Thirsty Bernie (2008-2023), Sports Bar on Glebe Rd & Lee Hwy in North Arlington - Closed

[Walrus]

We visited Thirsty Bernie's for the first time today and had a delicious -- and extremely filling -- lunch. We had zero service problems (aside from an order of wings that never quite made their way to us -- but as it was our mains coming that made us realize that they hadn't come, we decided not to say anything and just get them next time ) -- our server was pleasant, cheerful, and on top of it, asking if we wanted another beer before our glasses were empty and refilling Tripewriter's soda without any prompting on our end at all. The food was quite good -- I had the kielbasa and Tripewriter had the cheeseburger. Next time, I think I'll get the kielbasa without the bun, as the star is truly the sausage. The frites were delicious -- so much so that I got another side order instead of dessert It was more expensive than I'd anticipated, but probably no more than it should have been. See you all there!

[DPop]

Do not ignore the Entree menu when you go, especially the Pierogies. They are very rich and incredibly filling, but well worth it. These are the closest I have gotten to Mom and Grandma's, and that is a huge compliment to Chef Stachowski. The bar menu was no slouch last night either, as the Sloppy Joe slider was a very simple yet pleasing rememberance of the food I loved from my childhood.

The negatives are the beer selection and the service. Our server (high school kid) was very much out of it throughout the night and never really had a handle on what to deliver. The worst of his indiscretions was taking the remainder of my fiancee's delicious, light Grilled Chicken Kabob Salad from her after her request to pack it up and coming back to tell her that they had no more to-go boxes. Ummmm, OK? At least it won't show up on our bill. WRONG. In my mind, at a sports bar, you should have a plethora of take out containers and if you don't, you must let people know before your take their 1/4 finished plate away from them. We lost no sleep over not having the rest of the salad, but for the prices they're charging here, I should be able to eat everything I bought, whether in the restaurant or at home. Really inexcusable, if you ask me.

Other than this, though, everything was very good for a sports bar. The Fisherman's Net was a bit overfried but a good app and the Half Smoke was a great deal at $5. Hopefully things get straightened out and this place is moving along smoothly by Labor Day.

[Tweaked]

The worst of his indiscretions was taking the remainder of my fiancee's delicious, light Grilled Chicken Kabob Salad from her after her request to pack it up and coming back to tell her that they had no more to-go boxes. Ummmm, OK? At least it won't show up on our bill. WRONG.

So because your fiancee couldn't finish her meal it shouldn't appear on the bill???

[blakegwinn]

Our server (high school kid) was very much out of it throughout the night and never really had a handle on what to deliver. The worst of his indiscretions was taking the remainder of my fiancee's delicious, light Grilled Chicken Kabob Salad from her after her request to pack it up and coming back to tell her that they had no more to-go boxes. Ummmm, OK? At least it won't show up on our bill. WRONG. In my mind, at a sports bar, you should have a plethora of take out containers and if you don't, you must let people know before your take their 1/4 finished plate away from them. We lost no sleep over not having the rest of the salad, but for the prices they're charging here, I should be able to eat everything I bought, whether in the restaurant or at home. Really inexcusable, if you ask me.

My guess is that the kid was halfway through scraping your plate off into the trash and realized "Oh FU**. I was supposed to box that up...." Then whipped out the no take out containers line. I have done the exact same thing on several occasions up to the no take out containers part. When you make several hundred trips to the kitchen to scrape off a plate sometimes you just go on autopilot and accidently throw out something that was supposed to be saved.

The line about take out containers though, I doubt. Even if we didn't have any I probably would have offered to wrap it up in foil at least. Even a salad. It is not ideal, but as a server at least you could say you tried. By the way the couple of times I did throw out a substantial take home portion, I just owned up to it and we ended up making another one to put in a to go container (as opposed to taking it off the bill). The customers were more than cool about that. The manager wasn't exactly thrilled with me, but what are you gonna do? One of those times actually was a salad also, which was nice because we just made a portion that was about the same size as what I tossed instead of having to remake a full dish.

