Among the central watering holes in downtown Waterloo, Uncle John’s RRR Bar has seen some notable changes since it opened several years ago, improving and expanding the establishment’s offerings while still keeping an unabashed dive bar feel.

James Gallagher owns and operates RRR alongside his brother Jered. The family name has been known in downtown Waterloo for some time thanks to Gallagher’s Restaurant on West Mill Street.

James spoke with the Republic-Times to offer some background on the brothers’ relatively newer business, recalling how the ideal corner RRR calls home (141 S. Main Street) was previously empty for some time following the closure of the popular sandwich shop Mama’s on Main. 

The original plan was to set the establishment up and then take a hands-off approach, though the Gallaghers ultimately decided to stay involved.

“As that property sat vacant on that dominant corner for a while, one day my brother Jered and I had a conversation and said, ‘We should build a bar there and then lease it to one of our friends or family,’” James said. “Upon completion, we were like, ‘Nah, we wanna continue down this path,’ so we threw that idea out and decided to just run it ourselves.”

While the face of the building is kept fairly fresh with a colorful mural getting updated seasonally, the inside of RRR is a typical dive bar affair, a collage of grunge and punk aesthetics with a mish-mash of memorabilia, lights and decor.

The bar’s vibe is casual – in strong contrast to the more upscale atmosphere of Gallagher’s Restaurant – and the price of alcohol and food is cheap to match.

According to James, that feel is intentional.

“We wanted to facilitate a central hub of the community where anyone could come, even if they were down on their luck and didn’t have a lot of money,” James said.

He spoke fondly about the variety of people RRR entertains – from dive bar regulars to police officers and nurses as well as a fancier clientele – with everybody coming together to mingle nicely.

A draw for these patrons is the aforementioned affordability. James particularly boasted about the bar’s $1 and $2 beers – further speaking about the vision to have the cheapest drinks in town – as well as $5 burgers.

That’s not mentioning the collection of games customers can occupy themselves with like foosball, pool, ping pong and other offerings.

Looking to further the comfortable dive bar feel, a still fairly recent addition to RRR is the Anti-Barrr, a comedy club cozily housed underneath the bar’s deck.

James talked about how, during construction, the brothers found a full patio underneath rock, the building having previously been a larger apartment block.

“Just treasure right there underneath the rock,” James said.

With the plain patio having been spruced up and the deck built, James recalled how someone had joked about the bar hosting a rave underneath the deck.

The joke quickly got serious, and it was ultimately decided that the space could be put to use as the Anti-Barr Comedy Joint.

Though taller patrons need to watch their heads, Anti-Barr features a corner stage and the same dive bar feel as the bar itself. James suggested that the space is fairly ideal for performers looking to record clips to post on social media.

He was positive about the Anti-Barr’s performance so far, though he was also hopeful about the future of the comedy club as he’s been reaching out to a friend in the comedy circuit that could help get a wider-known comedian there. A comedy show is set for this Thursday night at the club, sponsored by Garage Beer.

The other major addition to the RRR establishment has been Brandy’s Kitchen, a rechristening of the bar’s small kitchen setup.

The bar gets its name from Brandy Melican, who has been a major help at Gallagher’s Restaurant and has since been put in charge of RRR’s menu.

James offered plenty of praise for Melican, noting how her abilities in the kitchen have helped expand RRR’s offerings and overall cooking capabilities.

“Due to her expertise and skill level, it became possible for us to elevate the kitchen to the degree that we had always wanted it to be,” James said.

He further emphasized the cheapness of the food, pointing out that service runs late into the night Friday and Saturday. He also offered a general overview of the menu.

“Nashville hot,” James said. “Chicken is fantastic and very popular. Cheeseburgers are the best in Monroe County, which I keep saying over and over until people understand. They’re offered cheap on purpose, and won’t be that cheap forever.”

James voiced his plans to get the business more involved with local events, especially considering all the community activities that take place right outside RRR’s front door.

He was also hopeful about the future of RRR, reiterating the Gallaghers’ original plans of establishing a place that’s affordable and welcoming to anyone in the community.

“I would say we fit into an eccentric category,” James said. “Eccentric, but necessary.”