Bar snacks are sometimes a luxury. Seeing a quarter-per-handful peanut vending machine in the corner of a bar shows how much they give a s**t about your drinking experience. Other places graciously refill bowls of peanuts, chips, cheese puffs or popcorn.


It's always good to partner your beer with something edible to soak up some of that alcohol. It can become a mindless hand-to-mouth gesture but it's a fun one. And some bars are churching it up a bit with things like truffle popcorn or bacon-wrapped prunes. And some bars are just showing off. And that's a good thing.

One thing's for sure, complementary bar snacks are getting fancier all over the place. Chicago's Spiaggia serves up a unique biscotti spiced with sea salt while the Saloon in Philadelphia keeps it simple with bowls of shaved parmesan cheese to complement that martini you just ordered.

But there are some spots taking it to a whole other level. Atlanta's Krog Bar raises the snack bar with their chocolate goat-cheese-stuffed dates -- a snack so delicious, you get hungrier as you say it. Due Mari Pesce e Vinoteca, a wine bar in New Brunswick, N.J., brings grilled shiitake mushrooms with balsamic vinegar to their customers and LA's Bar Mamont at Chateau Marmont takes something healthy and makes it naughty by wrapping prunes in bacon.

Of course, popular restaurants have figured out how to take an old favorite and give it a little twist. Places like Redd's in Brooklyn, New York have their own conventional popcorn machines but some places take the corn further with flavors like curried popcorn at Tailor, in New York's Lower East Side, popcorn with truffle oil and parmesan at The Metropolitan Club in Chestnut Hill, Mass., piquant popcorn at New York's Tabla and duck fat popcorn at the Harbour Restaurant, another New York place. Obviously, the Big Apple dominates in this category.

Meanwhile, some places are whipping up treats on the premises to be served to bar patrons. Urban Food Group which owns Frazier's, Porter's City Tavern, Vivace and Coquette -- all in Raleigh, N.C. -- makes tasty potato chips in house complete with garlic salt, salt and black pepper. Rioja in Denver cooks up their house-made tempura with roasted-garlic aioli.

And who can pass up a free meal with a drink. Alligator Lounge in Brooklyn, New York offers a free personal pizza with each drink purchase. A similar offer can also be found at Philadelphia's The Dive. It's a yummy deal that people love and it's sure to be spreading the nation.

If we missed any great bar snacks, let us know!