Sloppy Joe's is the ultimate garage dive bar (GarBar). Neon lights adorn the (fake) brick walls, with polaroids and beer mats creating the feel of your favorite old local. Bar games compete for space with old Star Wars toys and other junk that wasn't deemed nice enough for the house. And the bartender is pretty cute!

[**Click here to view before and after photos of Sloppy Joe's in Maplewood, NJ**](/episodes/episode-2/media)

![](/images/IMG\_6934.JPG)

## Q\&A with Joe Melvin

**What / Who inspired you?**
Mulligan's and DC's bars in Hoboken. After moving to Maplewood I wanted my own dive bar I could share with friends and family. 

**How long did it take to build your GarBar?**
It's still a work in progress, but the original build only took 2 weekends. 

**What was the reason for building your garage bar?**
I just wanted somewhere to hang out that felt different than being in the house. It's only 30 feet away, but it's nice to be able to step away from the chaos that occurs in the house. 

**What’s your design aesthetic?**
I don't really have one. I just put in things I like. 

**What materials did you use?**
Just things from the hardware store or things that weren't being used elsewhere in the house. 

**Where did you store all the junk from the garage?**
On the other side of the garage!

**What do you use your Garage Bar for?**
Bar things

**What did it cost you?**
I only have about $750 bucks in it. The most expensive thing was the fridge. A lot of the stuff is recycled from other locations or donated. 

**What was most challenging?**
The heating/cooling. It's too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. It's basic electrics, no insulation and exposed to rain and snow. But if it was too comfortable out there I'd never come back in!

**How has it changed your life?**
I'm able to socialize as much as I want. People love to come over, we're not all stuck inside and you really do feel like you're in a bar. 

**What’s your specialty drink?**
I'm not much of a cocktail maker. I can pour whiskey over ice and open both cans and bottles for you. I don't have running water at Sloppys, so the less glasses to wash up, the better.


Located in Maplewood, New Jersey, Sloppy Joe's is the ultimate garage dive bar.

Sloppy Joe's

![](/images/garbar-banner-02.png)

**GarBar Nation** is an American garage bar “GarBar’ innovation team headquartered in Maplewood, New Jersey. Working in partnership with Emmy Award winning producer and former SVP of Unscripted Original Programming at AMC, Mary Conlon, GarBar Nation is building a collection of original curated content spotlighting Garbars across the nation.

The group consists of GarBar creator and influencer **John Garbarino**, along with his fellow GarBar Guys and owners: **Brian “Smitty” Krupkin**, **Joey Melvin** and **Phil “DIY” DiGiulio**. These four GarBar creators were made infamous by their incredible garage transformations as seen across various media outlets including the NY Post, CBS and NY1 to name a few. The NY Post’s five minute GarBar mini-documentary alone has exceeded over one million views on YouTube! This documentary, along with many other local and major media TV spots, have positioned Maplewood, NJ as an epicenter for the burgeoning Garbar scene.

**Launching later in Fall 2021**, GarBar Nation expands to begin shining a spotlight on GarBars across the USA. GarBar Nation will feature interviews, video tours, and various DIY content designed to help assist others while transforming their underutilized garages into something far more useful, a GarBar!


GarBar Nation


![A boy in front of microphone](/images/advertising.png)

## Here are the facts!

- Nulla pellentesque enim id risus viverra, vitae cursus nisi posuere.
- Ut maximus leo ut mauris sollicitudin, nec hendrerit arcu cursus.
- Praesent egestas justo eget lacus varius, ut varius ante pretium.
- Nullam convallis diam a mauris faucibus dignissim.

## Intrested?

The spots are sold through Jam Ads, and they have a calendar of availability you can see and self-service [booking right there](/thank-you)!


Advertising

Tips + How To Guides

lorem-ipsum

**Maybe a kegerator is for you, maybe it’s not** – it can depend on how keen you are to drink the same beer for a week or more (depending on the size of the keg and how many/few friends you have!). Having a beer/wine fridge is not really an option, it’s a necessity for any garage bar. If you think a beer fridge is merely a mini-fridge, think again—there are fridges that lock (great to keep the kids out) and fridges that chill to specific temperatures that can adjust to match the beer inside. There are large ones, small ones, tall ones, glass-door ones, doubles, triples and pretty much any color or design you can imagine.