Ok there. I just had to add something. This seems to be the only string anyone cares about lately and I was starting to feel left out.

[jrichstar]

So because your fiancee couldn't finish her meal it shouldn't appear on the bill???

We don't know all the facts, such as how much of the food was left.

If the food was thrown away by mistake, which has happened to us a few times, the restaurant has always made a new order to make up for it and we've been quite happy with that solution.

If TB really did not have containers, which seems highly unusual, it would seem being comped is the correct solution.

[DPop]

We don't know all the facts, such as how much of the food was left.

If the food was thrown away by mistake, which has happened to us a few times, the restaurant has always made a new order to make up for it and we've been quite happy with that solution.

If TB really did not have containers, which seems highly unusual, it would seem being comped is the correct solution.

jrichstar said it for me, although I will add that I said that she had only eaten 1/4 of this very big salad, so there was still a lot of chicken on the plate (this particular salad actually had very little lettuce and was mostly chicken and rice). Even if there was less than half of it left, though, they should still do everything they can to send you on your way with it. Wrap it in tin foil, put it in a plastic cup, anything.

[diddy]

i was there like a week or two after it opened. it was game 2 of the nba finals, so whenever that was. i also had some service issues, but i don't really feel like adding to the pile. but can we look at the positives? it's good food in a relaxed atmosphere that will be perfect for football season. give them some time to get their system down.

p.s. on the night i was there it was a packed and from what i could tell there were only 2 waiters for the whole place. my waiter had like 6-8 tables at once. so imagine that plus the first week they were open? that sounds like a nightmare to me

[jiveturk21]

When Restaurant Kolumbia was open, I was never a big fan. I went there three times over the years and only had a passable experience once, the other two were quite poor. So, when news started popping up concerning Thirsty Bernie's, I simply ignored it. But, over the past few weeks, my curiosity started to grow. Was it possible for the owners to make a sports bar that I would like? So, although dinner time on Sunday night, at this time of year, wasn't a prime sports time, we still took the plunge and checked it out. And, in short, we are glad that we did.

The space is nice and new. It is clean, which I applaud, and there seemed to be TVs everywhere. I am not a sports bar expert by any means, but this is a hell of a lot nicer than most that I have ever been in.

The service, for us, was great. Our server was nice, knowledgable and non-obtrusive. It may have helped that the place was only half full at its peak, or that the restaurant has been open for a bit longer, but it was good nonetheless.

The food, overall, was pretty great. Fine dining, no, but lights years ahead of the traditional sports bar fare. We were all happy with the meatball sliders to start and we really enjoyed our bratwurst and pastrami sandwich (beef on weck was out of stock last night). Didn't touch our friends burger or pierogis, but they said that they were damn good. Two beers and two bloody mary's rounded out the night, excellent value for $80 before tip.

So, while I was never a fan of their past restaurant, count me as a fan of their new place. I am sad that it wasn't around when I lived there years ago (N Dinwiddie St. Represent!), btu happy for the folks that will be able to enjoy it as the years pass by. Still need to go on a day when a football game has the place packed, and I want to try items from all over the menu, but it was a solid first impression.

[tripewriter]

Although our experiences at Thirsty Bernie have been inconsistent since our first visit (largely, but not entirely dependent on how many customers are in the place), the other day I tried and really enjoyed the $8 bar platter.

Served on a real plate--instead of the basket lined with paper that got soaked and stuck to the bottom of the beef on weck I tried earlier in the week--the bar platter came with two moist smokey ribs, a pulled-chicken and coleslaw slider, a chopped beef brisket and pickle slider, potato salad, and a slice of watermelon. My favorites were the ribs and the chicken slider. The brisket sauce was a little sweet for my taste. Both sliders were served on freshly toasted buns. The potato salad and watermelon were nice summertime touches.

