The space at 6714 Olive Blvd., in University City will see new life next month as The U Bar, opening March 6. The U Bar is a venture by husband and wife team Jason and April Spain. Though the Spains have experience in the nightlife biz (He was the owner of now defunct J. Spain’s Waffles & Wings at 1901 Washington Ave.) , they aren’t going for a late-night club scene this time. Instead, The U Bar will lean toward neighborhood bar and grill.
The Spains hope to attract lunch-goers from offices on Olive Street and to keep the traffic flowing with a happy hour and as an evening hangout. “We want to create a neighborhood vibe that is comfortable, approachable, safe,” said Jason Spain, a University City resident.
The abbreviated menu includes just six or seven items. Spain ticked off hand-battered wings, a burger, fries, hand-battered shrimp, a chicken sandwich and a salad, plus periodic specials. “Everything hand-made. We’re not freezing anything,” Spain said. “We’re a bar with a great kitchen.”
The full-service bar will not be “fancy-dancy,” said Spain, but that doesn’t mean cocktails won’t be made with care. Expect fresh juice in that mixed drink “to get the flavor and taste of what great cocktails are,” he said. The U Bar will have six beers on tap and a small selection of wine.
The Spains made minimal changes to the 50-seat interior since its days as Sir’s BBQ, which closed in late 2012. Spain said the tweaks they have made emphasize the history and architecture of the building, whose art deco glass block windows are a prominent feature at the entrance.
The U Bar initially will be open Monday through Saturday from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. After a few weeks, it will open for lunch at 11 a.m.
This article appears in February 2015.