If the thought of $12 cocktails and manicures at the bar makes your upper lip curl, it's time for a trip to Nick's on Wilson. This neighborhood bar, which opened in the summer of 2006 in the former home of the Wooden Nickel, skips glitz and glitter in favor of hanging lights and wide-striped walls painted red, green and yellow. The long bar along the southern wall is lined with high-backed metal chairs while cocktail tables fill the center of the bar, bathing in the rosy glow of the dim lighting.

No matter the interior, the signature pineapple logo on the window (which is the international sign for hospitality) connects Nick's on Wilson to its big brother bars, Nick's Beer Garden and Nick's Uptown. Unlike its big bros, though, this bar is still working to extend its curfew to 4 a.m.

Those looking for more than a lonely brew with the bartender can choose from the Internet jukebox, sports-tuned TV, pool table or pile of board games for entertainment. Free wi-fi means you can also cozy up with your laptop and sip a brew while surfing the web. Guinness, Harp and Bass are on tap, with a bevy of bottles rounding out the options. Most beers will set you back $4, with mixed drinks coming in at around $6.

Centerstage Reviewer: Kate Rockwood