107 replies to this topic

[dcs]

Too much snow has my mind wandering, where it will go. What were you favorite bars that no longer exist? I'll start with Mr. Eagan's on Connecticut Ave. off Dupont Circle. I spent too many wonderful nights there in the 1980s to remember. That was the first bar I truly missed when it closed.

[Mark Slater]

The Guards in the 80's-mid 90's.

[Josh Radigan]

Too much snow has my mind wandering, where it will go. What were you favorite bars that no longer exist? I'll start with Mr. Eagan's on Connecticut Ave. off Dupont Circle. I spent too many wonderful nights there in the 1980s to remember. That was the first bar I truly missed when it closed.

crow bar

[bioesq]

The Hideaway in the back of the Madison Hotel in the 80s, Duke Zeibert's. and the one at Harvey's where they used to pour about twelve ounces of anything you wanted.

[bookluvingbabe]

Crowbar--early and mid 90s.

[cheezepowder]

Mr. Henry's near GW in the early 90's.

[bioesq]

In addition, prehistoric as I am, Joe and Moe's, Marigold's around 17th and H, Paul Young's, Trav's, its successor, the Inn at Glen Echo, the Tombs, pre-Clydes, Nathan's and the original Four Ps.

And, too, Fran O'Brien's. Like Mr. Eagan's, they honored the returned soldier.

[Heather]

Waitman & I were reminiscing about Mr. Eagans last night.

I'd add the old Stoney's. The new version smells better, but is full of candidates for this website. (Warning, website uses the "F" word.)

[jayandstacey]

Hmmm...

The Hill:
Duddington's Underground on a Friday night,
Jenkin's Hill on a Saturday night

Midtown:
Flaps/Acme
Chadsey's
Samantha's and Mr Day's (are they still there?) and the rally in the ally (does that still happen?)
Mike Baker's
Quigley's (astonishingly young crowd, but I had some fun there)

Above and Beyond:
Ruffled Duck in Rehobeth - a fun but fleeting experiment
The Raindancer in Rockville - home of the up-and-coming Hootie and the Blowfish

I could list 50 more - and I have no idea what still exists, if any...

[jayandstacey]

the Tombs, pre-Clydes,

great place. Ate there years ago, and in the middle of my meal, a chunk of food fell onto my plate. It had been thrown from the kitchen over a wall (about 6 foot) that separated the kitched from the diners and didn't let either see each other - but had about 3 feet of space between the top of the wall and the ceiling. So I hurled it back over into the kitchen, and a minute later, a larger chunck of food flew over the wall onto my table. You just can't get that at most eating establishments

Nathan's and

Went a few times but never had enough starch in my collar for the place. Nice though. Preferred Champion's or Annies in Goergetown. Bit of trivia - Michael O'Hara, the owner/founder of Champions, was also the guy on the famous poster that said "poverty sucks" and showed him in a riding jacket, holding a martini and leaning on a Rolls.

the original Four Ps.

That was some serious drinking there. Stood for "Four Pints" right?

[Heather]

Annies. Was that the piano bar at the corner of Wisconsin & M? (what's now the Banana Republic) Georgetown used to be a much more interesting place.

[jayandstacey]

Annies. Was that the piano bar at the corner of Wisconsin & M? (what's now the Banana Republic) Georgetown used to be a much more interesting place.

It was above the Banana Republic. I didn't know it as a piano bar, and didn't go too often. In fact I only went on nights where I was off work AND where they held "springsteen night" - and those two things aligned only 2, maybe 3 times ever. But it may have been a piano bar at one time. They seemed to try everything to draw patrons.

The biggest change, IMHO, to the entire DC drinking scene (not just Georgetown) was the shift from 18 to 21 years old to drink. It seemed to take away the really "crazy" bars filled with 18 year olds, who eventually became 21 year olds and weren't ready quite yet to settle down. Not saying it was "way better" then or that there aren't crazy bars out there today. I'm sure there are. But I was working in the bars back then, over about 8 years and in over 100 bars in the DC area, and the shift seemed really pronounced.

