After eight months of construction and renovations, Wunderbar opened last night around 5 p.m. The 228 G Street location previously housed G Street Pub, which closed in February.
The business’ manager Chris Armanini said he is relieved with the opening since there was a lot of time put into building the new bar.
“There will be some specials in the future,” Armanini said. “Right now we’re just happy to be open: it was time.”
In addition to the bar, the business offers food and features pool tables and various arcade games. Wunderbar was originally set to open on Sept. 1, but this was delayed briefly. The store’s hours will be 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
— Angela Swartz
‘Wunderbar’ seems an appropriate name for this ‘establishment’, since racial fascism akin to Nazi Germany was evident in my experience there last night. My friends and I (a colorful and multiethnic group of seven) had just begun a relatively tame ‘boy’s night’ by playing eight ball and drinking cheap beer, in a throwback to the G Street Pub days. During the second round, a bouncer approached the darkest member of our group and informed him that he was intoxicated and needed to leave the property or else the police would become involved. I interjected myself into the conversation to find out exactly what my friend had done wrong (at this point I was told I may have to leave as well since I was wearing a wool beanie and only ‘hats with brims’ were allowed). The bouncer was only ‘following orders’ and so we soon took up the discussion with the management. Before long the police showed up. One of the officers seemed in cahoots with the management, enjoying an impromptu tour of the new space and entertaining the suggestion by a manager that my friend be charged with a Drunk in Public offense. The other officer, slightly of a darker complexion and with more syllables in his name, appeared to understand the situation and apologized that this was ‘a private establishment’ and that they had the right to order anyone off the property if they so desired. We agreed (happily) to leave. The conversation took place outside the bar and when we decided to call it quits we were denied re-entry to claim our sweaters and other belongings. My friend was told that he was not allowed in the bar from here on out, with threat of arrest if seen on the premises again. This was at the suggestion from the fraternal-minded and light-eyed officer. To my surprise, I was given the same sentence: entry never again or else arrest. This was my punishment for asking my friend’s crime and for explaining things to the officers. Needless to say, my friends and I (including our money, which in part pays the salary of all employees there) will gladly stay away. If you choose to give this bromantic getaway your business be careful, especially if you are not white or don’t belong to ‘the network’.