First Look: Blaguard
It's a hard act to follow, opening a bar where the Common Share used to be. The Common Share closed last September when it was sold by its owners, and the Adams Morgan community's outpouring of grief at the closing was truly memorable. It turns out that people attach a lot of sentimentality to $2 beers and a divey atmosphere, but after a few months of renovations, the new owners have reopened the old space, now named Blaguard.
In addition to the widescreen TVs, shuffleboard table and new upstairs bar, Blaguard has three new support beams, which, according to a fellow patron, were missing from the second floor when the renovations started. The overall effect is that the place feels like an old college buddy who decided to sell his Birkenstocks and finally buy some nice dress clothes for his new desk job. The core of the layout is the same, while the upgraded decor will probably take some getting used to. I suspect that if the old Common Share regulars stop in, there will be much nostalgia for "the good times."
But I digress. The new tap list is relatively large, but choices are fairly predictable: Miller Lite and High Life, Guinness, Yuengling, Bass, Peroni, etc. The only surprise was Delirium Tremens, although I'm not sure I'd feel right drinking Belgian beer in this place. But hey, at least they're trying. The kitchen is advertised as "open late," but I didn't get a chance to look at a menu. Blaguard only opened last Friday, and the real challenge for this place is going to be adjusting customer expectations: foot traffic in this area is pretty steady, but people that go in expecting the "Be Smart, Drink Cheap" mantra of the Common Share are going to be dismayed when they realize they just paid $4 for a Miller High Life.
At least its less-than-inviting name - a riff on "blackguard" - won't be difficult to pronounce. After all, the inebriated Adams Morgan crowds are already slurring their words and making belching noises once they get that far down 18th street.