March 28, 2006
Take Home a Piece of Lulu's and Blackie's
The District will have one fewer place for middle-aged letches to hit on dancing college girls drinking watered-down hurricanes, when Friday night fades into Saturday morning and Lulu's Club Mardi Gras packs up its multicolored awnings for good. Lulu's has long been a fixture at the changing corner of 22nd and M Streets NW. Longtime owner Ulysses "Blackie" Auger sold Lulu's years ago, and when he passed away in November 2004, his family opted to sell sibling Blackie's House of Beef. Blackie's went to the great restaurant slaughterhouse in the sky on New Year's Eve. And Lulu's will climb its own 13 stairs -- no doubt made of wrought-iron -- at 4 a.m. Saturday. If you'd like to read some last rites to the summer intern haunt and erstwhile Kegs & Eggs host, head down to Lulu's this Friday night at 8 p.m., when your $20 cover charge will give you access to an open bar. Besides, it may be the only time that their completely unnecessary velvet rope is actually warranted.
And if you'd prefer not to pay to say good riddance to a place that resembled New Orleans even less than Outback Steakhouse resembles a roadhouse in Alice Springs, we have a much better alternative for you. On Wednesday at 11:07 a.m. at the old Blackie's, Quinn's Auction Galleries and R.L. Rasmus Auctioneers will be auctioning off virtually everything inside and outside these historic D.C. locales. Want to take home Lulu's bar? It's yours! Thinking about buying that huge neon Blackie's sign? Fire up the U-Haul and take the sign to the YESCO Neon Graveyard! Considering adding some beautiful stained glass to your home? No need to pillage country churches on your next European vacation!
In all seriousness, the lots contain some fascinating and beautiful Washington restaurant memorabilia, and it's sad that it won't be staying together. But les bon temps have to stop roulez-ing some time.
Lulu's/Blackie's auction. 1217 22nd Street NW. Wednesday, March 29, 2006. 11:07 a.m.
Lulu's "Last Night in Town." 2121 M Street NW. Friday, March 31, 2006. 8 p.m.-4 a.m. Bar closes at 3 a.m. $20. (202) 861-LULU.
Photo by flickr user damclean.
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Woot. I hated that place sooo much.
I concur. Lulu's was terrible...good riddance.
Excellent post. Any word on what will be moving in?
Thanks. No word yet on the Lulu's space, though GWU's Daily Colonial reports that the Blackie's space will become retail -- and that Lulu's intended to stay open but for interference by impending construction at the Blackie's space.
Ah the letches will be lining up at mcfad's at 4:01am April 1, all ready to get their "fool's" on...
I agree that LuLu's was dreadful. The real shame is that a truly New Orleans themed restaurant/night club could be really great. LuLu's was as crappy as Crush or Heavan and Hell but with slightly better decorations.
How awesome would it be if there were a place with Blues Alley's ambiance, but that played awesome New Orleans Jazz every night? Like our very own Preservation Hall.
Going through that auction stuff, it's actually quite sad that such a collection is going to be scrapped. I know LuLu's was a intern-death-trap, but it's unfortunate that someone couldn't have taken what was there and made it something a lot better. There's no way someone would put together a restaurant with that much attention to detail anymore (although Clyde's in Chinatown is one rare exception to that.)
I'm not sure what's sadder: what LuLu's became or how it'll be dismantled.
I agree, Lulu's is crap, but its a nice space, and I would rather have another club there than some damn condo or "upscale" retail development.
Wait, I could have picked up college girls there?! Doh!
Seriously, my last experience there almost resulted in a lawsuit, so no tears here.
I must've lucked out - the few Lulu's experiences I had involved a sparse crowd and none of the horror stories I've heard from others in the 5 years I've been here.
My friends (mostly female) and I used to go to Lulu's on weekends when it was still called Deja Vu.
I remember the crowd back then being pretty sleazy -- though as others have said, the decor would have made for a fantastic nightclub under better management.
Did the crowd become significantly sleazier after the name change? What else changed?
haha, that's a great lead
I wanna know what will happen to Nelson!!!
I'm watching the auction live on my computer right now. It's really quite fascinating. Most of the stuff is going for anywhere from 20% to 120% over the projected prices (some have gone on some crazy rides of almost seven times the projected value).
If I were in a band, I would be very interested in bidding on the PA stuff. It'll probably go for some pretty affordable prices.
Again, it's really sad to see such a collection dismantled like this. Why did that place have to turn into such a cheesy college bar? What is going to go in there now anyway?
"Why did that place have to turn into such a cheesy college bar?"
No offense Reid, but honestly, what the hell do you think is gonna happen to a New Orleans-themed bar?
Good point. But it didn't have to be that way. It could have tried to be more upscale, like Blues Alley. Maybe with its size and location it had no choice but to appeal to students and interns.
In the 1990s, Lulu's may have had no choice but to appeal to students. But since then, that neighborhood has changed from empty lots and offices to residence inns, condos, and luxury hotel rooms. I think an upscale club might succeed now.
The new owners must be simply disinterested in operating a nightclub -- at least, one that's full of the kitsch that made Lulu's different.
I was watching the auction too -- it's astounding what some of that stuff sold for. $2,000 for a phone booth. $1,700+ for individual iron railings. $400 for a $50 "Deja Vu" sign.
"sp," I hope to God that Nelson wasn't still going there! I think I remember him from 1991.