By Jared Curtis
Suzy Q’s Lounge
Stop by one of the friendliest bars in town
Covering the local nightlife scene the past few years, I’ve found that a welcoming crowd can make or break a bar. And even though a big, new establishment can be fun (and pricey), crowds are always on guard because eventually, a miscommunication or a glance in the wrong direction mistaken for something more, turns physical. But when you walk into an established neighborhood bar like Suzy Q’s Lounge, the crowd welcomes you with open arms, no matter if it’s your first or 50th visit. There is a reason these smaller neighborhood staples succeed years longer than fly-by-night hipsters spots, and that reason is good customers.
“We treat all of our customers with respect, because without them, we wouldn’t be here,” said Suzy Andersen, who co-owns the bar with Rich Samuelson. “I call our customers my kids, because we are like one big happy family.”
Suzy Q’s Lounge opened in 1995 in the location of a former liquor store. Andersen and Samuelson were working jobs completely opposite of the bar business when the opportunity presented itself.
“It took us four or five months to get everything together,” Andersen said. “Rich did a lot of work and built the bar himself.”
Happy Hour runs from the time the bar opens until 6 p.m., seven days a week. They offer $2.50 domestic bottles, 50 cents off Schnapps, $3 mini pitchers and $6 pitchers. The bar also serves a classic, Old Milwaukee, on tap. And when patrons stop in for the first time, they receive a free shot of the house specialty, “Raspberry Kamikaze,” a sweet, yet powerful drink. After the first try, the shots are $1.
“Rich made up the shot. I remember he was feeling pretty good after trying out a few different ideas,” Andersen said. “I always tell the customers, it’s not Kool-Aid, so be careful.”
Suzy Q’s has two pool tables (free pool on Monday and Sunday) and four dartboards. On Saturday and Sunday, the bar hosts 8-ball and 9-ball tournaments starting at 3 p.m. It’s $5 to enter, and the winner payout depends on the number of competitors.
“We always have a great turnout, usually anywhere between 15 and 25 players,” Andersen said.
On Sept. 25, Suzy Q’s will host “Minnow Races” starting at 7 p.m. A track is put up in the bar, and for $5 customers can buy a minnow and try their chances in the bracket-style competition.
“One of our customers saw it and offered to build the track for us,” Andersen said. “It’s so much fun, and we’ve even had a couple of customers eat them after the race.”
Both Andersen and Samuelson are proud of their neighborhood bar and the success they’ve had without any of the hassles.
“We’ve been open for almost 14 years, and in that time, the cops have only been called twice,” Samuelson said. “We look out for are customers, and that’s what keeps them coming back.” CV
Caption: Owners Suzy Andersen and Rich Samuelson cheers their customers at Suzy Q’s Lounge, 6810 Douglas Ave. #A, Urbandale. Hours are Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. to close (2 a.m. on Fridays), Saturday, noon to 2 a.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to close.