Your Essential Guide

The bar fridge

### Here are a few things to consider…

##### Size

It all depends on what you’re looking for and what space you have to work with. One rule of thumb when considering size is to think of what beers you like. If you prefer cans, opt for a shelving situation designed for storing your beers. Keep in mind that some craft beers, hard seltzers and mixers come in different sized cans/bottles, so it’s helpful if the layout inside the fridge is adjustable. If you’re a wine drinker, make sure the fridge comes with removable shelves, or has a separate section for wine bottles.

##### Look

Having a glass door on the fridge is great to show people what you have in your bar. It usually ups the price a little, but will give your space more of a bar feel.

##### Reversible Doors

Details matter, so make sure a single-door beverage cooler has a reversible door to install the handle on either the left or right side. This will allow you to save space and make sure your unit functions exactly as it should within your space.

##### Noise

You will want a fridge that won’t disrupt your conversations or interfere with the game on the  TV. The more industrial, larger fridges make more noise, and are probably unnecessary unless you have a huge space.

##### Temperature

When it comes to proper storage and taste preservation, temperature plays a key role in protecting your collection. Think about what you drink most – the recommended serving temperature for stouts is 50 to 55 degrees, pale ales at 45 to 55 degrees, and lagers at between 40 to 45 – so it does matter. Some beverage fridges come with dual temperature zones to make it even easier to properly house your entire line of beverages – a good choice to keep your regulars happy.


A basic, glass door fridge that’s perfect as a starting point for a garage bar.


New Air 126-Can Stainless Steel Freestanding Beverage Center

Keep It Simple

left

Stores up to 35 standard Bordeaux wine bottles and 90 cans of beer or soda, has digital touch screen and includes 7 pull out shelves in the left zone and 4 fixed beverage shelves in the right zone.


N'FINITY PRO HDX

Money No Option

Retro Bar Fridge Refrigerator with Side Bottle Opener. A great looker that comes in a variety of colors – pretty cheap too.


Frigidaire Retro Bar Fridge

Cheap & Retro

3 Door back bar beer beverage cooler with internal fan-assisted cooling system - commercial grade LG compressor and separate cooling fan.



Procool Refrigeration 3-door Glass Front Stainless Steel Back Bar Cooler

The Full Monty

With that in mind, here are a couple of good choices…

Bar Fridge Recommendations

GarBar Episodes

Seen These Garbars?

GarBar Nation Blog

**If your friends invited you to dinner, would you turn up empty handed?** If your kids (or you) were invited to a birthday party, would you show up without a gift or a card? If you answered yes to either of those, then owning a garage bar might not be for you!

Garage bars are personal spaces that are usually built to hang out with friends and family, not as a way to make money. If you want to make money (rather than spend it on anything from neon signs to kegerators), then maybe buy or invest in a bar or a business. To be completely upfront and honest here, a garage bar is a sure fire way to lose money… well, it’s not lost, it’s spent on entertaining and hanging out.


How To Guides

The unwritten rules of tipping

### But back to tipping…

Your garage bar isn’t a business, it’s not a venue that’s licensed to sell alcohol. It’s part of your house, and in the same way that you’d hope a guest would bring a bottle of wine or a 6-pack over for dinner, you should expect a guest to the bar will bring something with them. If you’re going to a garage bar, the same applies. Take that new IPA that you’ll never find again, but is really good. Invest in a bottle of tequila that you really liked when you were last on vacation, or just grab a case of beer next time you’re at the liquor store. It’s a conversation starter if nothing else. I mean who else is going to care about the IPA you bought over? The one that’s quadruple-filtered, with burnt tree oak and elderberry aromas and mixed with dry wheat chaff !

It’s a form of payment, but also a right of passage.

Bring nothing once and you may get a pass, bring nothing twice and you won’t get invited back.

The owner of a garage bar isn’t here to feed your drinking habit. They are there to hang out, enjoy your company and not to think about if you’re going to drink everything in the place. 

Tip with excess alcohol, especially as no-one carries cash anymore, and asking to pay or tip just makes things awkward. If you drink a bottle of wine on average, bring 2. If you drink 4 of a 6-pack, leave 2. It’s also a way to tip the bartender with some supplies for the bar. And again, it’s a conversation starter. The next guest may ask who hated you so much to leave that shitty IPA, or you can play the guessing game as to which ‘friend’ left you a solitary Coors Light!


