Nightlife in Auburn

Hunker down under the fizzling, romantic glow of neon beer signs for an evening of sports, live local music, unpretentious pub grub, and affordable drinks. The bar menu offers a classic array of meaty sandwiches, burgers, salads, nachos, and fresh pizzas with more than 10 possible topping options. Wings ($4 for six, or $7.50 for 12) can be served with five different glazes: regular, flaming, BBQ, teriyaki, and the coquettish Sassy Sauce, the newest member of the sauce ensemble. Seven-year itchers can satisfy cravings for variety with a Mill Basket (jalapeno poppers, cheese sticks, wings, zucchini, mushrooms, with pizza sauce and ranch dressing for dipping, $6.50) or Mexican Basket (five mini tacos, three mini burritos, and two taco sticks, with chips and salsa, $6). Evening eaters whose gut-Grendels cannot be slain by mere apps alone can grab a dinner plate, such as the succulent walleye ($9) or the popular seven-ounce New York strip steak ($9), both accompanied by a traveling band of potato, salad, and roll.

At The Sodbuster Bar, a menu of hearty half-pound burgers, delectable appetizers, and light wraps and salads fuel nights of revelry and well-mannered mayhem among friends and neighbors. The neighborhood pub continues its quarter-century of history under new, fun-loving management, charming visitors with its cast of colorful regulars and friendly barkeeps. Patrons pass the time with a vast array of entertainment options, winning bets with complicated trick shots at the pool table, showing off their vocal cords during karaoke, or flaunting their frontal lobes at trivia. As guests chow down on chicken fingers and sip frosty brews, flat screens broadcast nail-biting sports games, and stages host live bands, DJs, and standup comics.

Every weekend, The Comedy Zone puts on a three-act standup show, each headlined by nationally-touring comics often boasting credits from such programs as Last Comic Standing and Sirius XM Radio. On Thursday nights, the floor opens to a flurry of local up-and-comers, giving nascent comedians the chance to cut their teeth on a live audience and a microphone-shaped chew toy. Its partner restaurant and bar, Madison’s on the Corner, provides the show floor with a menu of drinks and pub grub such as steaks, burgers, and pasta.