Piratz Tavern Becomes ‘Corporate Bar and Grill’

by Prince Of Petworth — February 24, 2012 at 12:00 pm 45 Comments

Photo via Piratz Tavern facebook

Thanks to a few people for sending this update from the Washington Post:

Piratz Tavern in Silver Spring headed to Davy Jones’s locker, as they say, this week after the Spike TV reality show “Bar Rescue” chose the bar for one of its Season Two episodes.

The bar reopened the night of Feb. 18 as Corporate Bar and Grill with a menu serving gourmet burgers, tuna steaks and shrimp ceviche.

Photo via Piratz Tavern facebook

Piratz tavern was located at 8402 Georgia Avenue.

Corporate Bar and Grill is, uh, not the most creative name… I’m sure many people would hope that Piratz tavern, like their Website says, was still open!

squish

(cut and paste sad/angry conversation from their facebook page) + (The food sucked, glad its gone) = this comment thread.
anonymous

Yeah, I was really disappointed. I saw a long line of reality TV contestant standing in line to get in last weekend, and I had no food to throw at them.
Anonymous

Is Popville crossing the border into the north country. I am not sure I can condone this type of post. What’s next, Clarendon? Oh the humanity.
- The Real Jason
  
  To be fair, as sterile as the MoCo suburbs are, they’re like Mission district San Francisco compared to Northern Virginia.
chrisb

I’m sad! The food was terrible, but it was a unique type of place. I wish they had decided to just have better food than to ditch the whole concept altogether. I’ll definitely miss them.
ledroittiger

What, no reference to The Crimson Permanent Assurance yet? People, please…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53tr5sHO5Yg&feature=related
Shawn

lol hilarious sellout move
jenster8dc

So is this going to be a new themed place, like Piratz Tavern was? Do all the waiters wear suits and Bluetooths (Blueteeth), and speak in meeting jargon?
- vannessie
  
  In keeping with the “theme,” will the menu be a half-hour Powerpoint presentation?
  - allison
    
    Lol, and will the coffee be made in a drip machine that hasn’t been cleaned in god knows how long? Will the employees argue over who has to clean the microwave after maknig a burrito?
  - Anonymous
    
    lol that comment actually made me laugh out loud! a half hour powerpoint presentation! EPIC
Mari

Worst pina coladas ever! What I got was coconut flavored sugar and ice. Also it starts with Silver Spring, next thing you know you’re covering MoCo and then you have a kid and then you’re Regent of Rockville.
- saf
  
  The cats think I am nuts, and are worried that I am laughing at them.
Fonzy

I’ll miss the grog…
- chrisb
  
  +1. And the all day Saturday happy hours. Though the two in combination were dangerous.
- Bethany
  
  Apparently they still will be serving grog according to one of the bartenders.
djdc

Pity. I always meant to go. What’s that they say about good intentions….
lesserlesserwashington

Glad it’s gone. Same owner? Not sure I’ll bother trying the new theme. Was a terrible place with terrible service.
new

The only name I can think of worse than corporate bar and grill in the metro area has to be Mc Nastys.

Way to embrace the whole local small business movement with the name.

Oh well, regardless SS has come a really long way from when I grew up there.
Steve

Know that place well as i change buses in that area, nice to see u covering Silver spring where I live!
NoLongerNew2CH

Doesn’t Corporate Bar and Grill d/b/a TGI Friday’s already have a trademark on this name?

A name which, while it sounds horrible, might actually signify something awesome, if and only if it (along with the restaurant concept) was meant as an ironic homage to every horrible pieces-of-flair laden chain eatery that somehow permeate much of America.
allison

Um, did this make anyone think of Cheesybeard’s? “Home of the Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrlic Fries!”
dcnick

That place was terrible.
dcnick

I’m ok with downtown Silver Spring and Takoma Park being included but for the love of God please don’t touch Northern Virginia.
- admin
  
  When I first started doing posts outside of Petworth, I was called a bastard and much worse…
  - Anonymous
    
    LOLZ that’s crazy, people need to get a life.
- anon
  
  +1
- Anonymous
  
  does PoP ever cross rivers?
ddd

This is sad. I loved it there. Cheesy and creative. Now just another wanna be posh place. Ugh. I won’t be back.
- Anonymous
  
  we need more cheesy and creative in this world. especially in this city.
zenalex

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/spike-tv-show-gives-silver-springs-piratz-tavern-a-makeover/2012/02/21/gIQADLA9SR_story.html

