One of the best parts about summer in Tucson is "less."
Less traffic. Less crowded. Less students.
"I'd say 'slowdown' is an understatement," said Amanda Murphy, lead bartender at O'Malleys on Fourth. "It just dies."
During the school year, many locals avoid college-aimed establishments due to the high concentration of UA undergrads and the hijinks they bring.
So June through mid-August might be your chance to give some of these places a visit, free of coed clutter, if only for a day.
To attract Tucsonans in the summer, Murphy said O'Malleys is planning on having food and drink specials.
Gentle Ben's restaurant manager Gerard Meurer said despite the temporary loss of some 30,000 or so potential customers, summer is a good time for non-regulars to check out the establishment's lunch specials.
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Listed are some of Tucson's prime college bars and whether or not the second-look might be worth it.
Maloney's
213 N. Fourth Ave.
• Summer hours: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.
• During school year: Maloney's is kind of the go-to bar for collegiate drinking on Fourth Avenue. Students line up to imbibe and be seen on the length-wise front patio. The place has a massive dance area, pool tables and multiple bars.
Plus, its location at the south end of Fourth, set back from the street, almost makes it an unincorporated UA drinking state: Dare ye to enter who are not wearing copious amounts of Axe body spray or knockoff designer perfume.
• Worth revisiting? Not really, unless it's for irony's sake. Despite one of the most impressive circular wooden bars in town, Maloney's never shakes the meathead vibe year-round.
O'Malleys On Fourth
247 N. Fourth Ave.
• Summer hours: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sundays through Wednesdays; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.
• During school year: O'Malleys is generally thought of as the place UA kids go when they want a change from Maloney's. The two establishments are right next to each other, so the decision can be both critical yet made on the fly.
O'Malleys is an "Irish bar," but really in name only. If you're looking for faux-Irish authenticity, try the Auld Dubliner on East University Boulevard.
O'Malleys has pool tables, a decent patio and a large back area with a stage, but its personality is pretty generic: you wouldn't want to make the guests feel out of place.
• Worth revisiting? Yes. O'Malleys' wall of TVs are usually tuned into sports, so this is a good place to go and watch some baseball during the day. Like Maloney's, however, you'll never really forget this is a college bar.
Gentle Ben's Brewery Company
865 E. University Blvd.
• Summer hours: 11 a.m. to around midnight Mondays through Saturdays. Closed Sundays.
• During school year: A well-known yet mostly forgettable eatery near campus, Gentle Ben's is many things: a multi-story restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, a microbrewery and a place where hordes of college kids knock back cold ones.
• Worth revisiting? Yes. Its upstairs outdoor patio is one of the best in the city. Combine that with its selection of decent original brews and tasty appetizers, and it makes a good place to spend an afternoon.
Dirtbags
1800 E. Speedway.
• Summer hours: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Closed Sundays.
• During school year: The quintessential Tucson college bar, "Bags" is a short walk from UA's Greek Row.
Its reputation is not overstated: Frats, sororities and general wannabes mix here regularly — like "Cheers" with more whining, posing, slurring and entitlement.
Inside, the 26-year-old establishment has decent patio seating and a nice bar, but it's really the people who define Dirtbags.
• Worth revisiting? No. There's nothing really exceptional about Dirtbags, unless you were conceived in the 7-Eleven parking lot next door after a Saturday afternoon football game or something.
Otherwise, there's a reason this place is also referred to as "D-Bags."
