The cover bands' songs might sound familiar, but you've never seen anything like the Thursday night turtle races at this cozy Irish pub.

Each week, tortoises and big crowds tortoise-fans alike come out of their shell for the decades-old Thursday night tradition thats kinda like the Indy 500 in extreme slo-mo: turtle racing! The vibe here is super casual—a working class jumble of jeans, sweats, and tucked-in dress shirts. Regulars come ready to rock their middle-aged selves to tight, jammin' cover bands tackling 90s college faves like Radiohead and Oasis. (Who knew that whistling the soaring orchestral solo in Oasiss "Dont Look Back in Anger" would be an improvement?). The half-pound burgers and Philly cheese steaks are hearty, satisfying bar food (sorry, no turtle soup), and the drink du jour is, and always will be, beer. Outside, giant cartoons of turtles (turtles on motorbikes, turtles on drums) flank the turtle arena, which is complete with stadium-style bleachers for the hordes of anxious fans. Yes, we said turtle arena. God bless you, Brennans.—Amir Kenan