The Logan Circle restaurant Dakota Cowgirl will close down within four days, according to employees. With it, Ramrod – the gay bar which occupies its second floor space – will also cease operations.
The closure has not yet been announced to the public, or the press. Staff members were abruptly told this week that Sunday would be their last day. “The owner abruptly told us he was closing the whole thing this Sunday,” said a restaurant employee who did not want to be identified. “Then he had the audacity to beg some of us to work extra shifts this week – well Merry Christmas to you too.”
While the restaurant catered to a mixed clientele, the upstairs bar was mostly known for a gay crowd.
Dakota Cowgirl began as a Hamburger Mary’s franchise at 14th Street and Rhode Island Avenue, NW. The small chain operated mostly in heavily-gay neighborhoods in cities such as San Diego, Las Vegas and Los Angeles – with the original location opening in San Francisco in 1972. The D.C. location, like most other spots in the chain, was coupled with a gay bar (at the time named Titan). In 2005, disputes forced the chain out of business, which resulted in each franchise becoming independent and changing its name. Some franchises, like Las Vegas, went out of business all together.
At the time of the change, Dakota Cowgirl altered its downstairs interior from a campy theme to a campy-western theme (the main feature was a painting of Mount Rushmore, but with Madonna, Cher, Bette Middler and Barbra Streisand). The upstairs bar was renamed Ramrod. After beginning as a gay sports and neighborhood bar, Ramrod slowly developed a following among bears – a subset of gay male culture best described as masculine and hairy.
Plans for the space have not been announced. One employee, who described the owner as eccentric, indicated that the property would most likely be sold, but added “he did mention that he may just want to close it down to ‘change it all’.” According to staff, this Sunday will be the final day of operation for both the restaurant and bar.
(Editor’s Note: The author of this story is gay, and still wrote the piece knowing full-well the ramifications in the comment section of posting a story about a gay bar named “Ramrod.”)
What about the ramifications of the editor’s note?
December 21, 2007 at 1:17 pmbut what will happen to my beloved stall #3?
December 21, 2007 at 2:18 pmThe Washington Blade has now picked up on the BYT story (we write real stories?). They didn’t cite us, but neither did we cite Men’s Health yesterday. Karma works out after all.
December 21, 2007 at 2:52 pm[...] and restaurant staff were suddenly informed mid-week that both establishments would close for good Sunday, December 23. Local press didn’t pick up [...]
December 22, 2007 at 12:13 amThe “ramifications” of Ramrod? Interesting choice of words. Most editors, if they were going to pen such a silly note, would have probably chosen connotations over ramifications. What is it about ram that fixates so?
December 24, 2007 at 11:18 amWhere can a man go out and just have a beer? 25 years in the city and it’s not changing for the better. Snippey twit bartenders are never appreciated, and I’m not saying they all were, but who wants to watch a television show about people pretending to be “stars.” Bring back Rascal’s where everyone was welcome — dancing, movies, news, pool, porn — just a friendly neighborhood bar. And turn off your g.d. cell phones or better yet put them on vibrate and stuff ‘em. Too bad, Ramrod was a decent space. Why is it that rap just annoys the hell out of me? Let me manage that space and take a cut of the profits!
December 24, 2007 at 6:54 pmUpdate: The Dakota/Ramrod space will be changing to a restaurant /bar owned by The Neighborhood Restaurant Group out of Alexandria. They also own The Evening Star Cafe, Vermillion, Tallula and Rustico. It’s going to feature a beer bar with over 500 beers, and your typical plasma tv’s, etc.
April 18, 2008 at 8:21 am
Dudes on dudes!
December 21, 2007 at 9:22 am