Email: garbarnation \[at] thegarbar.com
<BR>
Facebook Messenger: [m.me/garbarnation](m.me/garbarnation)

![](/images/contact-us.jpg)



Contact

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Sloppy Joe's in Maplewood, NJ

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Sloppy Joes Photos

LeBar in Maplewood, New Jersey

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GarBar builders and owners share their stories

Watch & Listen

Get GarTalk straight in your Inbox

If you're a Formula One or Buffalo Sabres fan, the simple, sports bar vibe of Le Bar is the garage bar for you. It's worth a visit for the hockey horn app, which has to be seen (and heard) to be believed. A casual garage bar (GarBar) with great memorabilia, Le Bar is a great example of a work in progress.

[**Click here to view before and after photos of Le Bar in Maplewood, NJ**](/episodes/episode-3/media)


A casual garage bar with great memorabilia, Le Bar is a great example of a work in progress.

Le bar

Smitty's Tavern is a great example of working with what you might not know you already have. After cleaning out the junk and a little power washing, the beauty of the original walls is what really makes this garage bar (GarBar) stand out. It's authentic, rustic, with a kind of ski chalet vibe...  the perfect location for a beer or two.


Located in Maplewood, New Jersey, Smitty's Tavern is authentic, rustic, with a kind of ski chalet vibe... the perfect location for a beer or two.

Smitty's Tavern

Little did Garage Master John Garbarino know his garage (**The GarBar**) would start a movement. See how he turned the space into an iconic neighborhood watering hole that set off a secret New Jersey bar scene. This video was produced by LiftMaster as part of their new docuseries spotlighting people who are starting to reimagine how they use their garage. Videos featuring John's and other garage conversions can be viewed [here](https://view.ceros.com/thechamberlaingroup/garage-master/p/1).


Little did Garage Master John Garbarino know his garage would start a movement. See how he turned the space into an iconic neighborhood watering hole that set off a secret New Jersey bar scene.

The GarBar

More than six months into the pandemic, Steve Rosenthal and his family decided it was finally time to transform one side of their two car garage into something more useful, a GarBar. Fortunately for Steve, his close friend and neighbor (Tom) was there to guide him along the way. PS – In case you hadn't noticed, Steve's a huge Mets fan. We won't hold it against him!


Steve Rosenthal's GarBar is a refuge for happy hour, family dinners, or just a place to hang out and decompress after a long day in the home office. Take a tour of The HoffRoseHaus and see what's possible when you move your car and build a bar.

The HoffRoseHaus

In the midst of a pandemic in 2020, **Amy Biasucci **decided to transform her garage into a recreational room for her kids. What began as a simple project, grew into a magical GarBar retreat called the **Wolf Moon Lodge**. Today, Amy's converted garage is a place for family and friends to gather in celebration of the music and art they love. Take a tour and witness Amy's homage to the independent art and artists that helped inspire such a wonderful sanctuary, proving yet again that a garage is no place for a car!



Take a tour and witness Amy's homage to the independent art and artists that helped inspire this wonderful GarBar sanctuary.

Wolf Moon Lodge

Weekly interviews with GarBar builders across the nation.

GarTalk Podcast is here!

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Spotlighting garage bar (#GarBar) renovations across the nation.  Move your car, build a bar!

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Watch the videos!

Latest GarBars

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The GarBar Buzz...

## Join The GarBar Nation

Join the Nation for insider access, discounts, and other GarBar related surprises.


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# ![](/images/press-star-ledger-3dc356c5.png)

[View article on NJ.com](https://bit.ly/2XIp0Dk) →

![](/images/press-FOX5-52b7d387.png)

[Watch video on FOX5NY.com](https://bit.ly/3lSTM51) →

![](/images/press-NY-Post.png)

[Watch video on NYPost.com](https://bit.ly/2WazYkS) →

![](/images/press-millburn-shorthills-mag-d4b206f3.png)

[View article in Millburn Short Hills Magazine](https://bit.ly/3o2eodC) →

![](/images/press-daily-essex-1011fcb6.png)

[View article in Daily Voice](https://bit.ly/2XIDRxI) →

![](/images/press-punch.png)

[View article in Punch](https://bit.ly/39MYVGl) →

![](/images/press-cbs-local-7350ad9d.png)

