Photo by Alan Zilberman.
By DCist Contributor Alan Zilberman
Located just south of Petworth on Georgia Avenue, Bravo Lounge has one of the best combos in the city. During certain hours, you can get a PBR, a whiskey, and a hot dog for $6. Six dollars! This is the sort of locals-only bar that’s great to meet friends on a Friday night (in fact, when I met friends there last Friday, one of them worried, “You’re not going to ‘Dear John’ this place, are you?”). I totally am. Sorry, buddy. The bathroom here is a strange beast: it cannot decide whether it wants to be functional or fancy. Similarly, I cannot decide whether the incongruity is charming or just weird.
+5 for a fancy sink: The most striking thing about Bravo’s bathroom is its gorgeous onyx porcelain sink. Not only does it dominate the room, it also has several cartoon-y peppers koi fish on the bowl. This is sort of sink you’d find at a bougie mojito bar in Dupont Circle or something (the soap dispenser is nowhere near as aesthetically pleasing). I, for one, like to feel all fancy before I get back to my questionable snack and drink options.
-2 for visible cleaning products: A plunger and a container of a non-disclosed cleaning product were sitting next to the toilet at Bravo. The plunger’s location was an implied insult, as if the owners were saying, “WE KNOW YOU’RE GOING VIOLATE THIS TOILET WITH YOUR BUTTHOLE, SO TAKE THIS!” I like the idea that an establishment, even one such as this, makes cleanliness a top priority. Still, discretion is a necessary component of cleanliness.
+1 for a perfect patron/toilet ratio: Bravo Lounge is not a large space—it would start to feel cramped with about fifty people—and there are two unisex toilets. I’ve been to places with inadequate facilities (I’m looking at you, Churchkey), but this one feels just right. I’d rather that every bar have too many facilities than the right amount, of course, yet I have to give credit where it’s due.
-3 for automatic paper towel dispensers: No point in parsing words: these things are just the worst. The hand sensor never works right, you have to wave your hand like a madman every time, and it barely gives enough paper towel when it activates. Assuming there’s no Dyson Air Blade, I prefer manually operated paper towel dispensers every time. The fact that the dispenser was running low certainly did not help matters.
+1 for an unintentional moment of suspense: When I visited this bathroom, the door marked “employees only” was ajar. Not wide open, mind you, but open enough to arouse a mix of suspicion and curiosity. Could there be some creep in the employees only door who was trying to spy on me while I was taking a leak? There were only cleaning supplies inside, naturally, yet there was a moment where I wasn’t sure. Thanks, Bravo Lounge, for the momentary thrill ride.
Overall score: +2. This is a totally respectable score for a dive bar. Once they put the plunger back into the employees only room, then this bathroom will rival some of the nicer facilities in the city. Lord knows I’m not going to do it for them.
