When I first stormed by the indie music scene, this bar in the upper-terrain Blue Ridge was my first place-to-be. And why not? From my residence, it was just a mere 20-minute walk for me to reach there, unless I am lazy enough.
Established in 2006, Route 196 is tagged by many as the premier live music venue in the Northern side of
Metropolitan. Located at just beside one the main gates of Blue Ridge
Subdivision, it was barely accessible for every music lover,
especially if a resident within the vicinity of
Marikina-Project 4-Xavierville or studying at the Northern version of
U-belt (UP and Ateneo).
Bands of all kinds – from the hippy
indie youngsters to notable icons – play here from Tuesday to
Saturdays (sometimes, they even had gigs on Mondays). Route 196 is
also home to many production outfits like Red Ninja, Docdef, Indie Manila,
The Rest Is Noise, A Spur Of The Moment, Pinoy Penguins; and also to
musicians like Johnoy Danao, Ebe Dancel and Bullet Dumas.
In over ten years, Route 196 also
housed past and present special programs such as Geek Fight,
Elements Music Camp, Jack Daniels, JB Music, etc.
The venue may be relatively average by
size, but enough to have the big night feel – from intimate
stripped-down gigs to the mini-concert ones. Heck, expect a good size
to super jam-packed crowd every time any of the notable prod sets
their outing here.
Beers were served ice-cold at the price
of 70 pesos; with cocktails served in their respective prices. And if
you're not down with that, how about a can of your favorite
softdrinks or iced tea as a better (and cheaper) alternative?
Their Deviled Chicken is so
one-of-a-kind, that it's no surprise why it was their best-seller;
and they even expanded the classic in the forms of burger and pizza.
For just 285 pesos, you could enjoy the helluva-good dish by yourself
– be it dinner, midnight snack, or just pulutan.
And if you're on a cheap thrill, a
deviled tofu can help. Just the right one to fill the stomach while
you sip your beverage.
The Tapsilog may be higher-priced
compared to the other same dishes from other bars and food places,
but rest-assured that the taste spells its value.
If you're not a fan of the full-house
gigs, that could be a downside.
And the parking, too. But rest assured
that the parking boys were always at your service to keep everything
secured as possible.
Well, all of their staff were very friendly and accommodating. They could make you feel that you're at home in Route and that's exactly one of the reasons why I dig this place so much, from Ryan (formerly entrance guy now a waiter) to Marc, and their lead Madz.
No wonder why music lives here. You got
a priceless-worth of service to compliment their value for food,
drinks, and greater company. No question why despite a bit of
difficulty in access to public transportation, (well, not really that
hard unless you're a lazy bastard to walk at least 150 meters from
Boni Serrano) Route 196 was a popular place in the northern
metropolitan.
Route 196 is located at 196-A Katipunan
Avenue, Blue Ridge Extension, Quezon City. Opens from Tuesdays to
Thursdays, 6:00 PM to 2:00 AM, and Fridays to Saturdays, 6:00 PM
to 3:00 AM. Visit facebook.com/route196rocks for more information,
gig schedules and booking inquiries.
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