TURLOCK – For those walking down Main Street after dark, it is hard to ignore the sound of live music coming from downtown’s Vintage Lounge and Piano Bar. What’s even harder to miss is the long line of people that can be seen on weekend nights, hoping to get in to the popular venue.
Manager Joe Morrais says there is a good reason that passersbys can often see 30 to 40 people waiting outside on weekends.
“Everybody that has come in here has liked the place,” said Morrais. “It’s the perfect place to relax, listen to some good music, and have some great drinks that are reasonably priced.”
This past January, the lounge and bar moved from its old location to its new destination down the street. What sets it apart is its live music every night.
On Tuesdays from 7 to 10 p.m., guests can enjoy jazz music from the Nell Rock Jazz Band and on Wednesdays from 9 p.m. to midnight, they can dance to live music from Johnny and Kelly, a two person-band from Modesto.
On Thursday nights, Vintage tends to vary between five and six bands. However, Morrais says that the lounge to play older rock ‘n roll, with 90 percent of their bands playing 50s, 60s, and 70s music.
Additionally, for its namesake, the Vintage Lounge and Piano Bar has a live piano player every Friday and Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m.
Those who enjoy a good laugh can also visit the lounge and bar on the first Tuesday of every month for comedy night. With comedians from San Francisco, shows start at 7:30 and guests are charged an $8 cover fee.
Do not be mistaken—entertainment is not the lounge’s only specialty. Vintage Lounge and Piano Bar has recently begun offering an impressive appetizer menu, which includes a creamy artichoke dip and shrimp cocktail. When it comes to recommendations, Morrais encourages guests to try the oyster dish, which is his personal favorite.
The bar, Morrais says that his bartenders can just about make any drink for that guests want.
Appetizers and drinks are subject to happy hour prices from 4 to 7 p.m. every night that the bar is open. With probably one of the best happy hours in town, according to Morrais, guests receive $1 off everything available for purchase.
Overall, Vintage Lounge and Piano Bar has become a top lounge and bar destination in Turlock, something that Morrais and owner Dan Gray hoped for since its inception five years ago.
“It’s been everything plus more than we thought we would get when we opened it up,” said Morrais. “It has really grown from what we started.”
Those interested in stopping by Vintage Lounge and Piano Bar must adhere to a dress code which includes no ball caps, no sleeveless shirts, and no biker vests from Tuesday to Thursday and no head wear of any kind, no T-shirts, no baggy pants, no sleeveless shirts, no biker vests on Friday and Saturday.
