Daiker's, Old Forge

Daiker's, located on Fourth Lake in Old Forge, has something for everyone and ample space to accommodate many. Whether entering from the large parking area or from a boat on the lake, it will take some time to take it all in, including the lake view from the expansive porch and deck.

This was our fifth bar review on that Saturday in July. We had taken a break for an early dinner, planning Old Forge Pub Crawl Part II. We decided to resume at Daiker's and make our way back to the hamlet of Old Forge for later foot travel. Janet, our host at Village Cottages, armed us with a referral and description of owner, Tal Daiker.

“Oh, #?!*%,” Pam thought, entering the bar, “This is going to take awhile! So much to absorb.” Daiker’s is an amusement park for adults. Taking a seat at the bar, two bartenders at the ready, we began the arduous task of the visual review, but not without first reviewing the bar selections and ordering our drinks. With a well-stocked bar, six drafts, and plenty of bottled beers, there’s something for everyone.

The place is huge, with a long, long bar and another one outside on the deck. A partition separates the bar area from the dining area. Bar stools along the partition provide additional seating. Daiker’s interior is a unique interpretation of Adirondack style with both subtle and overt accents. Pine walls display wildlife art and antler chandeliers hang from a high ceiling supported by sturdy log beams. A massive stone fireplace, dormant for the summer, commands the center of the room. In an adjoining room, musicians haul amps and equipment for the night's entertainment. A dance floor lay empty. A pool table sits in an area near the bar; interior walls lined with a photo booth, a vending machine for snacks and another for lottery tickets. In another section, partially partitioned, is a gaming arcade. Beer advertisements and sports memorabilia covering the most popular events adorn the walls, with televisions and Quick Draw monitors strategically placed throughout the building. An Adirondack scene in diorama is displayed high above in an alcove in the ceiling. Tucked in the wall and protected by glass is a miniature of the original Daiker's bar. Though we didn't get the story behind the display of bras behind the bar, we trust it's an interesting one. Daiker's gear is on display and available for purchase there or online.

Tal Daiker was a friendly host and happily answered our many questions about the bar and its history and gave us some insight on his family's commitment to Daiker's. Originally called the Fulton House, Daiker’s was once a casino and a stop for the steamboat that ran along the lake. Tal’s dad bought it in 1956 and it has been Daiker family operated since then. In 1988 Tal took over operations, instituting changes, expansions and improvements over the years with his wife Debbie. Their sons Devin and Dane also help with the business. The restaurant and bar are open 7 days a week, serving food from noon to 9 p.m. The bar is open from noon to 2 a.m. Live entertainment, from acoustic soloists to rock bands, is provided on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday in the summer. Both summer and winter are busy times at Daiker’s, with a substantial snowmobile following in winter. Tal maintains a Twitter account, Tal’s Trail Report, with regular updates on local snow conditions. They do close briefly off season, spring and fall, so be sure to check their website, before visiting off season.

On a mission with a minimum of three more bars to visit, we didn't socialize with the patrons, but did observe the local camaraderie and diversity. Those observations led to our recognizing several of Daiker's patrons in the next bar we visited, and the next, and much later yet, another. They, too, were on an Old Forge pub crawl?

HHHP Old Forge Summer Tour Prelude

We arrived in Old Forge on Friday night and decided we were not ready to hit the town. We had our own private wine and cheese party outside our cottage and turned in not as early as we expected. Saturday morning we took an early walk, "casing" the town, went to a few shops, including the must see Old Forge Hardware Store. That included a look in their bookstore, where we hope to see our book properly displayed next year. We then went back to Village Cottages to plan our assault.

We recently discovered that we were on different wavelengths regarding the design of our book, so we took some time to sit in the sun and revisit our differences of opinion. This is what we refer to as our "board meetings". It was too cool for the pool, so we sat in Adirondack chairs and just worked it out. We spent some time with our host, Janet, as she gave us the scoop on the local establishments. By 1 pm, we were ready to hit the bars, knowing we had a lot of ground to cover. On our way to Big Moose Lake, in Inlet I believe, we encountered a bicyclist in our path.

Spandex deteriorates. Ever have a bathing suit that you put on one day and realize you can see through it? OK for your backyard, but you don't wear it to the beach. Bicycle shorts are made out of Spandex, too. As we approached the cyclist, standing to pedal harder, sun at his back, we realized that his Spandex had deteriorated, AND he was cycling "commando" - the crack of his butt visible to all!

Question is, did he know it and do it on purpose? How do you put on your riding shorts and not notice? We pondered that question on and off throughout our Old Forge (and vicinity) tour.

With a new appreciation of "Bottoms Up"!

High Peaks Pammie

Old Forge Area Part II

The list kept growing. After a hasty but healthy dinner, we were back out to cover two or three more bars. Could we possibly do four? Never mind that at least three or four more on top of that had been suggested to us as "not to be missed". We'd had several conversations with Janet, our host at Village Cottages, who offered directions, history and valuable advice about many of the places on our list and who seemed to be related to or at least knew almost everyone in town.

Daiker's bar

Turns out Tal Daiker is Janet's cousin. The original plan was to hit destinations which were within walking distance, but Daiker's was six miles away and we just couldn't go home without going there.

We spent less than an hour at Daiker's and had a nice chat with Tal, then drove back in to Old Forge and made a quick stop at Slicker's. The tiny bar was pretty crowded so we didn't really get a chance to talk to the bartender, but we met a few locals (who had also been at Daiker's) who told us we had to go to Tony Harper's Pizza and Clam Shack. (We would find these gentlemen at every bar we went to for the rest of the night.)

Back to the cottage. Park the car. Hoof it. It was only two blocks to the Tow Bar. We immediately felt at home at the Tow Bar and decided that's where we wanted to end the night, so we had a quick drink there and crossed the street to Tony Harper's where we were pleasantly surprised at the building and the atmosphere. Finally we returned to the Tow Bar where we relaxed, had conversations without a notebook, took some photos and played pool.

Tow Bar buddies

We'll add write-ups and reviews as we finish them. Some you will have to wait for to appear on the Adirondack Almanack; others we will review here. Between the Old Forge area and Lake Placid, we accumulated 16-18 bars in the queue waiting for review. So do try to keep up.

Cheers & Bottoms Up!
Kim & Pam