I hope this platter will stay on the bar menu for awhile so I can enjoy it again. Next time I'll order a Miller Light instead of a heavier beer so I have the appetite for a couple more of those soul-satisfying ribs.

[Walrus]

We were here again for dinner yesterday -- I was apparently the first person ever to have Jamie's new butcher's plate, but I know I won't be the last! What a great deal. Country terrine, three types of cured meat, and a wonderful brat. Delish. Add fries and nibbles from Tripewriter's bar platter (mmm...ribs), and some watermelon for dessert, and you have the perfect meal.

[agm]

NQD and I had an excellent meal here tonight. We went fairly early for a Saturday night; it was reasonably busy, but far from packed, which is to be expected in late July. There were more staff on hand than I've seen in the past, and service was fine overall, although some of the servers still seemed rather young and inexperienced. No way to know what it would have been like on a busier night. We weren't close enough to the bar to see what was going on there.

Starters were grilled wings with barbecue sauce, and Jamie's butcher block. Wings were very big and meaty, well grilled. The sauce was decent. Good overall, but not outstanding. If you want wings, go for it, but there are better options on the menu. The butcher block is one of them. Jamie's known for his charcuterie for good reason. Great cured meats, excellent terrine, two kinds of pickles (one I loved, one I didn't), sour cherries, and a mustard/horseradish concoction that I would love to replicate, but I doubt I could come close. I'd love to be a better cook than I am, and I'm working on it, but mostly I want to make charcuterie like this.

NQD had the pierogies as her main course. Big, rich, cheesy, wonderful stuff. A much larger, heartier dish than it was back on K Street. If you liked the refined touch the old pierogies used to have, you might miss it; if you think of pierogies as comfort food, you'll love these. I had the lasagna, which was outstanding. A little odd, if you're not used to finding whole eggs in your lasagna, but once I got past that initial surprise, it just worked. Delicious. Oh, and a side of onion rings, just because we had never had them here. Eh, OK, but not really worth ordering again. Not that sides are necessary, because portions were huge.

Jamie had heard that there was some criticism of the pastrami, and said that there was a batch that was definitely not what it should have been, due to some confusion about the recipe, but that has been resolved and it's back to what it's supposed to be.

I did overhear one complaint from a neighboring table about the burger. It was very good, the customer said, but between the burger itself and the bun, too big to eat. I wonder if this guy's been to Hell?

[Sthitch]

Sometimes I feel like a horrible curmudgeon when I write about some of my restaurant experiences, and tonight’s trip to Thirsty Bernie is a perfect example. I am actually a very easy customer to please, I simply ask that I get what I ordered, and that things like silver and glassware is clean (not sparkling, just clean). I asked that both my wife and I get the beers that matched our sandwiches. My wife’s beer showed up (with a very dirty glass), and mine didn’t. I politely asked my waiter for the beer that was recommended for my sandwich and what arrived was a Bud. Err… no, that is not what was recommended. While the problem was corrected and no harm was done it did take away from the over-all experience. I think half of the problem with the service is related to how loud the restaurant is. A problem that some sound dampening tiles could easily fix.

As for the food, the Fisherman’s Net was a disappointment. The dish is a trio of seafood, calamari, shrimp, and oysters; or more accurately fried calamari with a scant bit of other stuff thrown in. Everything was overcooked, and nothing really tasted as it should; the calamari was bland and tough, ditto to the shrimp, and the two oysters in the basket were mealy. The sauces added nothing, but at least they helped to offset the Atacama like dryness of the batter.

The entrees were much better. The Kielbasa was flavorful, but too substantial to easily eat. And the fries were decent, but really nothing special. Also, when I asked the waiter which he thought was better with the Kielbasa the sauerkraut or the onions and peppers he responded “whatever you like”, a little guidance would have been helpful.

