It's tough to decide whether or not John Belushi's character from 1978's "Animal House" would frequent Belushe's Bar and Grill.
Pictures and posters of Belushi as Bluto hang in various parts of Belushe's. There's even a Bluto action figure sitting at the bar.
Belushe's is on East Sixth Street near the University of Arizona campus, and parts of the interior feel like a large frat house, minus the Greek lettering and hazing.
There's a cozy stone fireplace nook surrounded by old couches, lots of tables and chairs, an open hangout area with six TVs and three pool tables, and a large, strange wooden carving of a rhinoceros that looks like it was swiped from a rival frat's lawn.
Belushe's, which opened around 2000, used to be the Rhino Pub, which explains the statue, said owner Josue Limon.
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Members of The TucSonics, a four-piece cover band that performs songs by the likes of Sheryl Crow and Amy Winehouse every other Wednesday night at Belushe's, said they aren't bothered by the venue's lack of a proper stage.
"It's nice having a young crowd," 50-year-old guitarist Ken Alexander said. "I try to stay young."
Bands perform in the corner of the bar area, but on a recent night there was competition for the mixed-age patrons' attention from the Arizona Diamondbacks game (the D-backs lost to the Dodgers, 8-3.)
East Sixth Street plays a major part in the ambience of Belushe's. The TucSonics performed in front of giant windows looking out onto the traffic-heavy street, and there's a large outdoor patio that overlooks Sixth.
Since taking over Belushe's in 2006, Limon has added specialized house microbrews like "Belushe's Blue" and "Belushe's Pale" ($3 a glass) that are exclusive to the eatery, he said.
"We have a lot of beer connoisseurs," Limon said.
With almost 30 different brews on tap, from Stone IPA to Bud, bartender Ashley Anderson said beer is the most popular drink ordered.
The other item of choice at Belushe's is the burgers, which make for heaven when combined with the beer, according to Charles Blair, 22.
"It's dynamite," said Blair, a Belushe's regular.
Minus the beer, we tried a teriyaki mushroom Swiss burger ($6.50) that came with a choice of tots or fries. It was huge and delicious.
Belushe's offers classic burgers as well as sandwiches and appetizers, plus a limited late-night menu starting at 10 that includes items like mozzarella sticks and fries.
But what first brought Blair to Belushe's were the specials on pool. Every Monday and Wednesday, pool is free, day and night. Otherwise, it's 75 cents a game.
Holding a pool stick, Blair thought for a second about the free-game info he was divulging.
"Then again, if everybody knew. . . ."
Belushe's Bar and Grill
1118 E. Sixth St.
• Hours: 11-2 a.m. Monday through Saturday; 2 p.m.-midnight on Sunday.
