"THE NEW MECCA"

Back in 1972 and '73 while attending Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio in addition to frequenting the "Time Out" bar (as described in a previous post), the "New Mecca" located in downtown Marietta was also a popular watering hole. The "New Mecca" was particularly popular on Wednesday nights (hump day) in addition to the weekend nights.

If my memory serves me right, the "New Mecca" had a main front room with also a room off the back to the left of this front room. The Mecca was generally crowded. I remember that they would serve beer in cans and recall seeing piles of Stroh's, Schlitz,Hamm's, and Bush beer cans piled on some of the tables. I remember a few times I would wear my trusty green army jacket to this bar and walk in with two or three beers in my coat pocket. I then would order a beer at the bar and through some sort of magic seem to drink and nurse that beer all night as I would drink but the amount of beer in the can would be about the same.

The "New Mecca", I never found out if there was an original "Old Mecca" or if the name implied that people who couldn't go to Mecca in Saudi Arabia on a Haj should come to this Marietta bar instead for their pilgrimage. From what I understand, the Muslim faith frowns on alcohol consumption; plus I never did see much praying going on at the "New Mecca" as there was no room at the tables with all the piled up beer cans and the aisles were too crowded with people to bow and pray. Plus with the jukebox music so loud one could have never heard the call to prayer.