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October 27, 2003
McFadden's
When you enter an Irish bar there are certain things you expect. Guinness on tap, a relaxed atmosphere, pub grub, Irish and folk music, people unwinding and getting drunk.
When you enter McFadden's Restaurant and Saloon in Foggy Bottom, you get a strange trip into a surreal world of... Well, I'm not really sure of what.
The first thing that looks out of place are the burly bouncers. Now, I've seen these guys out here during the weekdays as I walk past, and I always wondered why the need for bouncers at an Irish pub. Now I know.
Downstairs we went. To the bar, where guys who appear to be younger than some socks I own proceed to tell me that they are out of Guinness. Let me repeat that line, with the added knowledge that this is happening at 7.30 pm on a Friday night: "Sorry, we're out of Guinness". I mean, honestly, could you not look far enough ahead to the weekend and order some?
So, settling for Foggy Bottom Ale, I took a look around. Obviously, I was the oldest person there. Our group of three probably had more education than everyone else there too. Ahh, college bars, how lovely.
The place, which only opened in March, looks like it still isn't finished. The bar area has no finished floor, just a concrete pad. There looks to be light fixtures still not installed. And braces for television sets go without the televisions. Maybe it is the hip thing to do.
They do have a menu, with some odd items on it for an Irish place. But the burger I got was actually quite tasty, despite not being medium-rare like I asked. Food will not be a reason to come here. Watching much younger women dancing and prancing to damn good 80s music might be.
A bouncer came up to me and asked me to remove my Guinness cap. I mean, the guy explained himself by saying they have a dress code. At an Irish pub? All I can say is get your heads out of your asses, guys. Really.
At one point, we did Jagermeister shots. That's right, in the spirit of "if you can't beat them, join them" I had two shots for the first time in a decade. I can honestly say that I still enjoyed the Jager... But I did not feel any younger, just drunk.
Turns out, I'm not the only one who thinks this place is a little much.
McFadden's Restaurant and Saloon
2401 Pennsylvania Ave
Foggy Bottom
Posted by Samer at October 27, 2003 09:21 PM
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Comments
I totally agree!
They subscribe to the suck ass cookie cutter wanna be crazy college bar, school... They have no idea of what a pub is nor how one should be operated. I'm amazed that the place is still in business but then I look at the cliental and it all comes together... Someone's gotta cater to stupid meathead college crowd... But they should change the name to "Jackasses" and not try and pass themselves off as a Pub!
OK guess I'm a little worked up on this... I'm gonna grab a Guinness and ponder for a few hours.
Cheers my friend
Brendan
Posted by: Brendan at November 22, 2004 11:56 PM