The Body In the Bog Pub

As of 08/​15/​2015, John has retired. His farewell letter is posted to the door. Not sure if the Bog will stay open and be run by family or bought.
The best pub in town is no more… sad day

Nice folks, great beer, good atmosphere.

Warning! Do not go to the Body in the Bog if you’re looking for a dive bar, music, pool, or a college crowd.
Do go if you’ve ever been to an Irish/​English pub and enjoyed the warm, friendly conversation and comraderie.
Went last night with two friends and we were delighted. You have to forget you’re in a bar and think of the experience as being invited for a beer at John, the owner/bartender’s house. John kept us entertained and amused with stories and conversation and the regulars amiably joined in. It’s an older group, seniors really, but I can’t imagine anyone of any age wouldn’t be welcomed and enjoy the experience.
If you aren’t able to visit Ireland this is as close as you can get. Give it a try.

I’ve got to say that I’m not only impressed by the tap and bottle selection but also by John who was a great host, proprietor and bartender… His stories kept me here way past my scheduled two brews and the experience was liken to having Peter Zien sit next to you at AleSmith.

Decided to check this place out for the first time after my hair appt since i was just down the street. I park and the sign says closed but the hours on the door clearly states they open at 4 and right now its almost 5. As im writing this review, an old man who i would assume to be the owner, pulls up, unlocks the door and proceeds to open up. This was going to be a 1 star rating, now we’ll see how it goes.

What a fun place to hang out. Great and very friendly family employees. I can’t believe we just heard about this place. We will be coming back. They have tons of different beers. They don’t serve any food but you can go next door to a restaurant or get snacks on the other side at the liquor store.

Cannot say enough about this place. John the owner is amazing, he knew my name on the second visit and I’ve been coming as a loyal customer ever since.
John owns and runs the business. Unless it’s a Friday or Saturday night that’s busy he’s going to be the only person you see behind the counter every time (busy nights he brings in help). If you ever wanted to learn about beer, this guy knows absolutely everything there is to know about the craft. Don’t come here if you’re looking for bud light or Coors though, those don’t exist here. John is the best at recommending new flavors based on what you know you like. I make it a point to always try something new and the place has not only a normal stock but a reserve fridge for specialty beers. So there are always new beers to try.
The atmosphere is quiet and cozy, it practically encourages conversation with your fellow bar mates. A good place if you are wanting to dodge the rowdy and college crowd. No mixed drinks or food served though you can bring in outside food.
An authentic Irish pub if ever there was one in the central valley, often attracting many customers hailing from across the water with accents still on their lips. Would recommend this to any beer enthusiast looking for a quiet place to enjoy their beer.

This place is definitely a gem in Fresno. The owner, John, Is so knowledgeable about his beers and has a passion for what he does. While this place doesn’t actually serve any food John is always open for his customers to bring in whatever they would like. Now on to the most important part, the beer.
This place has some of the best selection of hard to find and diverse beers with a phenomenal atmosphere. John always makes sure to get on a first name basis with his customers and is always willing to to recommend a great beer for those trying to navigate the wide world of IPA’s, Lagers, etc. This place is definitely a must try if you are in town!

This has to be the best pub in Fresno, coming from San Diego up to Fresno for a Sierra vacation I stumbled upon this pub. I was expecting the same Fresno vibe but was shocked to be greeted by John. This man is your beer connoisseur, he can guide you from beer to beer. This pub deserves higher ground than Fresno in my opinion. Whenever I’m here I’ll drink at the body in the bog.
P. S. love the name of this pub, I got myself a t-​shirt.

The Bog is a great pub, a genuine pub, focused on beer and conversation. Quiet and laid back and out of the way compared to the big bars in town. Great for those that want to have a beer but not be surrounded by the hustle of Riverpark.
John is a beer expert with lots of stories. He treats you with personable service. Whatever your age, race, or background, you will never feel like you don’t belong there. He makes everyone feel like the pub was made for them.
The beer selection is not as jaw-​droppingly impressive as it was in the early days, but they still offer brews that most other places do not have. Definitely good enough to satisfy most beer connoisseurs.

I will be back! We had a friend getting married and wanted to go drinking after the dinner rehearsal. The brother of the bride normally goes here and so we all went… It was nice to hold conversation without people trying to push past you or having to yell to hear the other person talking. It’s a nice, quaint place to go with a group of friends or to take a date. I wish we had a place like this where I live… I would be here every week if I could! The owner, John, is nice and personable… he will remember your name if your a regular and will strike up conversation in between patrons. The selection of beer is different and amazing! I don’t know much about beers but there are quite a few that I liked! :) You won’t find a place like this and you will wonder why you didn’t stumble upon this place sooner!

I call John the beeripedia! Great beers from around the world and great people to drink them with! Prost!