My wife’s pastrami was the Janus of sandwiches. One head was a lean, tough, and cold sandwich with a redeeming flavor and smokiness that was only enhanced by the pickled onions. The other head was a fatty portion of beef that was overly flavored with pepper and the coldness causing an unpleasant coating of beef tallow. How a sandwich could be so fine and yet so disappointing will flummox me for some time to come. The onions rings were also a dichotomy. The batter was almost akin to a saltlick when it hit my tongue, but once the sweetness of the onion played through it was far more enjoyable. But getting past that batter proved too difficult for either of us, and most of the rings sat untouched.

I will give them another try and hopefully some of the items that I had hoped to try will fare better than what we had tonight. But my one concern is that the noise level of this place really makes it difficult to enjoy, so maybe I will have to go on a Tuesday instead of a Friday.

[Walrus]

Sorry to hear that you had such a disappointing experience. If it helps, we have had the standard service snafus, but we've always found them friendly, cheerful, and more than ready to fix any problems that might arise. We also tend to go in off-peak hours, though, which is definitely a good thing.

[Lydia R]

Tim Carman gave Thirsty Bernie a positive review this week. Don't stare too long at Darrow Montgomery's photo "Meat the New Boss: Stachowski and some of his sausages" because it's actually hypnotic.

This Arlington newbie is the brainchild of chef Jamie Stachowski and owner Steven Sadeghian, who used to be a regular at the toque's former establishment, Restaurant Kolumbia on K Street. Sadeghian's a real estate developer with a love for German and Austrian cuisine; Stachowski's a no-bullshit Pole who was raised on a farm outside Buffalo where butchering animals and nose-to-tail cooking were a way of life, not a cookbook concept.

Their collaboration is as unlikely as their concept. Sadeghian is a restaurant rookie, and Stachowski, after Kolumbia closed last year, had originally teamed up with Michael Landrum to produce charcuterie for a stand-alone butcher shop near Ray's the Steaks in Arlington. When the butcher concept didn't take off—Landrum's "hands were way too full" to focus on it, the chef says—Stachowski decided to take up Sadeghian's offer to develop the Bavarian sports bar concept at Thirsty Bernie. It's turned into a full-time gig, with talk about making Stachowski a full partner. "I told him, 'Before we get married, let's sleep together a little bit,'" the chef says, laughing at his own quip.

[ol_ironstomach]

Don't stare too long at Darrow Montgomery's photo "Meat the New Boss: Stachowski and some of his sausages" because it's actually hypnotic.

A veritable Rasputin of forcemeats, would you say?

Next, we need a matching image of Landrum (whiskery phase) and his ground beef. What does Bev Eggleston look like? There's a calendar theme in here somewhere...

[zoramargolis]

A veritable Rasputin of forcemeats, would you say?

"Ah, yes, my pretty one. You must pay a little visit to my rooms some evening, to have a taste of my delicious sausage...mwaahaahaahaa!"

[DanielK]

I will not clutter up this topic with continuous updates, but for those interested, click here for info on a DR.com dinner at Thirsty Bernie's.

[aaronsinger]

Is this place open for football on sundays, and do they have Sunday Ticket [Redskins only or a bunch of games]?

[DanielK]

Is this place open for football on sundays, and do they have Sunday Ticket [Redskins only or a bunch of games]?

Open Monday-Friday: 4:00pm-Close, Saturday-Sunday: 11:00am-Close

They have a gazillion TVs, NFL Ticket, MLB Extra Innings, and SETANTA European Soccer, on top of all the usual cable sports stations.

[aaronsinger]

Open Monday-Friday: 4:00pm-Close, Saturday-Sunday: 11:00am-Close

They have a gazillion TVs, NFL Ticket, MLB Extra Innings, and SETANTA European Soccer, on top of all the usual cable sports stations.

Thanks! I might check it out one sunday.

[22209]

Open Monday-Friday: 4:00pm-Close, Saturday-Sunday: 11:00am-Close

They have a gazillion TVs, NFL Ticket, MLB Extra Innings, and SETANTA European Soccer, on top of all the usual cable sports stations.

