Stove & Tap Opens Third Location in Downtown West Chester