[Mark Slater]

Mr. Henry's on Wisconsin Ave in the old days. Marshalls West End, the original. The Intrigue bar on New Hampshire Ave.

[Waitman]

I was shacked up at the time so I never truly enjoyed the late 70's/early 80s unsafe sex binge when I was working the strip, but I'd still propose a toast to Pierce Street Annex, Flaps, PW's Saloon, all the other bars around the corner of 19th and M, the old blind balloon guy ("make the lovely ladies happy, make the children happy"), the rose sellers and all the over-hormoned 20- and 30-somethings that are now fondly remembering a time that they'll never, ever tell their spouses the truth about.

Also: Matt Kane's.

[Heather]

It was above the Banana Republic. I didn't know it as a piano bar, and didn't go too often. In fact I only went on nights where I was off work AND where they held "springsteen night" - and those two things aligned only 2, maybe 3 times ever. But it may have been a piano bar at one time. They seemed to try everything to draw patrons.

Oh, that place. I went there with a friend once and it seemed full of Marines who had driven up from Quantico. The piano bar was where the Banana Republic is now. Someone will know the name of it.

Lucky Bar, in its former incarnation as...what was the name? They had drag bingo.

The old Quarryhouse.

I am somewhat concerned that I am unable to remember any of the names of these places...

[dcs]

There was a bar on 8th Street SE a block or so down from Pennsylvania Avenue on the left hand side as you looked down from Pennsylvania Avenue where I saw the Radiators play back in the 1980s. It has long since closed. That was back before that strip was redeveloped, and it was a much different and interesting area. Anyone remember the name? My brain cells have re-engaged. It was The Gentry. Great little hole-in-the-wall.

Oh, yeah, I do miss d.c. space.

Edited by dcs, 09 February 2010 - 03:58 PM.

[DanielK]

The Bayou, in Georgetown. Entrance off K St. underneath the overpasses.

Complete dive, tiny, terrible acoustics, dirty as all get out.

But saw some great great shows there in the late 80s/early 90s.

[TedE]

Crowbar--early and mid 90s.

3rd-ed

Mr. Henry's near GW in the early 90's

Some of my earliest lost memories were courtesy of that place!

Samantha's and Mr Day's (are they still there?) and the rally in the ally (does that still happen?)

Mr. Day's was replaced by the CitySports several years ago. It's primary draw was that I could go there from the office without stepping outside into the rain ...

[goldenticket]

Lucky Bar, in its former incarnation as...what was the name? They had drag bingo.

I am somewhat concerned that I am unable to remember any of the names of these places...

What was that place called...drag bingo was fun! I also can't remember the names of these places.
ETA: Found it - Planet Fred!

There was a bar upstairs at the corner of 14th and U, right next to where Marvin is now. I had some fun times there with friends in the mid-90s and have absolutely no recollection of the name. (maybe something Lodge?)

Add my name to the list of fans of Crowbar.
Andalusian Dog, Childe Harold.

[Cornbread]

Is this thread limited to DC? I gotta say I miss Will's on Mills in Orlando. Holy S*#!, just a hole of a beer bar but once a month on Wednesday's Sam Rivers would play the back room and every time it was amazing, borderline life changing. Damn intense experience once a month. Lots of great shows but Sam Rivers was simply amazing, I miss it dearly. Oh, the 100+ beer selection didn't hurt either.

[MC Horoscope]

Twist and Shout in Bethesda then Tornado Alley in Wheaton. Great music venues! They let me MC the Cajun bands there in Louisiana French, which the bands enjoyed.

Eventually the zydeco and Cajun dance crowd became the non-drinking crowd, and it was more of an exercise scene than a bar scene toward the end. The cognitive dissonance aged me three hundred years.

[leleboo]

Is this thread limited to DC?