Has anyone been for Monday Night Football? I'm curious how crowded it is (less crowded = better for me especially since the space is pretty small).

[DPop]

Has anyone been for Monday Night Football? I'm curious how crowded it is (less crowded = better for me especially since the space is pretty small).

I was in there last Monday night and the place was half empty by the time the second quarter started. Not surprisingly, the food and service were markedly better than every other time I have been there, when it has been packed.

Try the Grilled Pizza.

[22209]

I was in there last Monday night and the place was half empty by the time the second quarter started. Not surprisingly, the food and service were markedly better than every other time I have been there, when it has been packed.

Try the Grilled Pizza.

Thanks! Will do. Last time I had the tiger shrimp salad, and it was awesome

[dcs]

This Sunday's Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...8101402460.html

[JPW]

This Sunday's Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...8101402460.html

Somebody in that photo looks familiar...

[DanielK]

Somebody in that photo looks familiar...

[ema]

We went to Thirsty Bernie's on Friday night. The food definitely warrants going back, however, there were also some kinks that need to be ironed out. We ordered the meatball sliders, grilled wings, and the Kielbasa sandwich. The meatball sliders were excellent. Good seasoning and good texture, not too firm, not too mushy. The grilled wings were mediocre. The sauce was flavorful, but the wings themselves were dry and bland. The Kielbasa sandwich was the star, nicely seasoned and bursting with juice, however the onion rings that came with it were not edible because it was cold. For some reason, there was a 40 min gap between the time our appetizers arrived and the time when the sandwich arrived. I had to feed my son, so it wasn't that big of a problem for me. We were also not thrilled at the price of the beer. Ten dollars per mug, it was a big mug, but I doubt it contained 2 pints. Lastly, the hostess was inexperienced and didn't do a good job of seating people efficiently. We arrived around 7:30 PM, and there was already a wait. We put our name down on the wait list anyways, but the way the hostess worded the wait, it really discouraged people from wanting to wait. I saw several potential customers left, but by the time we had our appetizer, only an hour later, there were already empty tables in the restaurant, and this was before 9:00 PM on a Friday night.

[ema]

I tried Thirsty Bernie again tonight. Went for the happy hour and half price burger. The onion rings are fries are still underwhelming, and the burger although good came out medium well when we ordered it medium. However, the mussels were incredible in flavor and value. A Staub cast iron pot was filled to the brim with tender and garlicy mussels and a few slices of linguisa. I used the shell to scoop up the savory cream laced broth.

[DPop]

I was incredibly disappointed to find a huge drop in quality of the previously glorious Beef on Weck during the game tonight. First, why stop serving this sandwich on the bun with salt crystals pasted on it? It's now on a very much regular brioche, which I felt like sucked a little of what made this a special dish. Secondly, and maybe more importantly, the roast beef was incredibly fatty, containing more than a few bites that were simply unchewable. I love that the beef is piled incredibly high, but I almost wish that they would cut down on the quantity if it meant that only quality slices of meat got onto the bread. The fries that accompanied it were limp, but appropriately salted and hot.

Hopefully this was an anomaly, the roast beef sandwich I had here last time was perhaps the best I had ever had.

[MarkS]

It is not beef on weck with a brioche. I went to school in Buffalo for 4 years. It has to be a kummelweck roll.

From Wikipedia

A kummelweck, or sometimes kimmelweck or even kümmelweck, is a salty roll that is popular in Western New York. It is similar to a Kaiser roll, but topped with pretzel salt and caraway seeds. Kummelweck is commonly shortened to “weck" (pronounced "wick"), and often served in the Buffalo metropolitan area with roast beef and horseradish to form a sandwich known colloquially as "beef on weck." Along with wings, beef on weck is one of the two most distinct dishes of the region.

