Bar Betsie — Restaurant in Washington

Yesterday, I visited this bar with a few friends after a networking event, expecting a good time—but unfortunately, we left feeling disrespected and deeply disappointed.

We ordered multiple rounds of drinks and food, and up until a certain point, we had a pleasant experience with our waiter. However, things quickly took a turn for the worse. I recognized one of the staff members and asked a friend in my group to get her attention. He lightly tapped her and said, “Excuse me, can you come over?” When she approached, I quickly realized I had mistaken her for someone else and immediately apologized. Despite this, she walked away with an attitude, and moments later, the manager came over and told us we needed to close our tab—despite the fact that I still had full drinks and a shot in front of me.

Feeling caught off guard, we complied and closed out. However, the situation escalated as our group tried to understand why we were being asked to leave. The tension in the air was undeniable, and my friend and I, overwhelmed with anxiety, decided to leave while the rest of our party spoke with the staff.

What was most disheartening was the realization that the Black men in our group were being discriminated against. While I acknowledge that tapping a staff member may not have been the best approach, there was no ill intent—yet we were met with unnecessary hostility, microaggressions, and what felt like clear discrimination.

If you’re Black in DC, I would strongly reconsider spending your money here. It’s unfortunate because the place initially seemed promising, but the way we were treated made it clear: they are not for us, by us. If you do choose to visit, just be mindful of how they treat patrons who look like us. As saddened as I am to write this, I had to share my experience because I was really looking forward to going and if I can prevent another person from experiencing this it is worth it. This experience ruined my night, and I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through the same.

UPDATE : Since commenting about my negative experience, the business has chosen to leave a plethora of ingenuine 5-star reviews, some of which contain microaggressions directed at my initial review. Instead of addressing the issue directly or taking accountability, they’ve opted to deflect with these fake reviews. It’s disappointing to see this approach rather than any real attempt at improvement. Please see time in which each of these “5-star reviews” were posted also note this business has only been open for 3 days, so you...

Bar Betsie is evrrything you’d want in a bar. From cocktails to vibe to bar snacks to location, there’s a lot to love about Bar Betsie. My friend and I went on a Thursday evening at 8:30pm and sat in the very last booth in the back. Here’s our experience.

1. Drinks: I ordered the Midnight Bloom and their frozen hibiscus pina colada. Both were refreshing and sweetly balanced. The hibiscus pina colada was my favorite. It’s super unique and not very pineapple-y.

2. Food: A bowl of cheese puffs was on our table for free. So fun! They have six small bites on the menu. I ordered the pretzel and queso and little smokies. The queso for the bowl of pretzel bites was very good. The little smokies was so good that I ordered another round.

3. Service: Despite being busy, staff were quick and friendly.

4. Space: Its dark and small, but they did a great job with the layout and vibe. It’s a beautiful bar with a fun neon arch over the door leading to the restrooms.

5. Neighborhood: It’s in the busy Union Market area. Parking can be hard to find at time, but there’s a free lot in front of Union Market and two garage parking lots with free parking for the first...

Let me set the scene. I’m in town, from Chicago, visiting a friend. She is known to always want to try new places. Like she somehow always knows of a place that just opened, a place no one in the group has been to or heard of, etc.

We arrive, there’s a line. Ok no big deal. Hello pre pandemic, I’ve very much been on the “if we can’t get a reservation, we’re not going” train!

So boom, we’re talking, everyone is sharing life updates, sharing stories, etc. I look down, ITS BEEN ALMOST AN HOUR!! We all start to look at our friend like “girl, next bar”, we’re on our phones looking. She INSISTS we stay, “drinks are so good, you’re going to love them, it’ll be so fun”. We’re all like “NEXT”.

Our gf says “if we’re not in by 9:35, we can go”. We all agree! WE GOT IN AT 9:38!!

It was ABSOLUTELY worth the wait, the drinks!! Woof amazing!! $10-$18 per drink on their menu, our server was a delight, took the most amazing photo of us! Music was FIRE! 10/10 would wait in that line again!!

Highly recommend you get the midnight bloom with their house gin, the nitty gritty is the perfect summer drink!! They do have a Two-hour limit, so keep...