The Thanksgiving Bar: Sangillo's

Sangillo's has been around since the sixties and has been and continues to be owned by the Sangillo family. The bar is on the other side of Franklin Arterial on Hampshire Street, which connects with Middle. Inside is a cozy, little place that seats around 25 with a small bar on the right and tables on the left.

There's not much to the place - they have two TVs, a jukebox, a MegaTouch and a ciggy machine. Only cash is accepted and there are no draft beers. Bottled beers available include Budweiser, Bud Light, Miller Lite, Miller High Life, Michelob Light, Coors Lite (all $2.25), PBR, Rolling Rock (both $3), Heineken, Sam Adams, Shipyard, Twisted Tea, Geary's ($3.50) and Guinness ($4). The liquor selection is limited, but adequate.

Sangillo's might be the only bar in existence serving Hot Pockets on the menu. I'm not kidding. You can buy a Hot Pocket for $1.50. They also have mozzarella sticks ($2) and some other items that can be microwaved. Monday night is $2 pizza night.

When asked about the crowd and what type of people hang out at Sangillo's, the bartender replied, like all do, "the crowd is eclectic. Lot's of different people here." I don't know if that's what all bartenders say or if it's really true. Come to think of it, there are only a few places in Portland where a distinct type of crowd is present - White Heart, SPACE, Top of the East or Old Port Tavern. When pressed, she said the crowd is mostly Munjoy Hill and Waterfront people and kids making a pre-game stop on their way to the Old Port.

Sangillo's is definitely a place to stop in at least once, and if you have no where to go on Thanksgiving - head to Hampshire Street.