There seems to be a little misunderstanding regarding reservations for tables at the soon to open Biergarten Haus. Owner Chris Chambers sent me the following statement to help clear things up:
We want to thank everyone for the overwhelming response to the Grand Opening. Obviously we were not able to get the construction done in time to do any soft openings. So tomorrow we'll have our soft/Grand/World Cup opening. Tomorrow we will be opening at 9am to the public. Just to let everyone know, we are booked solid for the USA game on Saturday and the Germany Game on Sunday from 1 to 4pm. If you come in for early games, we will kindly ask you to move to the bar at approx 1PM for the reservations coming in. After the games are over, we will be welcoming anyone who would like to come hang out with us. After this weekend we will come up with some set policies for reservations. My only goal right now is to serve the people, and we will do our very best to make this place the best it can be. Thank you very much for your understanding!
Chris Chambers
15 comments:
wow, this is a pretty big disappointment. reserving outdoor tables opening weekend? didn't see that coming. i'd imagine a lot more people would have tried to reserve if they'd let us know that was an option.
Yeah, I had no idea "reserving tables" was even an option. Had any attempt ever been made to communicate this to our neighborhood?
Not that they care about getting business from the neighborhood, I guess, if they're going to be full anyway.
It's 3 hours a day for 2 days. There is still plenty of space to hang out during those 3 hours.
This is awesome. Looks like the "Anon FT Whiner" set will be sitting this place out. Awesome. Just awesome.
nooo you're kidding!?! that really does blow i live two streets down and have been looking forward to coming in the morning/staying all day to watch those games for weeks!
if reservations were an option before the place even opened, this really should have been advertised. please chris, don't pre-block the biergarten for future matches! i promise your neighbours are a thirsty bunch, it will be packed regardless, but would be absolutely maddening to be unable to pop round corner to your own neighbourhood pub without a week's advance reservation :( still happy biergarten is opening and hope this was an exception not the rule!
Are the reservations just for the tables? If I just want to come in and sit at the bar or stand can I do that?
Stein,
reservations are only for tables. You can stand, or sit at the bar.
Glad to have the biergarten in the neighborhood, and thrilled it's finally opening. Congrats to the owners. Just hope they take a cue from Zeitgeist or the Astoria Beer Garden and ditch the reservations after World Cup is over. Reservations at any bar are a bummer, but particularly at a beer garden.
Quit complaining. This place will be huge for the neighborhood-- just because you live nearby doesn't mean you are owed a table seat there on a weekend when (1) the place is opening and (2) the world is kicking off its every-four-year biggest sporting event. We'll all get in our time there. lets just be glad such a rockin' cool establishment is going to bring so much to our neighborhood. no where else in the entire DC metro area is there a place like this. People will flock here, and we'll all benefit.
I don't see a SINGLE burger, pizza, or grilled chicken caesar salad on their menu! What am I supposed to eat? German food?!?!?! All I know is that they'd better have decent seared ahi tuna sliders or I shall make my indignation known on Yelp!
A 'clarification' implies some sort of messaging originally went out about this. This is more of an, "oh by the way, don't bother, we gave the tables to our friends"
I love this..."we will be welcoming anyone who would like to come hang out with us" Oh really? You'll allow us in? thank you SOOO much for the privledge.
8:12,
Actually Mister Dictionary, "clarification" just means something intended to clear up something that was unclear. As I stated in the post, this was meant to clear up a misunderstanding held by some readers (it's in an earlier thread). Some people got the idea that every table in the place was booked solid for two weeks and that pretty much how it would look for the near future.
In case the owners are reading this blog, please don't be put off by the anonymous negative comments. I honestly wonder if they all aren't from one person whose only joy in his/her life is to post irritating comments on local blogs.
I'm pumped about this place, reservations or no reservations.
dan, 15th ST
Where was the reservation policy announced? I missed it, and don't want to miss such things in the future.
I too am disappointed. I and about a dozen friends have been looking forward to watching the game together in what would have been the closest setting to our experience of watching the last set of games in Germany. We would have loved to have known that booking was an option and would have done that in a second. I also agree that booking tables does not seem like the best concept for a biergarten going forward, BUT let me add this perspective, without the booking policy this weekend many people who's primary goal is to watch the game, would have been frustrated by the crowd. The owner is making sure that the people who get seats can enjoy themselves and that everyone else is aware and can make appropriate plans. Yes, I'm frustrated because I had hoped to be there for the US game, and it would have been nice to have a public notice of reservations (or even a lottery system?). But I would have been annoyed if I couldn't enjoy the game because it got too crowded, or I couldn't get a seat because a handful of people went early to hold seats for their friends, or if I had to find another place mid-game because of either. Also, this really gives two sets of people a chance to sit and enjoy a game. The second crowd doesn't need to get there to hold seats all day, so it gives a another group a chance to see the first game. Also let's be fair to the owner(s), they've put a huge amount of time and money into bringing this to this neighborhood (and I'm so glad it's here and not somewhere else), and if some of their friends got an opening weekend benefit (I guess that makes them friends with benefits), well I'm not going to hold it against them. Realistically, even if an announcement had been made (and where?), the results would have been about the same.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to a beer, a brat, and seeing some world class soccer, whether it be at the Biergarten, Pug, Lounge, my couch, or any other location.
Hey, FT, can you start an article / thread about Hill places showing the game and any changes they've made to reservation policies, opening times, viewing areas (or new big screens / outdoor seating), menus. That would be HUGE. Thanks.
Happy World Cup, beeotches.
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