A typical style of beef on weck sandwich is made from slow-roasted rare roast beef hand carved to provide about 1/2 inch (2 cm) of meat on the bottom half of the roll. The cut face of the top half of the roll may be dipped in the juices from the roast. Prepared horseradish is usually provided for the diner to spread on the top half of the roll to taste. In the Buffalo area, it is common to see jars of horseradish on eatery tables that serve the sandwich, much as you might see ketchup bottles available in other restaurants.

[goldenticket]

As of today, Thirsty Bernie is now open for lunch, according to signs observed while driving by. Lunch service starts at 11:30 a.m.

[Anonymouze]

My hubby and I ate at Thirsty Bernie's about 6 weeks ago. The parking was good as was the location relatively find-able. It is good for a sports fanatic I watched tennis over my husbands shoulder while we chatted but I'm not into sports however one of the Williams sisters were playing if I recall.

We ordered the appetizer tray which was an interesting mix. I wish they had more of those little sausages available I liked them and the Pate alot. I'd even order up a lot to take home to nosh on! We both ordered the kielbasi and it was good however the bun was WAY too big to fit your mouth around that and the Kielbasi I opted to dice it up and munch on the roll. We shared the home-made Pierogi's OH MY GOD they were delicious... the sauce was different on them but I could live on them... I like my Pierogi's with butter and sauteed onions personally. Hubby and I found it hard to share the pierogi's as a sort of side-dish. ( we both wanted to eat them all! ) The onion rings were room temp at best and I wanted to play toss-em with them not finding them terribly edible.

The service was pretty good but could be a bit better or more attentive. We were going to see if they had desserts to order but we were full by the time the waiter found our table again and opted to stop at Trader Joes for their famous cheesecake squares (Raspberry, plain and peanut butter) found in the frozen section of the store. I wonder if we can order up some of those finger sausages, kielbasi and pierogi's to go for like a small house party?! I'll have to ask them next time.

[xcanuck]

I don't know if anyone has seen the recent Washingtonian issue and sorry if this is old news...but there was a short side bar about being able to order Jamie's charcuterie direct from him. For example, you could order the pastrami for just over $7/lb (a deal, IMHO).

There's no website with the details but they did supply an email address: stachowski@gmail.com. Man, Jamie's tete de veau and seafood terrine could make my Christmas party go over the top!!

I'll email him and see about posting the details.

[SeanMike]

And it looks like now that's the only way to get his charcuterie:

http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/...ites/10314.html

[DonRocks]

Sigh, I knew this day was coming. Needless to say ... downgraded. We'll miss you here Jamie.

NOTE TO EVERYONE: IF YOU WANT JAMIE'S CHARCUTERIE, YOU CAN STILL GET IT BY WRITING HIM AT stachowski@gmail.com

OR BY CALLING HIM AT 202-413-7355.

[Walrus]

Well, shoot. This makes me less likely to ever go back Particularly this part: "Sadeghian will...turn to “convenience cooking”—buying everything premade that Stachowski had taken pains to make in-house.")

[xcanuck]

Sigh, I knew this day was coming. Needless to say ... downgraded. We'll miss you here Jamie.

NOTE TO EVERYONE: IF YOU WANT JAMIE'S CHARCUTERIE, YOU CAN STILL GET IT BY WRITING HIM AT stachowski@gmail.com

OR BY CALLING HIM AT 202-413-7355.

Yeah - good luck on that email thing. I emailed him a week ago and am still waiting for a response. I was really hoping for some tete de veau and duck prosciutto for the holidays. Oh, well...

[MsDiPesto]

So the headline should read: "Former Foodie Phenom Now Just Another Sports Bar"?

[Bob Wells]

Well, shoot. This makes me less likely to ever go back Particularly this part: "Sadeghian will...turn to “convenience cooking”—buying everything premade that Stachowski had taken pains to make in-house.")

"Convenience cooking" is what is often found at Kitchen Nightmare restaurants. That and vermin.

In other words, move along folks, nothing to see here.