This place is a gem. Great beer selection, awesome bartenders/​owner and no TVs. a true neighborhood, catch up with your friends kind of place!

California is in love with IPAs but what about us fans of more German style lagers and pilsners? This place won me over just by having a bock on tap, and for good measure had a double bock (Weihenstephan) on tap.
The ambience is classic irish pub. Not irish pub like shamrocks and guiness and punk/​celt bands playing. That’s a great scene and all, but this is a classic wood paneled gaelic type of place.
I recommend it as a quiet first date spot or a solid place to have a good conversation. Although I doubt you’ll meet any broads here. Pints are around 6 – 7 bucks so not the cheapest place in town but you gotta pay for variety and selection.

Been here a few times, and it really is like drinking in a library… A Beer Library! The wood panels and soft lighting reminded me of many a pub I visited while in the UK.
The Librarian (John I think?) is a wealth of beer knowledge, and very friendly to talk to. Stop in for a pint and make a friend.
Terrific selection with lots of malty options, mostly European. My kind of place. Enjoyed a delicious Ayinger Celebrator last time I was there.

Hands down the best pub around! I have long looked for an authentic Irish pub within Fresno/​Clovis area and have found none. Most don’t last long, while others that do turn into a sports bar. At Body in the Bog you get an authentic experience with décor, music and beer. Even the elbow rests at the bar set this place apart from the rest.
Another huge plus is that this place doesn’t have TV’s on. Nothing sticks in my craw more than a bunch of flatscreens forcing sports or news into your pupils and ear canals. I think there was one nonoperational old TV in the corner somewhere. This encourages an atmosphere of fellowship, with traditional irish songs in the background. The lights are soft and kept dim creating a wonderful ambiance.
John O’Mara is a beer connoisseur and has a vast and seemingly never ending variety of bottles from around the world — with of course a very good selection on tap! Mr. O’Mara has the supernatural ability to just look at you and tell you the exact beer that will suit you best. «Oh? What’s that? You’re smoking a pipe outside? Why, this scottish ale will be fantastic with the smoke.» He never ceases to blow my mind with some new elevation/​revelation of heavenly brew. Brilliant, simply brilliant!
God bless the Body in the Bog!

Great hole-​in-​the-​wall spot. It’s not a party spot if that’s what you’re looking for. Good place to relax, maybe have a cigar on the patio. Usually pretty quiet. Average prices. The bartender/​owner knows everything about all beer anything. He’s a gentle soul. Love this place.
He doesn’t carry any shitty beer to my knowledge (bud light, coors, etc). All of his beer is craft beer.

John is simply amazing. There is a wide variety of beer and if you aren’t sure what you feel like having John will provide you with an excellent choice. Fabulous environment to enjoy beer, friends and even a quiet card game.

It’s taken me a long time to find a bar worth going to… nay, a pub worth going to. You see, a lot of times when you go out in Fresno and just want to sit down and enjoy an excellent beer… well, you end up in loud, crowded, dark, uninviting establishments with a very poor selection of beer, liquor, wine, and you also really have to compete to get good service. Coming from the Bay Area, this is just unacceptable. I know Fresno is kind of a college town but this is a large diverse community and some of us have standards. Some of us like to enjoy a high quality beer, and not chug swill. Some of us enjoy quiet company, intelligent conversation. Since when did being at a bar mean beer pong, beer bong, pool, darts, live music, loud music, getting drunk, fraternity mentality.
BiTB is a very special place… I’ve only been a handful of times as I am truly not a heavy drinker and it can get expensive. But when I drink I want to enjoy a pint… I nurse it, take in the smell, the flavor. With John (owner/​operator) you not only get to partake in a very rustic atmosphere that fulfills all of the needs of a beer connoisseur, but you also listen to light classical, jazz, folk, irish music that breaks the silence. Want to be the creepy guy in the corner, cool, nobody will bother you. Looking for conversation? Pull up a stool… nobody around? John has had an amazing life and you owe it to yourself to ask him about himself. Not to mention that every beer John stocks, he can tell you about the company, the ingredients, the brewing style, the history… he is an amazing and fascinating guy!
Your welcome to bring food here, and if your looking for liquor… well that’s not this kind of place. This is for beer drinkers only. Sure you can go to BevMo and pick up the same beer and save 50% but then you’ll be the loner alcoholic sitting at home playing video games, eating pizza, and just getting drunk. No. Come to BiTB and support local business, and a dying breed. When the Central Valley loses this place, you’ll most likely never see anything as unique roll through for years to come.
Closed on Sundays FYI.

I just want to update my review. Since the first time I came here, I have been back many times, and gotten to know John the owner better. This is a great bar, with a great selection, great owners. and generally a great customer base that comes in.