Sunday, July 08, 2012

Checking Out Sahra Lounge

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 Please excuse the bad cell phone photos (I'll have good ones soon), but tonight was the first chance I had to check out this newly opened hookah spot at 1200 H Street. Currently they have no food, but that should change in the next few weeks. The food will come in the form of Middle Eastern tapas. The owner of Souk is a partner here, so I'm expecting some quality eats. IMG_20120708_183850
Here's the deal: They serve wine, beers (bottles only), and a full bar (liquor offerings are very limited). They plan to offer Moroccan mint tea. They also are working on outdoor seating. Obviously, they have the hookah thing going on. The menu lists double apple, mango, and peach, but they also have mint flavor. We tried the apple and the mint. We favored the latter. We were one of two parties there tonight (signage is minimal), but a guy from Thrillist was there shooting photos, so expect some crowds soon.

For now, expect a relatively intimate setting. It would be good for a date, or a small gathering of friends. Hookahs cost $20, and most wines are $9-10 a glass. They can also be had for roughly $35 a bottle.
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Even the bathrooms are cool.
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19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your experience with Souk must be much different than mine.

Anonymous said...

I agree with anon at 11:01.

Anonymous said...

Hookahs are straight bama

Anonymous said...

so how does this get around the DC no smoking laws? it's tabacco, right? smoke ?

inked said...

6:28,
Cigar bars and hookah lounges are exempt.

Anonymous said...

Where exactly is this?

Aspiring Rapper said...

20 is pretty expensive for a hookah. Does it last a while? Guarapo in Arlington is 20 and lasts maybe 15 minutes. So annoying.

Anonymous said...

could you tell us where this actually is?

AndTobago said...

this is right next to horace and dickie's, on the corner.

Anonymous said...

i don't get it. smoking a hookah is the draw? and those curtains give it a bit of a sleezy feel. i like the space...but add some snacks, booze and invest in some curtains ties...

Anonymous said...

This is a bad addition to H St. Did it go through the ANC? Do the have a voluntary agreement?

JJ said...

This place looks pretty cheesy and from what has happened to Souk over the past few months I wouldn't give this place a chance.

I used to frequent Souk quite often as the food was fairly good, however, the last time I went the overall experience was pretty bad. In particular, we found out after we sat down that they couldn't serve us any alcohol since they failed to renew their alcohol license. Who does that???

As more of H St. gets re-developed I would hope that these restaurants start providing better food and service to beat the competition. But in the case of Souk it appears they are regressing.

Anonymous said...

Hookah bars are not my thing, but not everything has to be, so I wish them good luck... Still, the concept and execution on first glance (I popped my head in the other night) doesn't strike me as very impressive. They're going to have to make some changes to make the place more welcoming if they want to attract spillover traffic from nearby bars and restaurants - otherwise, I don't think the dedcicated hookah customer is a big enough market to stay afloat at that location.

inked said...

11:11,
Here's the voluntary agreement. I'm not sure what you find so troubling about this place. There are plenty of other hookah bars around town (some serve alcohol, but others do not). I'm not aware of reports of issue related to them.

Aspiring Rapper,
These last a really long time. I believe they are roughly the same cost as the hookah at Chi Cha Lounge.

9:25,
I'm told they plan to start serving food in a few weeks. It's a hookah lounge. You go with a date, or with friends and just hangout. Maybe drink some wine, and smoke a hookah while you chat.

Anonymous said...

6 months.

Anonymous said...

So, who won the name that bar contest?

inked said...

2:10,
Who said the contest is over?

Anonymous said...

i did.

Anonymous said...

still dont get it...