[Watch video on CBS Local](https://cbsloc.al/39CvRAU) →


Press & Media


Donec luctus lorem sit amet tincidunt euismod. Etiam ut mauris non magna placerat tempor non vel purus. Quisque ac urna eu sapien placerat aliquet eget id diam. Sed elementum enim non mollis consequat. Maecenas laoreet elementum elit, id luctus odio sagittis nec. Nam ornare lorem sed nunc aliquet vulputate. Phasellus fringilla lacus mi, in porta quam eleifend vitae. Cras suscipit, neque blandit tempor aliquam, tortor sem tristique ex, non scelerisque justo massa id tortor. Maecenas tristique at metus non volutpat. Pellentesque nec felis eu dui tristique cursus sit amet vitae nibh. Duis malesuada ullamcorper sapien viverra tristique. Quisque malesuada, ligula vel lobortis ornare, turpis purus consequat massa, sit amet auctor velit neque sit amet justo. Donec at est sed nisl posuere commodo.

## Phasellus Finibus Risus Eget est Cursus Finibus

Aliquam aliquam porta massa, et aliquam tortor mollis quis. Sed sodales leo vulputate metus gravida cursus. In fringilla imperdiet elit. Etiam eget sapien elementum, facilisis arcu vitae, finibus ipsum. Aliquam erat nibh, commodo id urna ut, fermentum tristique metus.

### Morbi Egestas Ullamcorper Vulputate

Mauris dignissim varius arcu in laoreet. In mollis erat velit, in hendrerit arcu lobortis in. Donec facilisis malesuada sapien, non mollis lacus faucibus quis. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.

### Donec Vitae Tincidunt Erat

Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.

In et diam congue, porta dui ac, rhoncus diam. Quisque imperdiet ex nec lorem gravida ultrices. Fusce ut volutpat metus. Morbi sollicitudin mi vel erat consectetur gravida. Donec consequat velit eget turpis dapibus, sed scelerisque sem pulvinar. Phasellus sit amet arcu eu metus auctor finibus. Phasellus a mauris ut urna auctor ornare. Morbi mollis laoreet orci at iaculis. 

## Aliquam at Velit eu Elit Iaculis Cursus

In eu neque leo. Proin felis risus, maximus at ornare non, feugiat ac dui. Nam ornare feugiat sem, ac pretium urna bibendum quis. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Curabitur sapien ante, molestie sit amet maximus id, malesuada eget felis. Praesent nec imperdiet neque.

Privacy Policy


This is a paragraph. Malesuada bibendum arcu vitae elementum curabitur vitae nunc sed. Fringilla urna porttitor rhoncus dolor purus. Consectetur purus ut faucibus pulvinar. Nullam non nisi est sit. Tellus in metus vulputate eu scelerisque felis. Nunc congue nisi vitae suscipit tellus mauris. Phasellus egestas tellus rutrum tellus pellentesque eu tincidunt. Fermentum iaculis eu non diam phasellus vestibulum. Faucibus turpis in eu mi bibendum neque egestas congue.

# This is an H1
## This is an H2
### This is an H3
#### This is an H4
##### This is an H5
###### This is an H6

## Quoting

Nullam hendrerit dictum vehicula. Nunc nec tortor et dui vestibulum venenatis. Donec mattis ligula ac efficitur lacinia.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Donec pretium vulputate sapien nec sagittis aliquam. Turpis massa sed elementum tempus egestas sed sed. Orci a scelerisque purus semper eget duis at tellus at. Lacus luctus accumsan tortor posuere ac. 

> Ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit ut aliquam purus. Ultrices sagittis orci a scelerisque purus semper eget duis. Pharetra pharetra massa massa ultricies. Felis eget nunc lobortis mattis aliquam.

In cursus turpis massa tincidunt. Tempor nec feugiat nisl pretium. Odio aenean sed adipiscing diam. Ut aliquam purus sit amet luctus venenatis lectus magna fringilla. Justo laoreet sit amet cursus sit amet dictum. Turpis tincidunt id aliquet risus feugiat in ante metus.

In non tempus urna, non blandit nisl. Phasellus aliquam, tellus et lobortis dictum, justo turpis placerat est, sed luctus nunc elit eu odio. Phasellus imperdiet, nulla a elementum tempor, nisi elit tincidunt dolor, eget venenatis metus libero et elit.

Vivamus tempus ornare urna, eget imperdiet quam venenatis ac. Donec fermentum massa id aliquet vulputate. Nam vestibulum ornare est, sed tincidunt mauris interdum a. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Pellentesque sit amet arcu sed risus vehicula fermentum sit amet a neque. Sed imperdiet lacinia magna sit amet dapibus. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Aenean non purus a quam placerat luctus. Proin orci risus, lobortis ut dictum at, gravida at nulla. 

