What's going on with Bar BQ?

Huh? What's that all about? Please post if you hear more

The owner got tired of the 5pm to 5am gig and has sold to a new owner...who fired the old staff to run it themselves

(NOTE to wannabe bar/cafe owners-to-be: NEVER fire a good bartender).

New place, opening next week, is called "Safe Haven"

not sure if it's a bar/'raunt or a halfway house...or both.

Let's see what arises from the ashes of Bar BQ.

Agreed, and not just saying that since one of the wait-staff is our neighbor

Besides, we're veggies and could not stand the stink of the place...and I use to live in Texas!

We have to give them the benefit of the doubt...

Passing by, it looked as though the bar (and all the bourbon!) are still intact - doubtful they will be dismantling it for an opening next week. They must have bought the place and their stock and it looks like there is only some painting going on inside.

BarBQ's food wasn't really a draw (hearing a microwave 'ding!' from the kitchen never really bodes well), but it was a good place to hang out and the staff was nice. The new place shouldn't have to try hard to succeed, I don't think. Just keep the prices lower than KB and Tobys and you should have instant clientèle.

If it's true that they fired the staff, that's gonna stick in my craw. The staff was half the charm of the place.

Not opened yet, I live around the corner. I never had the honor of trying BBQ even though I heard it was descent, but I will def. Give this place a try. let's be greatful BBQ didn't just go out of business and have NOTHING pop up in its place. If it's a reasonably priced place, i am willing to support it. The hood needs a few more good eats.

i am seriously going to miss Bar BQs' macaroni and cheese. their meats never did it for me, but they ddi make a damn fine mac and cheese.

safe haven is an awful name. and the fake wood exterior is a big turnoff. the firing of the staff is the biggest turnoff of all. it always seemed like half the people in tehre were there for the purpose of hanging with the bartender!

what a depressing thread : (

I spent some time there with friends Tuesday night and while the interior decor is a bit lacking, the prices are great! Terrific beer list, both bottles and draft, and a happy hour special of $2 Sierra Nevadas and $3 Bluepoints! Can't beat that. Also, the owner/bartender makes fresh watermelon margaritas when she's there. Very tasty.

The kitchen is not open yet--she said it would open in a couple weeks with pretty regular-sounding pub food.

I swallowed hard and went back. Owner said she'd keep pulled pork on the menu. Still feel kinda dirty.

They must have been feeding that writer free beer...how can you rate food and music that isn't even available yet? (though I am partial to Ted)

If they repaint the front to look not so silly, then perhaps I'll go in for a PBR and play Wango Tango!

lostingreenwoodhts wrote: They must have been feeding that writer free beer...how can you rate food and music that isn't even available yet? (though I am partial to Ted)

If they repaint the front to look not so silly, then perhaps I'll go in for a PBR and play Wango Tango!

Actually, they didn't know the guy was writing an article on the place--the owners thought they were just talking to some guy hanging out and drinking!

I am a big fan of Safe Haven--the owners of Bar BQ were great, but they were ready to let go, and they sold the place to people they know and like.

Noel, who was a bartender at The Gate on 5 Ave/3 St, is one of the owners of Safe Haven. He's my favorite bartender ever--just very laid back, no attitude, pours a good strong drink, and plays some excellent music.

I know that this place hasn't been so popular in the 'hood since it's changed hands, but I think once it gets going, it's going to be a really good place to hang out.

Agitpunkt wrote: [quote=5x5]
Noel, who was a bartender at The Gate on 5 Ave/3 St, is one of the owners of Safe Haven. He's my favorite bartender ever--just very laid back, no attitude, pours a good strong drink, and plays some excellent music.

I know that this place hasn't been so popular in the 'hood since it's changed hands, but I think once it gets going, it's going to be a really good place to hang out.

Yep. I pretty much led the charge about that in this particular thread. I'm willing to amend my view, sure, but my issues at this point are: firing the entire staff wasn't cool, and I didn't care for the "we're sick of craft beers; you can drink a bud here" attitude of the L Magazine piece. An attempt to come of as non-pretentious seemed pretty pretentious to me. Drinking beer isn't a class war.

Either way, you seem to know these people personally, so you're in a better position to judge the situation than I am, and I'm sure that if I never set foot in there, they won't be hurting for my business (though, in my defense, I'm quite the drinker.)
Ooh! But Patrick, the guy quoted, told me he didn't actually say that! He said that was the one thing L Magazine got wrong--he was trying to say that there's room for both craft beer AND Bud, so he's right on board with no class war in drinking beer.

I don't know at all about the firing of the staff--I've been meaning to ask about that one. My guess is that they can't afford staff at this point and are running the place with just the four people who took it over and some friends here and there.

I just like the people who took over--they're really looking to make it a place with regulars and lots of good beer, which is my kind of place.

How much are the Buds anyway? I won't pay $4 for a Bud in Brooklyn. Toby's has Bud bottles for $3 (what they should be), but I hate how they have the TV so loud and no music all the time.