If it's not, I put in a vote for the Bow and Arrow Pub in Cambridge. Which is at least immortalized in Good Will Hunting (it and the Tasty are the primary reasons I'll watch that movie if I stumble across it playing on cable).

[DonRocks]

Is this thread limited to DC?

[Let's make it so; otherwise, it will spiral out of control.

Cheers,
Dr. Killjoy]

[JPW]

Timberlake's

[Mark Slater]

Timberlake's

Honestly- Yes and No.

[Lola007]

The Bayou, in Georgetown. Entrance off K St. underneath the overpasses.

Complete dive, tiny, terrible acoustics, dirty as all get out.

But saw some great great shows there in the late 80s/early 90s.

Daniel, you are so right. The Bayou was as dive-y as it gets, but at the same time, it was a great, intimate venue for concerts. I think I saw The Cars there, maybe the Psychedelic Furs there too. Those were the days!

[DanielK]

Daniel, you are so right. The Bayou was as dive-y as it gets, but at the same time, it was a great, intimate venue for concerts. I think I saw The Cars there, maybe the Psychedelic Furs there too. Those were the days!

Badlands, Dokken, Living Colour are a few of the shows I remember seeing there. There are probably a bunch more I don't remember.

[jayandstacey]

Twist and Shout in Bethesda then Tornado Alley in Wheaton. Great music venues! They let me MC the Cajun bands there in Louisiana French, which the bands enjoyed.

Eventually the zydeco and Cajun dance crowd became the non-drinking crowd, and it was more of an exercise scene than a bar scene toward the end. The cognitive dissonance aged me three hundred years.

That was a pretty cool place. Got to see Buckwheat Zydeco there - middle of the set, the power goes out. The drummer keeps playing anyway in the near pitch black - by the light of the exit sign, I see the band get a few drinks, then rejoin the stage. The power comes back on, the drummer still going, and as the amps warm up, the rest of the band rejoins the drummer as if nothing happened. Still don't know if that was on purpose or ad,libbed, but it was fun. As was the girl who's dancing near the stage could not be contained in her tank top, giving a show to the guys who were supposed to be giving the show.

[jayandstacey]

So many...

I worked for a DJ company called "Nard's" that, at one time, had DJ's in about 70 bars in the DC area on a Friday night. Played 45s long after CDs roamed the earth. Good times...

How about Club Soda, and the old man that would saunter in and be annouced as "The Mayor of Cleveland Park!"

Or the 13th Amendment - only went once, but wow...

My favorite is still Jenkin's Hill - started going there at 17, loved the music (the DJ was a family friend who unfortunately passed this year) and loved the interns who were having their first big city experience - and a kid like me was just the guy to show them around. Anyone else go there on Saturday nights?

[xcanuck]

Surprised no one said the old 9:30 Club. Even with the rats and the large pole in the middle of the floor, it was a great place to see a band.

I'll 4th (?) the Crowbar. I remember hanging out with some biker friends when Sen Ben Nighthorse Campbell joined us. He ordered a coke, grumbling about the damn media who was just dying to get a picture of him with a beer.

And while it may not have the same historical cachet of the places others have mentioned, I don't think I've enjoyed a bar more than the one at Restaurant Kolumbia. Having a martini, a smoke, and sharing a laugh with the good folks who worked there. Good times.

[Heather]

Surprised no one said the old 9:30 Club. Even with the rats and the large pole in the middle of the floor, it was a great place to see a band.

Well, if you include clubs...the old 9:30 Club. One Flight Up. Of course d.c. space. Psychedelly in Bethesda. Great place to see a band & the old WHFS broadcast studios were upstairs.

"These are places that are gone..." DC was a fun place to be young in the late 70's-mid 80's.

[Jeff White]

Desperados in Georgetown. Popular with us northern VA youths in the 70's.

[RWBooneJr.]