## Unordered and Ordered Lists

+ Donec non tortor in arcu mollis feugiat
+ Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit
+ Donec id eros eget quam aliquam gravida
+ Vivamus convallis urna id felis
+ Nulla porta tempus sapien

***

1. Donec non tortor in arcu mollis feugiat
2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit
3. Donec id eros eget quam aliquam gravida
4. Vivamus convallis urna id felis
5. Nulla porta tempus sapien

## Code Blocks

Blocks of code are either fenced by lines with three back-ticks, or are indented with four spaces.

```
let sequence = [1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13];
for (let i = 0; i < sequence.length; i++) {
  console.log(sequence[i]);
}
```

## Inline Elements

Emphasis, aka italics, with *asterisks* or _underscores_.

Strong emphasis, aka bold, with **asterisks** or __underscores__.

Combined emphasis with **asterisks and _underscores_**.

Strikethrough uses two tildes. ~~Scratch this.~~

Inline `code` with `back-ticks around` it.

This is <mark>marked or highlighted</mark> text.

This is [an example](http://example.com) link.

## Tables

<div class="responsive-table">
  <table>
      <caption>Table with thead, tfoot, and tbody</caption>
    <thead>
      <tr>
        <th>Header content</th>
        <th>Header content</th>
        <th>Header content</th>
        <th>Header content</th>
      </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
      <tr>
        <td>Body content</td>
        <td>Body content</td>
        <td>Body content</td>
        <td>Body content</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>Body content</td>
        <td>Body content</td>
        <td>Body content</td>
        <td>Body content</td>
      </tr>
    </tbody>
    <tfoot>
      <tr>
        <td>Footer content</td>
        <td>Footer content</td>
    <td>Footer content</td>
    <td>Footer content</td>
      </tr>
    </tfoot>
  </table>
</div>


Style Guide


Donec luctus lorem sit amet tincidunt euismod. Etiam ut mauris non magna placerat tempor non vel purus. Quisque ac urna eu sapien placerat aliquet eget id diam. Sed elementum enim non mollis consequat. Maecenas laoreet elementum elit, id luctus odio sagittis nec. Nam ornare lorem sed nunc aliquet vulputate. Phasellus fringilla lacus mi, in porta quam eleifend vitae. Cras suscipit, neque blandit tempor aliquam, tortor sem tristique ex, non scelerisque justo massa id tortor. Maecenas tristique at metus non volutpat. Pellentesque nec felis eu dui tristique cursus sit amet vitae nibh. Duis malesuada ullamcorper sapien viverra tristique. 

## Phasellus Finibus Risus Eget

Quisque malesuada, ligula vel lobortis ornare, turpis purus consequat massa, sit amet auctor velit neque sit amet justo. Donec at est sed nisl posuere commodo. Phasellus finibus risus eget est cursus finibus.

Aliquam aliquam porta massa, et aliquam tortor mollis quis. Sed sodales leo vulputate metus gravida cursus. In fringilla imperdiet elit. Etiam eget sapien elementum, facilisis arcu vitae, finibus ipsum. Aliquam erat nibh, commodo id urna ut, fermentum tristique metus. Morbi egestas ullamcorper vulputate. Mauris dignissim varius arcu in laoreet. In mollis erat velit, in hendrerit arcu lobortis in. Donec facilisis malesuada sapien, non mollis lacus faucibus quis. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. 

## Donec Vitae Tincidunt Erat

Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.

In et diam congue, porta dui ac, rhoncus diam. Quisque imperdiet ex nec lorem gravida ultrices. Fusce ut volutpat metus. Morbi sollicitudin mi vel erat consectetur gravida. Donec consequat velit eget turpis dapibus, sed scelerisque sem pulvinar. Phasellus sit amet arcu eu metus auctor finibus. Phasellus a mauris ut urna auctor ornare. Morbi mollis laoreet orci at iaculis. Aliquam at velit eu elit iaculis cursus. In eu neque leo. Proin felis risus, maximus at ornare non, feugiat ac dui. Nam ornare feugiat sem, ac pretium urna bibendum quis. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Curabitur sapien ante, molestie sit amet maximus id, malesuada eget felis. Praesent nec imperdiet neque. 

Q&A with Joe Melvin