Fern Bars

The quintessential singles bars, fern bars date back to 1969, when Norman Hobday moved to San Francisco, reinvented himself as Henry Africa, and opened the first official fern-filled bar.

Fern bars capitalized on the Age of Aquarius and thrived through the early '80s, until Hard Rock Cafes lured away their trendy clientele. While other, more traditional bars were still serving Sidecars and Manhattans, fern bars were pushing girl drinks that could hold their own in the company of LSD.

Decorated with electric trains, mounted wildebeests, overstuffed couches, and Tiffany-style lamps, fern bars picked up where Trader Vic left off and can be held accountable for the "disco cocktails" of the '70s.

Before permanently closing Henry Africa's doors after 17 years of business, the bar's manager, Jed Coffin, reportedly said, "The fern bar is a formula now ... like Denny's or McDonald's. Years ago, though, it was a new idea."