OC LIVE! : Moose Stands in the Middle of the Road

If you can’t take dance clubs that are too crowded, too dark and toohip, try Moose McGillycuddy’s Pub and Cafe on Friday nights, where the well-behaved in Top-Siders go for good, clean fun. Here, nobody’s likely to throw up on your pant leg.

Not that this 20s and 30s set doesn’t let loose to the deejay’s very danceable, booming mix of Top 40, disco, rock and old-school rap. Hips thrust, torsos gyrate and heads bob with abandon to hits by Ace of Base, Tone Loc, the artist formerly called Prince and Green Day.

And not everybody wears preppy threads and beepers. You’ll see miniskirts, bare midriffs and oversized flannel shirts.

But middle-of-the-road best describes the dress code, which leans toward print shirts, slacks and jumpsuits, as well as khaki shorts.

The decor is upstanding and innocuous too--more like a family pancake house than any underground club--with Colonial-style light fixtures and whirring ceiling fans. Easter egg-colored balloons festoon turquoise railings that ring the dance floor, patrolled discreetly by cheerful, clean-shaven, beefy bouncers.

As the night progresses, the music gets louder, the beat becomes more intense, and a machine spits smoke from the ceiling as strobe lights flash.

Scamming seems to intensify as well. The other evening, eight men, standing side by side, leaned against the railing, furtively sizing up the miniskirted nearby. A couple of women, exerting equal rights, boldly inserted themselves into the line-up.

In a rare display of conspicuous individuality, a man with long, curly black hair wearing a leather jacket, a thick leather belt with metal studs and a large cross around his neck performed an idiosyncratic, rather fitful dance. As the mood moved him, he’d walk onto the floor, execute a kind of slow, controlled belly flop--he wore black wrist supports too--a few other gymnastic moves, then walk off.

That was about as out of hand as things got.

Friday night well drinks at Moose McGillycuddy’s run $3 to $4.50; beers go for $3 to $5.50 and wine costs $3.75 to $5.75 a glass. Appetizers include guacamole and chips for $3.95, chicken wings for $4.95 and chicken quesadillas for $5.95. The venue also has a pool room with three tables and a restaurant, which serves a full menu anywhere on the premises.

On Tuesdays, the bar hosts the Cubensis band, which covers Grateful Dead tunes from 8 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Saturday night’s format is almost identical to Friday’s except there’s swing dancing from 4 to 8 p.m. On Sundays, reggae bands play at 4 and 8 p.m.

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Foot Note: Memphis, 2920 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, has set a new date (Sept. 22) for its grand opening. An earlier grand-opening date was postponed because of a band scheduling conflict. Meantime, the bar-cafe continues to be open 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

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* FRIDAY NIGHTS AT

MOOSE McGILLYCUDDY’S

* 190 Marina Drive, in Seaport Village, Long Beach.

* (310) 596-8108.

* 8 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

* Cover: $3.