When we last saw the Bus Stop in late 2007, it was on the doomed 500
block of Pine Street, shut down and eventually torn down. Three other
bars—Kincora, Pony (formerly the Cha Cha), and Manray—went
along with it. The condominiums that were to replace this Valhalla
of drinking have yet to materialize; the entire block was paved and
turned into a parking lot. (Way to go, progress!)
Despite lobbying from the gay community, the management of Pony has
yet to take over a nearby empty KFC (an ideal new home for a bar that
was decorated with cans of Crisco—Kentucky Fried Pony?).
The Cha Cha, however, has been successfully transplanted to a
subterranean space a few blocks away on Pike Street. And now the Bus
Stop has reappeared—also not far, joining another
stumbling-distance paradise on the swooping curve of Olive Way. In
downhill order, its neighboring drinking establishments are: Cafe
Metropolitain (faux French), the Stumbling Monk (excellent beer), the
Elite (wholesome homo), the Buck (Western themed), Clever
Dunne’s (prototypical Amer-Irish), the Crescent (divey karaoke), the
Saint (fancy, tequila), and Faire Gallery Cafe (adorable, wine). If you
can’t find a place you like to drink here, it’s no one’s fault but your
own.
The layout and furnishings and feeling of the new Bus Stop are
eerily similar to the old. The mural has transformed from bad graffiti
(“It was terrible,” the bartender agrees) to a light-streaked city
corner at night, including an improbably glamorous Metro bus.
(The actual bathroom graffiti, replete at the former location, is off
to a fine start, with Sharpied discussion of the birthday of someone
named Rodney and tributes to the complex sexuality of Adé, the
Bus Stop’s gorgeous muse.) The neon “BUS” and “STOP” are again in
twinned front windows.
The actual city corner at night outside the new Bus Stop’s windows
would be picturesque—with busy traffic and brick buildings and a
stoplight—if it weren’t for the billion-candlepower sign stuck to
Amante Pizza. This hate crime of signage is so bright it ought
to be illegal. (The pizza-by-the-slice is reportedly good.) Those
intending to sit facing the street at the front tables should bring
sunglasses, Valium, and a friend with a very large head. Alternately,
the Bus Stop could reinstate the red velvet curtains of the former
location (one of few things lost in the move) to provide eyeball
relief.
While buses do go by the Bus Stop, it’s no longer at a bus stop.
It’s in a former manicure/pedicure salon. If they’d decided to honor
the geographical in a similar way, it’d be called Style
Nails—not a bad name for a bar. 
The Bus Stop, 1552 E Olive Way.
I’ve wondered about that giant Amante sign. How can it possibly be legal?
This place was and is a trash collector.
I had the WORST service at amante! there were 3 or 4 other tables besides mine, and at least that many waitstaff, but I had to actually walk up to my server to request the check. she was too busy talking to the other waitstaff. she screwed up the order, then ignored us! I will NEVER GO BACK.
Yeah, seriously – screw Amante and their awful awful sign. It clearly drives away more customers than it could possibly attract.
Yes, Amante is a horrible atrocity. But pretty much everything that has been in that building is — cursed and atrocious. They should knock that down and make a parking lot there.
But bus stop is divine. I love that place. So glad it’s back.
Kip – can you ever say anything positive about a place? The last two reviews I read both had your trademarked style of bitter hate.
Shoulda called it the Parking Lot…
not that I like it, but you guys really hate bright signage, don’t you?
Rodney owns the Bus Stop, yes?
Another lovely piece that makes me want to go out drinking. Thank God Bethany can do it for me.
The Bus Stop blows — lousy service, little ambiance, no soul. There’s nothing wrong at the BS that a bomb couldn’t fix.
meme awe, after I wrote this column, I heard that the Rodney whose birthday is celebrated in Sharpie on the bathroom walls is indeed the owner (possibly with another person), but I don’t know for certain.
Bus Stop’s opening night during the Snowpacolypse was fantastic! I’m going back for sure.
Kip Schoning is not just another bitter faceless internet asshole he is an asshole in real life!
His life’s work, the Schoning real estate “empire”, is going tits up. You’d think he would spend less time blogging and more time trying to get some of his properties out of foreclosure…