I'm sick of clubs. Let's talk about bars. And not the kinds of bars that want to be clubs. Bars bars. The kind that don't (ever) charge you to get in; the kind that would rather you drink beer than a dainty glass of something pinkish; the kind that get ridiculously busy at 5 p.m. because in these places, there really is an hour when people are the happiest they've been all day.

Yeah. Those bars.

What makes a bar that kind of bar? For me, three things: No dress code (not even one that's implied), a designated happy hour and the sort of interior design that plays up mismatched furniture, vinyl banquettes and those awesome framed Budweiser mirrors. In other words, if it looks like your ex-boyfriend's place on game day, walk in and order a drink.

Fort Street Bar & Grill is totally that bar. It's got all the right stuff and no bells and whistles.

FORT STREET BAR & GRILL

Where: 745 Fort St., in the lobby of the Topa Financial Center

Hours: 3 p.m. until everyone goes home, Wednesdays-Fridays

So, how long can I stay? The place closes when the crowd starts to thin out, so stay until then. They probably won't kick you out, but you still shouldn't stay forever (that's rude). You can always go back.

The place caters to the Downtown business district, which is reflected in the hours (and the crowd).

This place doesn't look like a bar at all: Look again and you'll see that all the right components are in place. Sure, it's in the lobby of a building whose other rooms are mostly occupied by law firms, but don't be fooled by the location — this IS a bar.

The big, open space that looks like it might have been a conference room at some point in its evolution is furnished (but barely) with just the basics: tables and chairs.

The actual bar, an island of counters in the center of the room, is where the drunk lawyers sit. If that's not really your thing, sit at a table. You might have to share one of the long lu'au-style tables with strangers, but the good news is they probably won't be strangers for long.

Two servers work the entire floor (that's about 20 tables each) and you'd never know it. They're fast, efficient and friendly.

The grill: Fort Street Bar & Grill is owned by Colin Nishida, who also owns Side Street Inn. Nishida's Fort Street haunt sells a few signature Side Street dishes, like the amazing pork chops, spicy chicken wings and garlic clams, as well as incredible pupu steak that will definitely ruin your appetite for dinner. The kitchen opens at 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays.

Can I sing along? If there wasn't a place for swaggering patrons to warble out an off-key version of "Born in the U.S.A," this bar wouldn't be as awesome as it is. That place is in a separate room with doors, which makes it even more awesome.

Though karaoke isn't the main attraction (the food is), people have been known to pick up a mike or two.

Go, Warriors! The bar hours change during football season, when they air all the University of Hawai'i Warriors' games. They've been known to air other sports events, but there's no schedule.

Day and night: If after work is past your bedtime, the kitchen is open weekdays for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.