Takoma Station Tavern, 4th Street and Blair Road near Takoma Metro

[starfish]

I remember when Takoma Station was serious about food – pub grub but good pub grub. I remember when they had a rightful place in the conversation about this areas best fries and wings.

I remember when Takoma Station was serious about Jazz. When Wynton Marsalis would stop by every time he was in town and more often than not sit in with the band for the last set. I remember when Chuck Brown’s first jazz album (the Godfather of Go-Go actually started as a jazz musician) debuted more than 10 years ago the impromptu premier party was at Takoma Station. I remember when this areas young jazz lions wanted a gig at Takoma Station almost as badly as they wanted one at Blues Alley. I remember when the spoken word community and those young jazz lions started to collaborate that Takoma Station was the epicenter of the movement.

I knew that they had abandoned that legacy long ago. What I did not know until last night was that after leaving that legacy in the rat infested alley behind them to suffer for a decade they decided to pour liquid ventworm nut on it and set it ablaze.

The food, which was from opening day “all fried, all the time”, lacked even the salty satisfaction that can come from that type of menu. Wings had visible hairs and feathers still attached. The fries tasted like they were frozen…last millennia, and of all of the other things I saw, nothing looked even remotely edible.

And the music…played at ear blistering volumes was low hanging fruit wrapped in a cliché. It combined the worst elements of “Smooth Jazz” with the subtle as a sledgehammer rhythm of contemporary R&B. Just painful.

At least the Stella was cold.

[alan7147]

The food, which was from opening day “all fried, all the time”, lacked even the salty satisfaction that can come from that type of menu. Wings had visible hairs and feathers still attached. The fries tasted like they were frozen…last millennia, and of all of the other things I saw, nothing looked even remotely edible.

Are you serious about the feathers? That has to be the most disgusting thing I ever heard of regarding food presentation.

[starfish]

Are you serious about the feathers? That has to be the most disgusting thing I ever heard of regarding food presentation.

I wish it was a joke.

[DonRocks]

On 8/23/2007 at 11:39 AM, starfish said:

I knew that they had abandoned that legacy long ago. What I did not know until last night was that after leaving that legacy in the rat infested alley behind them to suffer for a decade they decided to pour liquid ventworm nut on it and set it ablaze.

The food, which was from opening day “all fried, all the time”, lacked even the salty satisfaction that can come from that type of menu. Wings had visible hairs and feathers still attached. The fries tasted like they were frozen…last millennia, and of all of the other things I saw, nothing looked even remotely edible.

Thirty-two years after opening, Takoma Station Tavern is still in business. You never hear a thing about it in the restaurant world (one look at the menu will tell you why), but they sure have a lot of music.

[dinoue]

Every once in a while they get called out by the Takoma neighborhood listserve for noise and unruly patrons. That then sparks the debate about who is really a DC native and gets to complain about things. ie Takoma Station was there before you came to the area....