Rumor has it that Paragary’s K-Bar is closed as of today. First, I must admit I’ve never been to K-Bar. I know it was the it-spot for the nightlife crowd when it first opened, and also heard it was a quality place for post-work cocktails. Hmmm. It also had a decent location smack-dab in the middle of the downtown/midtown area. So, any theories on why it closed?
Did it suck?
Or are Sac-town cocktailers all about the new hotspots?
The Sac Rag 
Parking was a pain in that area, too.
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You’d think that it was in a good location, but K St between 12th & 13th is pretty much dead after 5pm. The perimeter has some good places like Esquire Grill, Gallagher’s, Marilyn’s, and the bars inside the Sheraton and Hyatt, but that one strip of K St. on its own isn’t so hopping. I used to work in the Esquire Building (the one with the giant bug catcher blue light up the side) and went to KBar a couple times. It was trying too hard to be something that it wasn’t (urbane & upscale.) For those looking for adventure this coming Friday at bars that ARE still open, check out http://www.eastsacpubcrawl.com.
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K-Bar closed for the same reason that The Lounge is doomed to fail. Yes, you heard me right, Sacramento. I give it less than a year. Why?, you ask. This city has a relatively small number of self-appointed hipsters who flood the “Next Big Thing” bars the first few months they are open. They will wait in the longest lines, drink the worst caffeine slime + vodka drinks, and wear the most perfectly ripped $275 jeans they bought at Tragically Hip Boutique, just to be seen at the Next Big Thing. The problem is, nobody wants to be around these people, other than these people. So the Next Big Thing doesn’t build the loyal clientele needed to keep the doors open.
You know who you are. And you know, as soon as the next place opens, you will move on. Mark my words, The Lounge, your day will come! Just like it came for K-Bar, Sammy Chu’s, Jackson’s Alley…need I go on?
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barkingweasel: your comment was #666 on sacrag.
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You can draw whatever conclusions you want.
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i agree with evil barkingweasel – seems like (wannabe?) hip masses with short attention spans flock to the latest and greatest spot. but runner girl brings up a good point – there’s a slew of the tried-and-true bars that have weathered our city’s influx of trendy venues. despite less publicity, most of those places have established reputations and loyal patronage that the newbies don’t.
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I agree. I’d much rather hang at the 2Me than at K-Bar any day of the week.
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since it’s been a while since i brought up my recent Bee interview, i’d like to say that in said interview i went on a short rant about this topic (it didn’t make the final cut). it’s always about ditching the tried-and-true for the new trend, whether it’s Cheesecake Factory or K-Bar or the Kings. i say, frack that.
i’m not worried, though… there are enough signs that all will continue to be well. i’ll put the wait at El Novillero up against the queue at Macaroni Grill (for shame, RonTopofIt) any day.
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As a longtime fan of such haunts as 2Me and Pine Cove, I was most pleased with the treasure trove sac-eats and I found at the Golden Bear a couple weeks ago. It’s that house-like structure on K St. It was Cafe Paris for a spell, and it’s kitty-corner to Mixed Bag. (It’s also where a roach coach now serves vegan Jamaican food out in the parking lot on a thatch of AstroturfTM.) The bartenders are uncloyingly hip and quick — akin to the old timer staff at Peet’s. The Friday night DJ spins alternative 80’s music, and it’s mostly a good mix (but he’s a tad too young to know the really good stuff.) The clientele is diverse and definitely NOT the group of poseurs you’ll find lined up outside the latest hot spot. Check it out — maybe a future SacRag happy hour?
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