Comments on: Miller’s On a Downward Spiral?

By: 7/26/09 - 3:48AM. Scowly is died. | cVillain

7/26/09 - 3:48AM. Scowly is died. | cVillain — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:01:02 +0000

[...] cans Austrian Red Bull 3. 1 bottle of Charlottesville Tap Water 4. dozens of nitrous balloons 4. 1 Miller’s receipt with a phone number on the back. The cardholder’s signature appeared to read [...]

By: otterdung

otterdung — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:14:18 +0000

@85
it was the Pilgrim’s Progress, T. I moved here at 21 and started on Gin Rickeys, then Sloe Gin Fizz, then Pimm’s Cup #1, then Gin and Bitters, then straight rail gin with club soda. The Champagne exclusively for celebrating when i frequently got fired or quit or got dumped.

i don’t think i’ve ever bummed a cigarette in my life, but i hope i was there to gladly give you some of mine.

cheers to you, then, Friend of my youth.

By: otterdung

otterdung — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:10:32 +0000

@84
very true. i must admit it was a shock when the NEW miller’s came,
and for what seemed like the first time ever someone had the crust to ask me to PAY for what i drank.

By: Thurston

Thurston — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:07:21 +0000

Otter, I had no idea you were a Champagne drinker! I grew up smoking cigarettes (camel unfiltered) in Miller’s and drinking bud bottles when I came home on weekends from Boarding School.

By: belmont yo

belmont yo — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:36:18 +0000

For me, Miller’s used to be the place where you would order a drink, then wait way too long for it, and then when it finally arrived, it was way bigger/stronger than it should have been. This always seemed to me a happy compromise. Last few times I was there, I waited way too long for a drink, and it was normal, if not smaller and weaker than it should have been. This seemed to me an unhappy non compromise.

/used to love it. I still give it another chance every two months or so.

By: otterdung

otterdung — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:26:32 +0000

it used to be a lot of fun during 9-to-5 hours to sit on that particular patio and
drink way too much VERY CHEAP champagne and laugh at pedestrians.

By: shenanigans

shenanigans — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:23:58 +0000

NO champagne???. I’m sure as hell not going there then.

By: otterdung

otterdung — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:12:47 +0000

@79
that’s awesome, thank you for taking the time to reply. i’ll always love the place, and always go there.
I’m sure you have done and will do it justice, if only for your own fond memories of the place.

the place took a bad hit when steve tharpe left, of course.
and a terrible hit when all the WV potheads were hired to replace the old staff of bright, educated etc.
and a terrible hit when the pool-room went in.
and a terrible hit when the middle floor (Upstairs) stopped being open–EVER.
and a terrible hit when someone ILLUMINATED BRIGHTLY the Upstairs.
and a terrible hit when college students started coming in
… (on any night other than when they were required to see John D’Earth for Jazz Studies Class)

however–you can’t be blamed for:
the service has always been painfully slow and the staff has always been
made up of addled potheads even back when most of them had Master’s and PhDs.

however:
it no longer stocks camels nonfilters
i was there a couple weeks ago and there was NO champagne. at all. even the cheap shit.

By: Anti-Freeze

Anti-Freeze — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:58:15 +0000

Well said. I think times have changed. I go to miller’s all the time and it’s always great whether I eat, drink or do both.

By: millers GA

millers GA — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:32:21 +0000

Its true and unfortunate that Danny allowed an employee to continue working even though she was heavy into heroin use and sores were visible on her arms. This is one of the reasons Management has been changed. I am sorry I let things go on, such as poor service and lack of detailed cleaning and upkeep. I wanted the employees that were with me for so long and a few that saw this as a career position to perform at the highest level. Sure Millers is a bar, but it should be clean. You should get a cold drink and a sandwich in a timely fashion.

The sports bar comment upsets me. I never intended for Millers to be a sports bar. There are no TVs and no video games on the first or secund floor. I have always had the greatest respect for what Millers meant to the community. The main reason I fell in love with the place and purchased it was the old cabinets, tile floor and tin cieling. The atmosphere that attracted the homeless, the buisness man, tourist, occasinal redneck, blue collar workers and late night drunks is something I wanted to preserve. This is the kind of place I look for to hang out in every where i have lived

. Theres a place in Atlanta called Atkins Park, its the oldest bar in Ga. If you were to walk in and have a cold beer you could swear you were in C’ville at Millers. The one thing that I saw when I bought the buisness in 2001 is that the service was poor and drinking for free was enjoyed by a lot of patrons. Atkins park has been around since 1937 and the reason for that success is its neighborhood appeal, great service and quality product at a good price. Improve the level of service and foo , end the free ride for the bartenders and waitress friends and restore the cieling were the only things I wanted to change. Since day one I have been accused wanting to turn Millers into a sports bar. I have been yelled at for wanting to hang tv’s from the back bar cabinets. My only responce is “what the hell are you talking about”. I have hired a few servers over the years that people have said don’t fit the Millers requirements for employment.. The idea that you had to be hip (Millers Hip) and a artistic genious to work as a waitress i have never understood. Get me a drink quickly and bring me another one before my glass is empty is the only thing I care about when I am at a bar or restraunt. Male or female, ugly or hot, WHO CARES!!!. I hire and my managment should hire on the same principle. The previous managers in the end where only hiring there friends and refused to fire them when they didn’t do there job or had other serious and obvious problems.

Drugs have never been sold by me or my employees to my knowledge. Do I think that occasionally things occur that I don’t condone between one guest to another, probably.
I think every bar and restaurant in the country has hired an employee that turned out to be ceedy. When we find a employee breaking the law in anyway he is fired. It does take longer than you would like to discover these things about an employee if you are not in the market for his product. Especially if he is a hard worker.

The Pool Room on the third floor was never intinded to be truly a part of Millers. I have always seen it as this separate place that you can hang out in without leaving the building. When I step into the Pool Room I know I have left Millers, but after a game of pool the old charm of Millers and John D’earth are waiting for me.

I hope that the service, cleanliness and food have greatly improved. Trusted long-time guests tell me things are greatly improved. I tried to pass out comment cards but it got the response i thought it would. “Comment cards at Millers? Is this a joke!!”

Anyone that has any complaints or compliments please send email to millersdowntown@gmail.com