Fern bar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please discuss this issue on the talk page or replace this tag with a more specific message. This article has been tagged since December 2005. |
Fern Bar is a slang phrase for an upscale or preppy (yuppie) bar or tavern usually decorated with ferns or other "fussy" plants, as well as such decor as fake Tiffany lamps. The phrase came into common use in the late 1970s or early 1980s. Typical drinks served included wine spritzers or pina coladas. Franchises sometimes labeled "fern bars" include T.G.I. Friday's, Bennigan's, Houlihan's, etc.
Fern Bars were a gathering place for well-dressed "upscale" young men and women, pejoratively felt to be more interested in seeing each other and being seen than in simply drinking and talking, as might be expected in a "bar-bar" (i.e. a local dive or watering hole, etc.)
Fern bars were not synonymous with Gay Bars, although some regular bar patrons thought of them as quite effete.