Gives a good explanation as to why the restaurant needed to change. If something isn’t making money then it’s going to fail obviously. The niche pirate market in Silver Spring is much smaller than the corporate executive market.
- Anonymous
  
  I must immediately question the credentials of the so-called expert that claims there was no place to go in Silver Spring to get a good burger. Ray’s Classics has Ray’s Hell Burger on its bar menu and it is the genuine article.
  - Ignacio
    
    No good burgers in SS? Please – the burgers at Quarry House are great! Not gourmet a la Ray’s, but damn good bar food, especially with their tater tots.
jcm

Maybe it’s because I’m a snobby elitist yuppie, but I would never, ever go to a place called Corporate Bar and Grill.
- Anonymous
  
  i don’t know what i am, but whatever it is, i’m too much of it to ever go there either.
eric

Now called the “Corporate Bar & Grill”. They had a complete overhaul. Improved is the food, the service, and the atmosphere. They are especially ready for you to come during lunch time. They cater to all business and corporate lunch goers. Go there today and enjoy! 8402 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910
(301) 588-9001
Anonymous

is this some weird joke?
sheepprofessor

Not sure why all the antagonism toward Piratz. Sure, it was cheesy and the wait staff all would have rather been at a ren fayre or jousting or something, but it was the best place in the world to take kids. They got sword fencing lessons while parents could enjoy a pint or two. Wasn’t a bad way to pass a Sunday afternoon if you ask me.

Corporate Bar & Grill sounds horrendous. Kind of like when you dream that you’re at work and then you wake up and have to go to work all over again.
Enos

Ha! This is the only place where I ever experienced Pirate snobbery.
The Real Jason

Only had the pleasure of visiting Piratz once (Quarry House was packed to the gills) and I enjoyed it as a simple novelty. The grog went down relatively easy, the wait staff’s shrinkwrapped rebellious suburban sneer was amusing. The only was absolutely trashed that night and was an absolutely hoot. Corporate Bar and Grill is a horrific name with all the allure of herpes simplex but I wish them well.
Steve

Come while in the neighborhood and check out the Kensington Day of the Book Festival on April 22.
theiage

I wish we’d known they were doing so badly. Maybe some crowd sourcing for menu improvement and a bit of renovation to be more historical and less kitschy, but utter destruction? The last few years have been hard on restaurants and their clientele alike, but I’d like to think there may have been some way to rally the target niche market. MY husband and I didn’t get an inkling of the troubles until the place was gone though.

I’m really going to miss Piratz. I was able to take my father there, a nuatical enthusiast, and he could have an hour long conversation with a volunteer demonstrator on historical sailing vessels at Sunday brunch. I was hoping to get my 3 and 5 year old nephews there from Annapolis for the foam sword fighting lessons, and my co-worker and his 5 year old. I have a friend from college who came down from New Hampshire multiple times a year who went there every visit and birthday with 20 or so friends (and full pirate attire, because he wanted to and could). We may not have gone there for the food, but the people, the escapism and the relaxed, accepting atmosphere kept us coming back.

It was a unique place for the out of the ordinary. I still remember the place packed full of zombies after the local Zombie Crawl one year- particularly a zombie housewife in slippers and curlers nursing a tiki drink in a glowing skull mug. Then there was a demonstration of Victorian self-defense techniques with walking sticks on a steam punk night.

I remember the poi demonstrations out back in warm weather and the belly dancer, and pirates on Friday and Saturday nights singing drunken, off-color songs full of innuendo. Really, where can you still find a pub in the U.S. that has cheerful drunken singing? Or dress up as *anyone* or *anything* at any time of the year, just because you want to, and still feel accepted and at home? It was our quirky, local pub, an oasis of acceptance of being different, and we’ll miss it.
- Anonymous
  
  don’t worry those pirates will return before you now it.. they where broadsided under a white flag.. however the red flag has been run up.. time to come back
Anonymous

I’ll miss the place but it was much better in theory than reality
Anonymous

TO those who would see the pirates return.. come back and bring your patronage.. to those who’ve been offended we humbly apologise.. To the people who want the escapism and the comrawdry of people who don’t judge but are welcoming to all.. Come back by and see what changes and what new adventures await.. pyracy is not dead yet in SS.. the pirate singers were there friday night enjoying the company of young and old.. fresh faces and familiar ones.. instgead of the death and ill wishes of what Bar Rescue did.. you heard laughter and singing.. shouts of shots and bring those pirates rum… a joyous ruckus time was had by all

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