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When a neighborhood loses a longtime business, the locals begin to worry who will end up taking over where the last place left off.

So, when it was announced Blind Bob's would be the name of the new bar taking over the Oregon District space that formally housed the Nite Owl, many wondered just what the future held.

Turns out Blind Bob's — which opened on Labor Day weekend last year — would bring together some of the best aspects of a tavern with good beer, stiff drinks, terrific food and a stage that showcases live local music.

When the Mendenhall family (Bob and Lisa who own Blind Bob's and their son Nate Mendenhall, 28, who manages the bar) set about to create Blind Bob's, they changed just about everything in the former Nite Owl space. Not only did they remove the bar, they opened things up, exposing the brick walls, original hand-hewn beams and pine floors. They rebuilt the bathrooms and most importantly — the kitchen. What is left is a cleaner, brighter, sleeker urban tavern space, with just enough of the old charm to make you want to stay without the stench of decades of smoke or the memories of the dark, enclosed space it replaced.

Painted in warm tones, Blind Bob's is filled with tables and chairs scattered throughout with seating at the oak bar located at the back of the space. If you've arrived on a night when a band isn't scheduled to play, there's a jukebox filled with tunes worthy of of being heard if you have the money to foot the bill.

For the Lounge Lizards, it's all about enjoying the moment — and few moments are complete without a beverage. Intrigued by the signature drink list of bourbon-inspired cocktails, Alexis ordered the Fashionable Manhattan ($6) made with bourbon and sweet vermouth over muddled lemon, lime, orange and sugar. Craig ordered the Bloody Bulleit ($6) made with Bulleit Frontier Bourbon, blood orange juice, bitters and sweet vermouth.

We give Blind Bob's mixologists an A for effort for going beyond the basic drink menus. However a little tweaking is needed to get these drinks to make it on our local top 10 bartending list. While some of their drinks are heavy on the sweet, others are too strong — it's clear they haven't quite struck the perfect mixing balance.

Eyeing Bourbon Dipped Fried Pickles on the menu ($4.99), we knew we had found the foundation appetizer to build our meal on. The Reuben sandwich ($6.99), the Fiesta! burger ($7.99) and the pickle soup ($3.99) rounded out our food order.

If you order only one item at Blind Bob's, try the pickle soup. This unusual tangy, creamy soup fantasy has hints of vinegar and slices of dill pickle mixed into what appeared to be a potato base. It's a chowder like nothing we've ever had before, and something we'd certainly order again.

We also fell in love the Bourbon Dipped Fried Pickles. Imagine crispy dill pickles dipped in a spicy bourbon batter that is fried to a perfect crispy crunch. The combination of batter to pickle came to a perfect finish when dipped in the cool tzatziki sauce that comes with each order. This was a generous serving that came with all the little crunchies from the deep fryer at a price worth paying for.

Our sandwich tour featuring The Reuben was one of the best we've had in some time. The sandwich featured several thick slices of corned beef that were incredibly moist and tender and topped with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing.

The Fiesta! burger is just one of six stuffed burger choices. This half-pound creation was stuffed with cheddar jack cheese, corn and jalapeños all topped with salsa and sour cream. The vote was mixed on this one. While flavorful, Craig thought it had a little too much grilled flavor and wasn't convinced it really was stuffed. Alexis gave it a thumbs up, commenting it was a solid burger with memorable extras. With any of the sandwiches, the Lizards recommend ordering either the homemade chips along with the dip (an extra $.50 for dip), the waffle fries ($1 extra) or the hummus and pita chips ($1.50 extra).

If you're looking for an unusual food experience that borders on dessert, check out the Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich ($4.99) made with peanut butter, grape jelly, honey and sliced almonds on sourdough bread. It's billed perfectly on the menu as, "one big, hot gooey, tasty mess!"

Sitting at the bar is always the best choice for service, and while the server did her best to keep up, the rapid fill of poetry slammers on one of the nights we visited did slow the pace — which gave the LL's something they love to do ... kibitz.

In addition to Blind Bob's signature drink list, the bar features an impressive number of domestic, craft, import and seasonal bottled beers as well as six draft beers, which sometimes rotate. On our last visit, the bar was featuring Cincinnati's Mt. Carmel Nut Brown Ale, Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat, Magic Hat No. 9 and Guinness. The bar's wine list offers a dozen choices.

The Nite Owl is gone, but sometimes new legends are born. Blind Bob's, still in its infancy, is well on its way to becoming an Oregon District legend in its own right.

CRAIG SCHROLUCKE AND ALEXIS LARSEN love pubs, bars and clubs in equal amounts. Have a suggestion, comment, bar or club news? Visit their blog at www.activedayton.com/loungelizards and share any and all thoughts.