In the 1920s, the subterranean location and numerous exits of the Mole's Eye—then the downstairs lounge of the Brook's House Hotel—made it perfect for a speakeasy. The liquor-laden shelves behind the bar were safely sequestered behind a locked wooden wall in case the fuzz came aknocking. After Prohibition was repealed with the 21st amendment, the lounge, The Oak Room, was legally opened. It remained the Oak Room until the early '60s, when it became the Cutty Sark II Lounge, a nautically-themed joint. The downstairs space then became a storage site for a while before being purchased and renovated by former Windham College (now Landmark College) students. In June of 1973, the Mole's Eye Caf? was opened. Six owners and 35 years later, the Mole's Eye is still a staple of Brattleboro nightlife despite the appearance of numerous new bars and restaurants, offering live music four nights a week as well as pool, darts, a sizeable menu of delicious pub food, including the Nachos Grande, a "customer favorite" according to bartender Andy Haskins (pictured left; patron Dawn Nims is pictured right), and an ever-expanding selection of draft beer.
The dining room at the cavernous restaurant/bar doubles as the stage. Tables and chairs are removed and the bands set up shop in front of the wide-screen TV, leaving the rest of the vacated dining room for patrons to dance in.
Tuesday night is bluegrass jam night, open to musicians of any caliber.
"Anybody can show up and play," said Haskins. Thursday, Friday and Saturday night offer performances that run the musical gamut from Latin dance tunes and Grateful Dead cover bands to singer/songwriters and straight up rock 'n' rollers.
The Mole's Eye Cafe is located at 4 High St. in Brattleboro. For a complete list of showtimes and performers, call (802) 257-0771 or log on to www.themoleseyecafe.com.
