Step into the Silver Tap on most nights, and you’ll probably hear laughter and music before you ever reach the door. The local bar on Broad Street is known for hosting a deep bench of musicians that rotate in and out, bringing both new sounds and local favorites, and ensuring a lively dance floor.
But it is equally known for its bartenders and that begins with Alicia Padilla - better known to everyone as Chacha — who brings experience and empathy to the job, and a fan base that loves her. She’s the kind of bartender who turns a bar into a community.
What most people don’t know is that bartending wasn’t her first career. For 13 years, Padilla worked as a behavioral health therapist with Horizon Health. “You can teach someone how to pour a drink,” she says, “but you can’t teach them to have personality. And if you’ve got both—skills and heart—customers will follow you wherever you go.”
That’s proven true. Over the years, her regulars have followed her from Chalo’s to Farley’s, to Porter’s in Superior, and now to Silver Tap in downtown Globe.
“It (her bartending days) just kind of happened,” she says. “A friend needed help one night, and I said I’d never bartended before. She told me, ‘I don’t care, just come help me.’”
That one favor turned into a second full-time career. And though she still works days as an administrator for Sturgeon Electric, it’s clear that bartending is where her heart is. “I’m here four nights a week,” she says. “My boss at Sturgeon’s is great—if something’s going on at the bar and I need to be there, he understands. It’s a lot, but I love it.”
Padilla’s background in behavioral health shows up every night behind the bar. She’s quick to spot someone having a rough day, knows when to listen, when to joke, and when to step in. “I can read people really well,” she says. “I know who wants to talk, who wants to be left alone, who I can mess with, who I can’t. That helps keep things peaceful—and fun.”
And when things do get tense, she knows how to de-escalate a situation before it boils over. “I’ve had to handle some tough moments,” she admits, “but if I need help, I have customers who are there to back me up. Usually, it’s something I can handle and let them know that. I talk to them like a person. “
The result is a bar that feels open, welcoming, and safe—something that doesn’t always come easy in the nightlife world. “We don’t take sides here,” Chacha says. “I don’t care who you are or what’s going on outside this place. You come in here, you’re welcome. If you can’t act right, you go home. But if you’re here to have a good time, this is your spot.”
That spirit of inclusion shows in the mix of people who gather at Silver Tap. Everyone finds a place here, she says. Padilla twirls the bright blue beaded earrings she is wearing, and adds that her Native customers really support the bar, and make a point of stopping in to see her if she is working. And have gifted her several sets of beaded earrings. We’re really blessed.”
Padilla says, music is a big part of the bar’s attraction and local favorites like Chaka, Grey Wolf, the Chris Kane Trio, and Lomokoya who recently played help the bar earn their moniker: The house of music and dance.
“When these bands play, people dance,” Padilla says. “And if they don’t, I’ll might grab my bar back and go out there and start dancing until they do.”
The vibe is modern, says Padilla. It’s clean, welcoming, and real. It’s not a smoky dive or a noisy sports bar. It’s a place where people come to relax, listen to music, and feel part of something genuine.
As for the nickname “Chacha,” it stuck years ago when a restaurant owner started calling her that, and it just fit. “I don’t even know why,” she laughs. “It just kind of became me.”
Now, the name “Chacha” carries weight around Globe—it means great drinks, good company, and a bartender who treats every guest like family. Regulars line up not just for her drinks, but for her hugs.
“Most of my customers won’t leave without one,” she says. “They walk in and wait at the end of the bar until I come around. It’s just what we do.”
At Silver Tap, that sense of connection is the secret ingredient. Maybe it’s her therapy background. Maybe it’s her energy. Or maybe it’s just Chacha being Chacha—warm, grounded, and real. Whatever it is, it’s working.
Come by on any night, grab a seat at the bar, and you’ll see what everyone’s talking about. You’ll probably leave with a smile—and maybe a hug, too.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here