[chacha]

Yeah - good luck on that email thing. I emailed him a week ago and am still waiting for a response. I was really hoping for some tete de veau and duck prosciutto for the holidays. Oh, well...

Hey I hear someone was looking for me- the email address is jamiestachowski@gmail.com

Email me for a complete list of the charcuterie-

My apologies but please email me with your order (I can get most requests fufilled by the holiday.)

Or

you may still enjoy my pates, pastrami, and sausages at Thirsty Bernie,and I recommend speaking with lucius the mgr. (member "thirsty b") for details.

mucho amor

Jamie Stachowski

[edenman]

Hey I hear someone was looking for me

Stachowski-brand charcuterie? Nice.

[ThirstyB]

hey there, this is Lucius from thirsty bernie. Normally i just read the posts, but i saw that jamie mentioned that you all should come in and talk to me. I know a lot of you loved his cooking and especially the charcuterie. I also know that Jamie is completely unlikeable as a person, so the idea of being able to enjoy his sausages, pates, tarrines, and various other prepared meats without the prospect of him rearing his ugly head, (please see http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/y...sessive-chefs/) from his cave downstairs, should seem appealing. Im kidding, sort of. We wish Jamie the best of luck as he continues his ongoing experiment with meat from a cave of his own. We are still featuring a lot of his product. And i promise, as a neighbor to many of you in north arlington, that we have not changed direction, nor do i ever plan to take shortcuts. I make good on my promises, if many you remember the early outcry for a kids menu and highchairs. We are fortunate to replace one overqualified chef for our local spot with yet another (andrew cieslowski). I look forward to seeing you all soon, although i cant actually promise that jamie wont be at the bar.

Lucius Polk

[Walrus]

Hi Lucius:

Thanks for writing in -- you have definitely reassured us. We will see you soon

[goodeats]

The bar area was packed on Saturday night with the NCAA tourney going on at full-force. During the exciting and tight Gonzaga v. W.Ky and Duke v. Texas games, there was maybe 2 people playing NTN and tuning out the shouts and all while answering which celebrity guest-starred for awhile on the old CBS show Wiseguy*

I did not see Lucius that night, but Brent the bartender said that the menu stayed the same since Chef Jamie left (and it seemed like it). I didn't try the meat-stuff/meat board because it was 9pm and I didn't want to feel meat-ed out, so I ordered a Franziskaner on tap and a basket of Fried Calamari + $1 extra for bread and butter.

I can't say that the basket was any more spectacular than the games on TV, but the bread and butter is still worth going back for. Especially if it's paired with the butcher board.

*For those curious, the answer is Jerry Lewis.

[DonRocks]

With $3 off Thirsty Bernie's giant liter-mugs of Spaten Oktoberfest ($7 until 7 PM), I couldn't think of a better place to watch Roger Federer slice through Juan Martin del Potro, or at least for the first set-and-a-half. Brisket Sliders ($2 each) are served on a sesame brioche, and full of chopped, smoked brisket, heavily sauced, and served with an unfortunate slice of sweet pickle (the sauce is sweet; the pickle needs to be sour). It's funny how $2 seems cheap for a slider these days (after all, most sliders aren't any bigger than Little Tavern hamburgers used to be), but with happy-hour beer pricing, you can eat and drink here with gusto.

(Note to NRG: I was going to "divide my U.S. Open Luv" between Thirsty Bernie and EatBar, but you guys had your company picnic and it was closed!)

Cheers,

Rocks.

[DannyNoonan]

Went to Bernie's for a few beers with some buddies a couple nights ago and found it to be a most agreeable neighborhood watering hole. Nice assortment of beers on tap, friendly bartender, and a nice atmosphere. I am not a meat-eater so the menu isn't my cup of tea but I like everything else about this place and plan to return.

[DonRocks]

A disappointing dinner at Thirsty Bernie this evening, mainly due to the food, but punctuated by a scatterbrained server.

