Gentlemen,

I'd like your opinions on a bar I plan to build for my father as a Christmas gift. It will be a somewhat simple design since the folks don't have tons of space to stick this in. It will have a rectangular frame made of mahogany and will have two glass doors in the front. For the top I'm debating whether it should be a solid (well, a few boards glued together but still solid wood) 1.5" thick mahogany, or black granite. The wood would have several coats of varnish to protect it but the granite would be indestructible.

What do you guys think would be a better choice as far as durability, looks, etc.? Thanks in advance.

Granite would survive spills much better than wood.  How would you attach the granite to the wood?

You can chop a lime on granite.

i like the looks of a wood top...................just coat it in bar top resin and all will be well with the world

just so long as theres beer on top of it though, who gives a shit?  

granite... gives it the upscale look, and like previously mentioned, you can chop limes

I think a glass/mirror top would be best for that intended useage.


ETA: Oh, "cutting LIMES"!

One of my friends did a bar, but of the type that is tended.  He made the bar of wood, but used a glass top, with a display area beneath.  In the display area, he put a blacklight.  He also made cutouts on the front for 5 (I think) Cuervo 1800 bottles, which he filled with bleach.  The net effect is that the bar 'glows' from the blacklight and the bleach in the 1800 bottles.  Very neat.  Probably not the effect that you are going for here, but it might give someone else an idea down the road...

For the situation here, I believe that there is a pourable resin that you can put over a wood top to protect it.  If you go wood, I would use something like that to protect the surface.  Or build it so that you can put a plexiglass cover over the wood.

Quoted: I think a glass/mirror top would be best for that intended useage. ETA: Oh, "cutting LIMES"!

I had totally forgotten about cutting limes and knowing my father he wouldn't use a cutting board so the granite is probably the way to go. I suppose the weight would be enough to keep it in place without the need for mechanical fasteners. Thanks guys.

Good choice
IMHO, if you don't mind paying the extra price(over wood), granite is very well worth it in almost every way.