I’m generally skeptical of any place that has ambience. It usually means loud conversation, loud music, loud décor – in short a multi-sensory attack on your personal space, with the insidious assumption that a choreographed and uniform experience is preferable to what an individual could construct if left to his or her own devices.
That’s one of the reasons why I love the Saloon on U St. It has nothing most bars do. There is no TV. The tables and chairs are simple wooden affairs; they don’t match. There is music, but you have to really listen to hear it. There are people and conversation, but they respectfully keep to their own orbit. All of which is to say that the Saloon is a space that invites you to make the experience your own. This is the opposite of ambience – it is a setting.
Ironically, it is precisely such a minimalist environment that is the most difficult to maintain. Anyone can blast some generic beats or throw on a worthless college football game, but the Saloon’s pleasant hum requires constant vigilance. Hence the Saloon’s very particular rules – the scourge of many uninitiated patrons, but as with any successful enterprise, also its lifeblood.
Take for instance the injunction against standing. This will strike the average bar-goer, accustomed to enduring all manner of bodily contortion in hopes of landing a proprietary elbow on the bar, as counter-intuitive. There is necessarily a small amount of seating in proportion to potential standing room, he or she will think, so why would they turn away me and my eight friends just because there isn’t a chair for each of us?
This is apparently the thinking behind some recent reaction to the Saloon (via Bar DC): “I went here to meet some friends and was treated like absolute crap. At first the employees were nice enough, but once we realized how difficult it was to get a table big enough for everyone (no standing rule), they were extremely rude.”
Another review refers to the Saloon’s proprietor as the Beer Nazi, and the comparison to the Seinfeld character is not entirely off. First of all, they actually do look alike, or at least have similar complexions. And the guy can be a feisty devil, there’s no doubt about it. But in the end, any parallels are really a positive reflection on the Saloon. In the show, the rigid order of the soup line is the natural extension of the discipline and precision necessary to make consistently superior soup. The moral: excellence is never an accident; it requires strict standards.
At the Saloon, if there is no table to accommodate your party, you will be asked to leave. It may seem a bit harsh (the sign could be more prominent – but then again, should it really be?), but it’s absolutely necessary to preserve the Saloon’s excellent character.
If this doesn’t suit you, then fine. You don’t like the Saloon, and the Saloon doesn’t like you. But if you break the rules, like the anonymous Bar DC poster, why should you expect to be treated kindly? I would not presume to walk into a sports bar and kill the tube because I prefer to read. Likewise, don’t come to the Saloon and expect to overwhelm its happy occupancy because your friend from work brought three people along and you’re all wasted and therefore think you’re entitled to come piss in my quiet Späten Maibock.
Did I mention the beer? It’s damn good too.
The Saloon is awesome. I used to go there frequently when I lived on W St. Best beers (well, used to be) in DC. Good atmosphere, and the douche frat contingent is pretty much nil.
Best of all: no “DJs”
October 9, 2008 at 11:58 amthe saloon is one of my favorite places in dc. i think, more than anything, the owner’s purpose is to make the saloon a very neighborhood bar. he is faithful to the U street area. his regular customers are his priority. in fact, he used to do a free steak dinner the first (right?) tuesday of the month just for his regulars. no idea if he still does this, but it does go to show his generosity and care.
he is also quite a philanthropist. in the past, he has closed down for weeks at a time just so he can go elsewhere to build houses in poverty stricken areas. and, that’s just the one thing i know about.
also, robert - the man you will usually see behind the bar - is one of the most amazing bartenders. he is the quintessential be-your-best-friend-and-listen-to-your-troubles-and-woes bartender. and, the beer….sweet, sweet beer. the onion rings are pretty amazing too….
after you have gone in 2 times or more, you will absolutely feel at home and certainly appreciate the ‘rules’.
October 9, 2008 at 12:15 pmI’m all for chill places that aren’t part of some scene where you don’t have to battle just to exist, but maybe it wouldn’t hurt for them to take their pretensions down a notch. I can almost handle the standing rule, but the no martini rule and the total gimmick of Urbock 23, which is limited to one glass per customer….come on. It was gross and over priced. No need to things so seriously, i feel like we have enough of that in this city. All that aside, great beer list.
October 9, 2008 at 12:22 pmfirst off, this bar has been doing things differently since it opened, which was, what, 20 years ago? did you just move to the city, or had you just never tried the saloon? fair play - if no one prepped you, i’m sure it was quite a shock. as the article indicates, the saloon was not created to make the customer the king and bring in the masses. it’s a beer bar that makes some concession to other forms of alcohol (and some tasty bar food) in the pursuit of creating *just* the right atmosphere.
keep in mind that there’s a full upstairs which the owner would rather let go dark than hire out to someone he doesn’t like and approve of. this is not a bar for outsiders to wander in and feel like they’re the king.
that said, neither are my sort of thing. i prefer dunkels.
third, really? a martini? daph, no offense, but you’re a beer fan, right? why’d you walk into the best beer bar in the city, and order a martini? we’ve got some amazing martini bars in the city, if you’re into that thing. there are plenty of beer bars where they’ll show you the door (or worse) for ordering an apple-tini.
October 9, 2008 at 1:22 pmdon’t insult the guy he will do more than punch you in the d*ck. also no umlaut in spaten, big guy
October 9, 2008 at 1:35 pmI personally don’t feel the need to be treated like the King of The Bar until at least 7 or 8 pints into my reign.
October 9, 2008 at 1:43 pmi’m sorry, but i can’t help myself; the opening line of this article turned me off -
“I’m generally skeptical of any place that has ambience”
EVERY place has ambience, just different kinds… i don’t think that word means what you think it does.
sorry, teddy, i couldn’t help it.
i agree with william - don’t go to a dog show and expect to see dolphin tricks.
October 9, 2008 at 1:49 pmthe saloon was the first bar i ever walked into on U St. and i immediately fell in love. the waiter was actually really helpful when a few friends showed up and helped us find chairs for them. it’s all about sitting and actually enjoying what you’re there for: the beer and the conversation. shocker.
if you want a great martini go to Russia House.
October 9, 2008 at 2:52 pmsaloons fer serious beer drinking, period.
October 9, 2008 at 4:03 pmThere’s a great piece on the Saloon here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35460-2004Aug26.html
I dig this place. Good bar food, good atmosphere, great beer. The Eggenberg Dunkel they’ve got right now is wonderful.
October 10, 2008 at 11:05 amPizza Paradiso in Georgetown has a better beer selection, but the saloon’s ambiance is better. It sucks to be without a seat, but I prefer it over people hovering over your table like most other crowded bars.
October 14, 2008 at 10:12 am
I heard about this place from someone who causally knows the owner. Apparently the idea behind the no standing rule is to get unknowns to sit next to one another, talk and maybe make new friends. because there’s no tv or jukebox (I think) or anything either. Since I’m already scared of this place (I mean, I walk by it all the time and always skip it), I’m curious what other crazy rules it’s got up it’s sleeve.
would have liked to read something where the owner explains himself a little, even if it’s just a quote like “Fuck you I don’t need to explain myself”
October 9, 2008 at 11:44 am