Nellie's Sports Bar — Restaurant in Washington

This review is for the drag brunch only. A few days ago, my bestie (first time at a drag brunch) and I traveled here for a drag brunch. When we arrived around 1 p.m., there was a rope blocking the brunch buffet so our only option was to walk upstairs (the buffet was not ready yet). Once we got upstairs, my friend and I grabbed a table and sat down. When my friend came back after getting a drink, I asked if she got the complimentary one included in our ticket price and she was told that we would get that downstairs. Then around 2 p.m., one of the queens walked around & started scanning tickets in order of the largest party size (15 people) and the parties were seated downstairs. My friend and I saw the writing on the wall (that we would probably be one of the last tables since we were a party of 2) so thankfully we met 2 other sweet girls and formed an alliance. We were seated next. Even though all the windows were open (on both floors) and fans were blowing, it was hot! Thankfully I brought my fan which helped a little. When we got downstairs, it was cramped, crowded, & dreadful because of the humidity. Shortly after, they opened up the buffet and went table by table. Then around 2:55, it was announced that they would start shortly (this was not what I expected since I had to be at the train station by 5 p.m., but it all worked out in the end). The food was pretty good, but since it was sweltering I didn't have much appetite. Now for the best part of the brunch: the queens. They were amazingly talented and I gave them as much money as I responsibly could. It's certainly not their fault that the logistics, communication, and organization were non-existent. My friend enjoyed her first drag brunch which is all that really matters to me, but I highly doubt that I will ever come back again...

I’m giving one extra star for the fun that we had here on Saturday night. The crowd here is great. The people that actually work here though are incompetent, inconsistent, and plain rude to patrons. On Saturday, I came here with my partner. She had a photo of her ID (which was stolen on Friday, FYI), front AND back, which scanned no problem. The next night, a different bouncer turned us away and laughed in my girlfriend’s face when she asked to talk to who let us in the night before (who we could clearly, visibly see in the bar room). We asked if we could speak to a manager so that my partner could at least sit down inside – it was 25 and windy – with the other bouncer so that I could go grab the car and she started just yelling at us to leave. Like, okay, did this suddenly become a liability over night? We have videos of us dancing in your bar. Your bartenders gave us free drinks. You people do not communicate with each other or enforce your own rules. I’m genuinely surprised no one has gotten roofied here considering your bouncers play Candy Crush on their phone half the night and your bartenders are checking their nails as they’re pouring drinks (they also didn’t cut off some clearrrlyyyyy VIPs, FWIW). I guess they let you in on Saturdays to take your money, and not on a Sunday when it’s less lucrative for them and more of a risk. She did let in some pretty aggressive guys that were also screaming profanities at us (we weren’t in line at that point, so they weren’t mad at us holding up the line or anything). So is the safety of patrons a priority or not? Very confused. Good...

I had one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had at a bar a few nights ago at Nellie’s Sports Bar. My friend and I arrived at about 1am expecting a good time, but we were immediately met with unnecessary hostility from a masculine-presenting female security guard with dreads at the front door.

Before even scanning my ID, she claimed it wasn’t me in the photo — which made no sense. The only thing that’s changed is my hairstyle: I used to have a high top fade, and now I have waves. My face, my ID, and all my information matched. She didn’t care. Instead, she told me I could still come in if I paid her $50. When I said that was absolutely ridiculous, especially since I had just gotten into two other clubs earlier that night with the same ID and no issue, she told me she didn’t care — and then raised the price to $60.

That is not how a reputable establishment should operate. It felt like an intentional scam, and I’m sure I wasn’t the first or only person this has happened to. For the record, I was completely sober — not drunk or under the influence of anything. I was calm, respectful, and trying to deescalate, but she continued to be aggressive and dismissive.

I understand some people exaggerate in reviews to make themselves look better, but that’s not the case here. This is exactly how it happened, and it was unacceptable. Nellie’s needs to seriously reevaluate who they allow to represent their business. That one interaction completely changed how I view this place. I won’t be returning — and I’ll be letting others know to be careful when dealing with certain staff...