I was happy to see they still have the Kielbasa Sandwich ($10.50, $10.00 on their website), but the kielbasa is a lot smaller than it used to be, with so much bun that I can no longer recommend it despite the decent fries. The meat itself was the one highlight of the meal.

The Burger ($11.00) with cheddar and onion rings, ordered and cooked medium rare, was passable sports-bar fare, and a lot of food for the money; coupled with a Diet Coke ($2.85), it became something less of a deal.

My pint of Aventinus ($7.50) had banana esters, which I detest, although that's a personal preference and I did finish the beer. When the server returned and asked if I wanted another, I mentioned that there was a bottle of German beer I saw on the list, but couldn't remember what it was. She said she'd bring over the list. Several minutes later, she whizzed by and plopped down another pint of Aventinus, and was gone before I could intervene. About ten minutes after that, she came by and realized she'd made a mistake and apologized - no problem, but at that point, it was too late for a second beer, and the second pint of Aventinus rested on the table, untouched, for the rest of the meal.

When I asked for the check, she brought it, and the second beer was on it. I walked over, flagged her down, and said "you're not really going to charge me for that second beer, are you?" She fixed it, but she did so in something of a huff.

On my last visit to Thirsty Bernie - after Jamie Stachowski had been gone for awhile - I had some decent food at the bar. After tonight's visit, I'm downgrading the restaurant in the Dining Guide, but I'm doing so because of the food, not the service, because any individual can be having a bad night.

Cheers,

Rocks.

P.S. Their website has a clickable tab for Locations.

[levjn]

We wanted to catch some of the Skins game last night, so we went to Thirsty Bernie... I've really enjoyed their burgers in the past but last night wasn't so much a winner... the bun was dry and the burger was cooked past the desired temperature... I do love those brandied mushrooms though. I can appreciate their ambition to pepper the menu with "organic" and "house made" items, but overall, I still view Thirsty Bernie as more of a "neighborhood sports bar", (and I give them kudos for playing the sound during the game!) so I'm not going to get too worked up over the food...

However, then we got our bill... I had started with a PINT of Hennepin... it was $9!! I hadn't seen it priced anywhere when ordering - it was one of their "rotating drafts"... but I certainly wouldn't have ordered it for that price... This beer is all over other restaurants - even in Clarendon at Harry's for $6... My husband's pint of Sierra Nevada seasonal was $7.50. I can't imagine Thirsty Bernie's overhead, in a strip mall on Lee Highway, is more costly than these other restaurants.

At those beer prices, I now understand why Bernie is just so Thirsty...

[Lmiller157]

I'm a waitress at Thirsty Bernie and I can tell you personally that we are still open and thriving! The miscommunication came from a google email that was sent to those who have purchased google/KGB deals offering a forty dollar gift certificate for our restaraunt. The promotion was meant to be for twenty four hours and the representative declined to tell us it was for two months. We stopped accepting these gift certificates and asked that they be taken down and those who purchased a certificate be reimbursed. Instead google sent out an email saying we were now closed. IT'S NOT TRUE. So come on in and enjoy what Thirsty Bernie has to offer!

[DonRocks]

I bought a Google Offer for Thirsty Bernie a little while back. Here's the first paragraph of an email that I got from Google today (the rest had to do with how I was getting the refund):

"Thank you for purchasing the Thirsty Bernie Sports Bar & Grill Google Offer. Thirsty Bernie has recently informed us that they have closed. We were surprised to hear of this closure and are so sorry for any inconvenience this has caused."

ARLnow.com later reported that they were "hopping" last night. So until someone lays eyes on or hears from management, it might just be rumor.

I just heard from the General Manager, Lisa Cedrone. Thirsty Bernie's is open and the rumors of closure are false. Lisa told me the Google deal was not authorized, thus they stopped honoring the coupons. And that's that!

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Whoops, I simul-posted with LMiller157. I'll leave hers intact.

Edited May 23, 2012 by DonRocks