Winging It At Flying Buffalo

What makes this such a deal? Put your name on an Internet mailing list and you get free admission and all the top-shelf liquor and beer you care to drink, plus a small buffet of snacks.

From the mid-'90s to the turn of the millennium, the Gardens' weekly happy hours were one of the busiest social scenes in town. Dozens of African American professionals regularly lined up after work to take advantage of the specials and stayed to party well into the night.

Republic Gardens closed "temporarily" in 2001, and when it reopened with new owners last year, the once-popular happy hours were banished or toned down. Big mistake.

Nostalgic for Republic Gardens' heyday, a friend and I went to revisit the U Street happy hour last Friday. The format's generally the same -- but now there's a charge of $10 or more without a printout from a participating e-mail list (try Republicgardens.com, Eviplist.com or Madpowerunit.com). Once inside the stylish lounge, bartenders meet every request with ease. Tanqueray and tonic? No problem. Maker's Mark and ginger ale? Sure thing. Bottle of Heineken? Done. A snifter of Courvoisier? Ditto. (Just be sure to order drinks by brand name, or the bartender may assume you don't care and pour a glass full of no-name spirits.) Also, remember to tip a buck or two per drink. Even though you're not paying, the bartenders are still working.

Happy hour is an intimate affair -- only the ground-floor lounge and dining room is open early on, and a small crowd of fashionably dressed twenty-to-thirty-something African Americans filled the long leather couches and the seats around the bar. Forgettable mainstream hip-hop comes from the sound system. It's a far cry from the old days, if a bit more relaxed.

I regret to report, however, that the once-lavish dinner buffet has fallen off. A few years ago, I remember walking down a long buffet line and being served chicken over rice, green beans -- a full meal. Now, a few chafing dishes in the rear dining room held chicken wings, French fries and, a little later, quesadillas.

Some of my white friends don't think they'd be comfortable at Republic Gardens. However, I've never felt awkward being in the minority there. If they'd rather stay in Dupont Circle or Capitol Hill, missing out on some of the city's best happy hour deals, they've only themselves to blame.