The Saloon

June 8, 2008
Great little place. Wood, drark, dank, sunken down, etc. No TV, no standing, lots of beer. German, Belgium, etc. I’m confused as to what the exclusive Spaten Red they had on tap really was, oh well. Nice selection and good times.

January 21, 2008 [ Updated August 24, 2008 ]
One of the nicer places I’ve been that offers some good German/Austrian/Belgian beers both on tap and in the bottle. Beers can be a little expensive and the food is so so, but it’s a nice atmosphere and metro accessible.

January 13, 2008 [ Updated January 19, 2008 ]
Hey, cool place! Feels a bit like a grotto, sunken down a few steps from street level, it’s a lot of red brick and brown wood. A small joint, it’s cozy and comfortable without being pretentious and faux high class. They don’t allow standing, have no TVs, and the music isn’t too loud, making it a very sociable place to drink. Draft offerings are mostly German and Austrian selections, with Spaten Dunkel, Oktoberfest and Maibock, a couple of US micro drafts, and Hacker-Schorr Hefe-Dunkel and Eggenberg dunkel and Urkbock 23, and Belgian bottles. Prices range between $6-8 per glass, a little spendy but it is U Street. It’s walkable from Bar Pilar/Cafe St Ex, and it’s Metro accessible, right across U St from the 13st Metro exit. Food menu was mostly American pub grub, which didn’t seem to match the whole Bavarian feel of the place.

June 13, 2007
Really a solid beer bar. Strong on draft German and Austrian beers, usually with a surprise or two. The impressive list of Belgians is overpriced in my book. Had a spicy corned beef sandwich of some kind that was damn tasty. An enjoyable evening, but the final tab was on the scary side.

February 25, 2007
This is the best bar in DC for so many reasons, many of which are already listed (e.g., no TV!!!, background level music, backgammon etc.). The bartender and wait staff are ever present and extremely good! Proper glassware, nice selection of tap and bottled beer. THe food is the best ipub fare in the city. If in a small group try to sit at the bar and be amazed at the service. Fantastic, truly a neighborhood bar!

October 10, 2006
My favorite bar in DC, hands down. The ambience is just regular pub, with hundreds of names painted into bricks on the wall .. these are folks who have contributed money to the owner’s work with Habitat for Humanity. No TV, no music, and no standing means a very laid-back scene, one that is never over-crowded. The beer selection is very good. There are always around 12 beers on tap, usually including a Spaten lager, a seasonal Spaten, a Leinenkugels, a stout (previously Beamish, currently Murphy’s), Kostricher Black Beer, and a Paulaner Hefewiezen. The most fun beer on tap is the Urbock 23, with a sign that states that this is only one per customer. Served in a six ounce glass, this beer is interesting and I’ve never seen it anywhere else. There is also a good selection of beers in the bottle, focused around Belgian beers. (I’d estimate around 20-25 beers in the bottle, maybe more). Glassware is always appropriate, which is a nice touch. Food is OK, cheap. But you probably aren’t coming here for the food.

September 13, 2006
A really nice bar with excellent service, an incredible selection of bottled Belgians and a nice variety of draughts.

August 26, 2005
When I lived in DC, The Saloon was hands down my favorite bar. As other reviewers have mentioned, the selection is nothing astounding. What sets it apart: the regular bartender, Robert, is amazingly friendly and wise. And the atmosphere is what an old-style bar should be: no TV, no loud music, just people chatting and enjoying good beer (served in the correct glass, mind you) and solid food (though you might get your main meal at Ben’s Chili Bowl or Dukem Ethiopian, both superb and both within spitting distance).

May 31, 2005
Very nice German and Belgian beer selection. Its not a huge selection but large enough that you would have trouble tasting everything in one or two sessions and just about every everything they have is top notch. Proper glassware was abundent. Staff was knowledgeble and friendly. Food was average pub fare.

May 31, 2005
Don’t walk into The Saloon expecting to be overwhelmed by the selection. This is not a beerbar with hundreds of taps/bottles, but rather one that specializes in well-made German lagers and Belgian ales. The taps are well maintained, the glasses clean and the staff pretty darn friendly. There are no TV’s or music, so patrons are expected to engage each other in conversation. Food is nothing to speak highly of, but it’s at least not that expensive.