When you spend a lot of time in parking lots, you look for new ways to spice up what is already a near perfect setting. You have friends, food and beer so what could possibly take the experience of tailgating to a higher level…that’s right…a bar! Since you can’t take your local pub with you, the next best thing is a portable unit that can be easily set up anywhere with little trouble.
There are a few companies making tailgating bars but GoPong really nailed it with their “GoBar” for reasons we’ll get into shortly.
Upon receiving the unit the first thing I noticed was how compact the box was, since space in my SUV is already limited on game-day, any item that I can tuck into a tight space is surely welcome.
With just 3″ of depth when closed in the bag, I was already smiling. It is thin enough to be tucked against a wall or on top of an already loaded cargo area. It’s also very light, weighing in at just 12lbs.
With the help of my two and three year old girls, we had the bar setup in a matter of seconds (I should rephrase that and say we had their new fort set up in a matter of seconds). You simply unfold the outside legs like a standard card table while the middle storage shelf is locked into place with the tension created by the legs. This could not be any more simple of a process.
Next step was applying one of the three wraps included in the box. You get tiki, football and solid black. Using Velcro that lines the legs vertically, you simply stretch the wrap around and boom-done. In a matter of 2-3 minutes you have a fully functioning bar that can be moved with ease.
With the rigors of tailgating, a bar needs to be more than a pretty face, it needs to be sturdy. With a final weight of just 12lbs I honestly had my doubts at first but was really surprised. My first test was to line the middle shelf with liquor bottles and it handled it just fine. You obviously get a stronger hold towards the outside of the shelf but the middle (and weakest point) held up just fine under the weight of the bottles. As you can see from below, the bar is going to be housing a combination of food and alcohol so we need something that can take a beating
The first field test was this past weekend at the Towson/Lehigh FCS playoff game. I got great initial reactions from my tailgating group, they love when I pull out new toys that benefit them. Once the lot filled up people started to take notice, it’s not everyday you see an outdoor bar.
(I didn’t want to stage a perfect picture, this is how we used it for the early parts of the tailgate.)
What I really loved about the GoBar is that we ended up using it for everything. The standard card table we bring went pretty much unused all afternoon since we were able to store food on the shelf and use the top for a serving area. After the main barrage of food was finished, it was used for it’s intended purpose…drinking. The top of the bar is big enough that you can play cards, roll dice or even play flip cup if the desire hits you. We had many visitors stop by and tell us how much they loved the idea, you can only imagine some of the reactions we got from the students. I think one of the key selling points that people kept pointing out was the versatility. Lugging a table around can be a pain unless you want to pay for a very compact unit. With the GoBar you not only get a place to hang out and socialize, you get a built in buffet table.
For you non-tailgaters out there, the GoBar is also totally suitable for a home environment. I was able to set it up next to the grill on my deck to create a really nice setup for my friends. People tend to hover near the grill so this gave them a place to stand that kept them out of my hair.
Overall I have to give this the Tailgate365 seal of approval and would recommend it to anyone who likes to have fun on the go.
As a special treat for our readers, enter promo code “365” to get 25% off the GoBar on www.DrinkingInnovations.com
