Some bars for talkin’ and some are for eatin’, and The Joynt (322 Water St., Eau Claire) has always been the place for cheap beer and top-tier camaraderie. If you haven’t been, what are you doing? The 12-time first-placer is a local institution. The Phoenix Taproom & Kitchen (402 Graham Ave., Eau Claire) is the largest self-serve taproom in the whole Midwest, so, that speaks for itself. Get after it. Helix Wine, Craft Bar & Café (1444 Front Porch Pl., Altoona) is elegant enough for a special occasion and cozy enough to sidle up for a couple of cocktails. —McKenna Scherer