Local Bars Rebound

It’s official. The sky is NOT falling.

And several of my favorite watering holes around town still appear to be open. Cafe Cero closed for a few weeks, but as of last weekend the joint was back in business. Now they’re open noon to 2 a.m., 7 days a week, with live music throughout the week. I’ll be dropping by soon to quiz the staff on any upcoming changes, as this is one of my neighborhood haunts and I like it just the way it is.

Don’s Club Tavern (aka Don’s Mixed Drinks due to the ancient neon sign) is still open, although whether or not the place will be sold by Don’s widow — as we were told last December — remains to be seen. Maybe the customers simply wouldn’t stand for it, but as of my last visit in mid-February, the dive-bar darling of Capitol Hill is still alive and kicking.

Another great rebound story: 15th Street Tavern. It seems that like a bad stain, these little neighborhood spots are too tough to rub away so easily. After the Tavern changed owners they were apparently able to renegotiate the lease; I had heard earlier that the entire block was scheduled for renovation to make space for a massive retailer to move in. We’ll see if that happens eventually, but for now, grab your earplugs and swing by for some headsplitting rock & roll, or a cheap happy hour beer and a game of pool.

All in all, it’s good news for the barflies in town, who were getting worried for a while that all of our dark corners and lowbrow nooks were drying up. Seems that for the time being, the sky is safely in place over our heads (and barstools).