Bar Louie vs. Proof

The first and last time I went to Bar Louie (two weeks ago), the waitress tried to charge me $14 for my drink because I was in the bar area at a table with a lot of people (but we were all doing separate tabs). She lowered her price barely after I argued with her. Bar Louie — what a rip off. Go to Poste instead or Zola.

Mrs. Columbo & I just went to Proof the other night, that is a fun place. That Charcuterie board is so good, and you get a pretty good pour, of fantastic wine, for the price. Small, crowded bar is the only issue with Proof, but I guess that’s better than being too big & empty.

Bar Louie and Proof are both good, for different occasions or tastes. I’ve had good service at both places. You should check out the Greene Turtle, which is similar to Bar Louie.

I like Bar Louie because they have HD, something Green Turtle doesn’t have which is a non-starter. Problem with Bar Louie is the customer service… the bar and wait staff look miserable… I think it could be because business has not exactly been brisk. They have too much space and not enough demand. I was there for Monday Night Football last night and the MLB Wild Card playoff game at 10 pm and the bar was barely 30% full. The food at Louie is pretty good but stay away from the grilled chicken tenders… the meat was not good. I would love for Louie to make it and perhaps because they are a chain with deep pockets they can withstand a rocky beginning but at some point you have to cut your losses.

bar louie had some good mac n cheese.

I have always had great service at Bar Louie and have never had complaints about the bar food. Much different experience at Green Turtle…I have been there 3 times and the wait staff is awful. Once you place your initial order, good luck trying to find them again. If it was not for the individual TVs in the booths, I would have never given it a second or (I regret) a third chance.

The comparison of Bar Louie to Zola or Poste is absurd, the former is a sports bar and there’s an emphasis on beer.

I find Bar Louie to have a great atmosphere with friendly bartenders. I went with friends to watch some NFL games on Sunday and the bartender was very attentive and even hooked us up with some rounds on-the-house.

I find Proof to normally be way too overcrowded, especially on the weekend nights. Even for a high-end restaurant, I also find the dinner entree portions to be ridiculously small for the price.

My experience at Bar Louie was less than stellar. The beer was overpriced (but the DO have a great selection on tap). One of the only vegetarian options on the menu was tator tot nachos. My boyfriend and I were excited for the novelty of the dish but it was a letdown. Defrosted tator tots topped with a cheese whiz type substance and some diced peppers. I know it is a bar and I don’t hold bar food up to very high standards but I still think they could do much better.

That said, I hope they survive their slow start, learn from some of their mistakes and become a cool place to hang out and drink in the neighborhood.

i like bar louie… because its not crowded.. and i can get in… canoodle in the dark…. AND have some tater tots….

i like proof for… more of a nice dinner/date..

i like green turtle… because they have really great asparagus.. i dont know how they do it…
xoxo

Hey #7 — $14 for one non-mixed drink????? And she lowered the price to $12 after I argued with her???? I was with tourists. I think the waitress at Bar Louie was trying to rip me off.

The comparison was because of price. The same drink is about $8 in those places.

P.S. She said it cost more because I asked for ice for my Grand Marnier and they couldn’t use their shot gun. Who pours Grand Marnier from a gun? Ridiculous.

went to bar louie once… it was way too expensive for beer. rip off. maybe they’ll go out of business and they can put a grocery store there?

#10 – sounds like you should have requested the manager to sort things out with that waitress. Make our neighborhood restaurants accountable and give them a reason to get rid of the bad apples. As a paying customer, do not settle for bad service.

Comparing these two are like comparing apples and oranges. I’ve also never EVER ordered dessert from a bar. Just doesn’t seem right.

I think the Comment Policy should be revised to reject all comments with a hackneyed statement about putting in a grocery store, especially when it relates to replacing a business actually filling retail space in Penn Quarter.

How many more times must we hear that tired line?

#12 – thats a great idea… I hear Trader Joe’s is interested in that space… kidding but its fun to dream…

I was at Bar Louie last night, once again after swearing not to return. Sure the beers are overpriced, but that’s par for the course in D.C., however, even for D.C., the service is miserable. The people seem nice enough, they just seem to forget to check on the patrons.

I agree with those who have said they like both for different reasons.

At Proof I go for a nice glass of wine (or 2), the gnocchi, sablefish, and meatballs with raviolis. Oh, and I make sure I either have a reservation or plan to get there when they open at 5:30.

For something more casual and spur-of-the-moment I opt for Bar Louie. While I’ve only been once, the service was attentive and our philly cheesesteak sliders and pear salad were excellent. My only gripe was that they were out of fries. We also got a margarita on the house–and we weren’t even ordering drinks! If you want a deal on alcohol though, go on Sunday or Monday nights during football season. They have drink specials (mixed Bacardi or some brand of tequila that I can’t remember drinks: $4, bud or budlight: $3). Not sure about the weekday happy hour offerings (if there are any).

I think both are welcome additions to the neighborhood.

#13 — Sorry but I did not want to spend the evening arguing with a manager about the rip off his waitress was perpetrating while I was entertaining guests.

Instead, I just vow to never go back to Bar Louie and worn others about checking their bills and bar tabs as I am doing now.

I went to Proof the week it opened, and was impressed by the quality of the cooking. I don’t entirely remember what we ate, I think I had the Pate, and then the lamb, and my wife had something and then the Sablefish. But everthing was very well done. I’m a fan of Marcel’s, and I thought the cooking was at that level.

I’m also a fan of the different sizes of wine you can order (not just a glass). If they ever make available all the wine on the menu, it will be the best wine menu in DC for my money.

I like Bar Louie for a quick, cheap meal that is better than average. The wings are decent, and the sandwiches are big and worth $8 – $10 a piece.

Proof is also nice — in a completely different way!

My fav restaurant: Rasika. Amazing food, great libations and a friendly staff.