Bardo Rodeo. It had some of the best, and worst beer in DC, depending on what batch you got. Dremo was never really as cool.

[squidsdc]

I was also going to mention Desperados, and the Cellar Door. But I was waiting to see if my memory would kick in as I also wanted to mention that place in Bethesda that I couldn't remember the name...of course (thank you Heather) the Psychedelly. And someone may have mentioned the other one already that's bugging me--It was underground at 21st and M St. downtown.

(I don't often forget Desperados, as I relate it to the song of the same name. (both Linda Ronstadt and Eagles' versions) )

[DanielK]

And someone may have mentioned the other one already that's bugging me--It was underground at 21st and M St. downtown.

Was that the place that seemed to change names every few years? I think it was The Dome at one point (the Do Me, as the GW kids called it...)

[Waitman]

I was also going to mention Desperados, and the Cellar Door. But I was waiting to see if my memory would kick in as I also wanted to mention that place in Bethesda that I couldn't remember the name...of course (thank you Heather) the Psychedelly. And someone may have mentioned the other one already that's bugging me--It was underground at 21st and M St. downtown.

(I don't often forget Desperados, as I relate it to the song of the same name. (both Linda Ronstadt and Eagles' versions) )

Bojangles.

[Waitman]

And, of course, the legendary Old Mac's (and the less legendary Gunchers).

(Interesting article about the owner of Old Mac's, The Cellar Door etc.here)

[Sthitch]

Was that the place that seemed to change names every few years? I think it was The Dome at one point (the Do Me, as the GW kids called it...)

During one incarnation it was called the Vous II - why that shithole of a CP bar needed a sequel I will never know.

[Michael Landrum]

Carmichael's. The place for psychologically disturbed underage drinking and anger-fueled casual sex in the early '80's.

[Heather]

Carmichael's.

That takes me way back.

The old Fox & Hounds, before they put the TVs in. Best jukebox in town, cheap drinks, and club sandwiches from Trio next door.

[Michael Landrum]

That takes me way back.

You may want to see my edited version above and reconsider your admitting this...

[Kibbee Nayee]

My vote is for the much-missed New Orleans Emporium in Adams Morgan. The restaurant was downstairs, but the upstairs bar was nice. Oyster shooters, Cajun popcorn (batter-fried crawfish tails) and Dixie beer. I miss that place a lot...

[susanmab]

awww, so nice to see all the love for the Crow Bar.

d.c.space, for sure. The Company on M street (I actually went to a bar in Georgetown, and I might never live it down!).

Back Alley. OK, that was a "night" and not a bar. I'll admit that some of my best underage drinking was done there, but it was really about the awesome and always chilled out crowd.

The old 9:30 for friday night happy hours. (if any of you used to do that, I was the quiet girl who always arrived with cookies. perfected my recipe during those years).

shit. I feel o-l-d!!!

[The Hersch]

The Benbow. The best neighborhood bar that ever was. Enjoy Life.

[Mark Slater]

Along with the old Stoney's there was Matt Kane's. Totally atmospheric.

[mtpleasanteater]

I too miss the old 9:30 club, although I did my drinking in the alley. I went back there a few years ago to see if the Exploited skull was still there and it was the back of someone's condo.

[Mark Slater]

I too miss the old 9:30 club, although I did my drinking in the alley. I went back there a few years ago to see if the Exploited skull was still there and it was the back of someone's condo.

The only clear recollection I have about the old 9:30 Club was watching punks pulling Clicquot from the neck.

[Heather]

You may want to see my edited version above and reconsider your admitting this...

No, no. I think you got it exactly right.

[mtpleasanteater]

The only clear recollection I have about the old 9:30 Club was watching punks pulling Clicquot from the neck.

Sadly it was mostly Mickey's and OE.

[Mrs. B]

Along with the old Stoney's there was Matt Kane's. Totally atmospheric.

Not just for the people that imbided there. Matt was atmospheric too. Or is that what you meant?