Barstool: The emergence of Pinky’s Pub

If Pinky’s Pub feels like a cross between a diner, like the one on Spring Garden, and a dive bar, that’s because it is.

The new restaurant bar took over the slim space formerly known as LaRue across from the Carolina Theatre in downtown Greensboro after the French restaurant’s ambitious move across from apparel company VF close to a dozen blocks north. Young as it is — just a few weeks old — Pinky’s already feels like a completely different space, with pink and kitschy decorations replacing a more manicured, upscale-meets-hipster vibe. Save for the shape of the unique, long space, the only obvious signs that LaRue briefly lived here are a little leftover exposed wood and dangling red heat lamps above part of the bar.

Pinky’s Pub has already lined the beer cooler — full of macro brews, Red Bull and a few wines — with a pink light and tacked some merch up in the entryway, putting down customized floor mats featuring its skull with heart-shaped eyes and pink bow logo.

But now there are four televisions up where the back wall meets the ceiling, and on a recent Friday afternoon, two played “Paternity Court” with the sound on while another was tuned to the US Open. Pinky’s brought in a touch-screen bar top game and a juke box. There’s a karaoke night, trivia night and ladies night now — things that LaRue probably wouldn’t be caught dead hosting, and taco Tuesdays to round out the breakfast and bar fare.

Pinky’s has a half dozen beers on tap, mostly North Carolina crafts and one a hard cider. The mixed drink menu is almost entirely made up of vodka drinks, though one also contains rum and the final one listed — called Angry Balls — is Angry Orchard with a shot of Fireball.

Downtown Greensboro is home to a couple dive bars, though none are really offering what Pinky’s does. It’s as if Short Shanks and Snack Bar decided to combine forces with a cross between Fisher’s and a diner from Emerald Isle. It’s nice to see that LaRue wasn’t just a short interruption in the storefront’s long vacancy, and maybe more importantly, it’s nice to see somewhere that will be open late downtown serving pizza logs and breakfast all day.

Visit Pinky’s Pub at pinkyspub.com or at 313 S. Greene St. (GSO) Tuesday thru Sunday.