Alright, I'll admit it - I'm a sucker for some good country music. And after hearing that one of my favorite local country groups, The Ryan Larsen Band, was playing at ZOLA last Saturday night, I just had to go check them out. (These guys were even voted last year's #1 local band in Spokane!)

I haven't been to ZOLA in almost two years! And to be honest, I forgot how awesomely eclectic the atmosphere is. What makes this place so cool is that most of the furnishings were taken from demolition sites around downtown Spokane. If you want to hang out on the main floor of the bar, there are a few semi-private rooms where you can spend some time with your friends but still hear the music perfectly. And if you go upstairs, make sure to take a seat in one of their old tilt-a-whirl bucket booths from the ‘40s!

Plus, they've got tons of beer on tap (even a few IPA's I hadn't heard of before) and if you order a pitcher of beer for you and your buddies, prepare for some perfectly chilled mason jars to come along with it. Or check out their specialty cocktail menu. There's lots of intriguing concoctions like a Raspberry Snapple Tea (yum!) and something called a Smooth Talker. The names alone make me want to try them! And if you get hungry, I seriously suggest ordering up the ZOLA Mac (um, who wouldn't want a bowl full of bacon mac n' cheese?) and their hummus dip is downright phenomenal.

ZOLA was packed and everyone had such a great time singing and dancing to The Ryan Larsen Band and songs like Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues and Dierks Bentley's Sideways. But don't worry if country music isn't really your thing - ZOLA has a different band scheduled to play every weekend. So if you're planning a visit to Spokane, make sure to stop into ZOLA on your trip. I promise you'll get great food and drink and have a great time!