One of the best bars in the country! Go get a peanut soup and high gravity beer. I got the feeling that BS is not tolerated, though. Leave your attitude outside. š¤
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maxwell Jackson
The greatest bar in the mid-Atlantic
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bobby Tufarolo
Superb
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
japp Lapp
Great paar. Nice live music
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Samuel Elman
Quite a treat. a pleasant pub with decent food and it's all for charity
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Willy Carlsen
If Dr. Bronnerās Castile Soaps opened a barā¦
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Melanie
Awesome little bar weād never heard of or been to before. The server had control of the entire restaurant on a very busy night with a show at the Lincoln Theater next door. Chili (odd choice for a Saturday night) was great and pretty spicy, but needed more meat. Bossman moonshine was fabulous.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Savannah Howard
Great atmosphere and the food was delicious. I absolutely loved that character of this establishment. The service was attentive and I had such a good time. Will definitely be coming back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
KENDESI MEDIA
At The Saloon on U Street, One Man Builds More Than a Bar. He Builds Schools, Homes, and Hope
Written By Kendesi Mohammed + Photography Media: www.kendesimedia.com
On Sunday, June 8, 2025, something unexpected happened. After more than 15 years of trying to meet Kamal Jahanbein, I finally did.
He is the quiet force behind The Saloon, a Western-themed bar tucked into 1205 U Street NW, where German beer flows, live music echoes, and cell phones are discouraged. It is a rare place in Washington, intentionally unplugged, proudly traditional, and built on something far deeper than hospitality.
I had always thought I would need to walk in, ask for the owner, and introduce myself. Instead, on this particular Sunday afternoon, I was standing outside taking pictures when Kamal opened the doors, walked out, and sat down on a chair in the sunlight. Just like that, the moment I had waited over a decade for arrived. Calm, quiet, and welcoming.
We spoke for 30 minutes. He shared stories and reflections, and as he spoke, it became clear that The Saloon is more than a bar. It is the funding engine behind a global humanitarian mission that has helped build 32 schools across Asia, 500 homes through Habitat for Humanity, and medical clinics in underserved regions. All of this is made possible through the Kamal Foundation, the nonprofit he founded in 2007.
He gave me a personal tour of the building. While he returned to his paperwork, I wandered up the stairs, past carved wood, and into a third-floor space filled with warmth. My heart was racing, not just from the architecture but from the realization that this modest bar, with room for just 63 patrons a night, has helped change lives across the globe.
And it has, brick by brick.
Kamal opened the current U Street location in 2000 after a transformative period of travel. In 1994, he closed a previous Saloon location in Georgetown and left the country. What he witnessed abroad, including poverty, lack of access to education, and health disparities, reshaped his perspective. When he returned to Washington, he was determined to reopen The Saloon with a new mission: to build more than just a business.
He does not advertise the philanthropy. Onlookers might miss the significance of the bricks lining the buildingās faƧade, each engraved with the name of a school funded through drink sales and shared meals. Most customers never realize that each August, Kamal closes the bar for a full month to travel and personally oversee school construction in countries like Sierra Leone.
There are no televisions inside. Mobile phones are discouraged. The focus is on people, conversation, storytelling, and human connection. It is not performative. It is intentional.
While the bar is rooted in a distinct style inspired by the American West, the values behind it are universal. Education, dignity, and justice.
Jahanbeinās work has remained largely under the radar in a city that often prizes visibility. But that is by design. He prefers the quiet, consistent labor of impact. It is the kind of story that does not always make headlines, but it should.
On this Sunday in June, I walked away inspired not just by a bar owner, but by a builder. A man who reminds us that a business can be more than a bottom line. It can be a foundation. A place to gather, to listen, and to give.
And if you ever find yourself on U Street with a free evening, stop in. Sit down. Have a beer. You might be one of just 63 people there that night, but you will be part of something far bigger.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rebecca I
I went to the Saloon with my family and was immediately treated like we didnāt belong. Without being in the place for more than 2 minutes, the bouncer and pseudo bartender just made us feel like we werenāt welcome and that āour vibeā wasnāt of the restaurants. Again, we hadnāt even ordered a drink or food yet and were made to feel like we didnāt belong. I recommend this place to NO ONE! This place needs to learn that every customer is the same. Especially in an area like DC. Ashamed of the service and the treatment.
Rude service. Bar back was not welcoming, very rude and gave us a hard time. We walked into an EMPTY bar requesting shots and he blatantly told us we came to the wrong place for that. DO NOT COME HERE.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Keagan Rogers
Yeah, this place sucks! Beer selection was good but the staff/service was terrible. Would not recommend. Weird rules are weird.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Silentwarrior31
Stopped by for some beer and ended up eating as well at this fantastic little place. A great atmosphere with good food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
sba k
Kindest bar in dc
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Lexi Wong
Great place for a quiet drink in bustling DC. Decor is unique and people are incredibly friendly. Stop in for the Open Piano Bar on Wednesdays and get ready to be charmed.
One of the best bars in the country! Go get a peanut soup and high gravity beer. I got the feeling that BS is not tolerated, though. Leave your attitude outside. š¤
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The greatest bar in the mid-Atlantic
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Superb
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great paar. Nice live music
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Quite a treat. a pleasant pub with decent food and it's all for charity
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
If Dr. Bronnerās Castile Soaps opened a barā¦
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Awesome little bar weād never heard of or been to before. The server had control of the entire restaurant on a very busy night with a show at the Lincoln Theater next door. Chili (odd choice for a Saturday night) was great and pretty spicy, but needed more meat. Bossman moonshine was fabulous.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great atmosphere and the food was delicious. I absolutely loved that character of this establishment. The service was attentive and I had such a good time. Will definitely be coming back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
At The Saloon on U Street, One Man Builds More Than a Bar. He Builds Schools, Homes, and Hope
Written By Kendesi Mohammed + Photography
Media: www.kendesimedia.com
On Sunday, June 8, 2025, something unexpected happened. After more than 15 years of trying to meet Kamal Jahanbein, I finally did.
He is the quiet force behind The Saloon, a Western-themed bar tucked into 1205 U Street NW, where German beer flows, live music echoes, and cell phones are discouraged. It is a rare place in Washington, intentionally unplugged, proudly traditional, and built on something far deeper than hospitality.
I had always thought I would need to walk in, ask for the owner, and introduce myself. Instead, on this particular Sunday afternoon, I was standing outside taking pictures when Kamal opened the doors, walked out, and sat down on a chair in the sunlight. Just like that, the moment I had waited over a decade for arrived. Calm, quiet, and welcoming.
We spoke for 30 minutes. He shared stories and reflections, and as he spoke, it became clear that The Saloon is more than a bar. It is the funding engine behind a global humanitarian mission that has helped build 32 schools across Asia, 500 homes through Habitat for Humanity, and medical clinics in underserved regions. All of this is made possible through the Kamal Foundation, the nonprofit he founded in 2007.
He gave me a personal tour of the building. While he returned to his paperwork, I wandered up the stairs, past carved wood, and into a third-floor space filled with warmth. My heart was racing, not just from the architecture but from the realization that this modest bar, with room for just 63 patrons a night, has helped change lives across the globe.
And it has, brick by brick.
Kamal opened the current U Street location in 2000 after a transformative period of travel. In 1994, he closed a previous Saloon location in Georgetown and left the country. What he witnessed abroad, including poverty, lack of access to education, and health disparities, reshaped his perspective. When he returned to Washington, he was determined to reopen The Saloon with a new mission: to build more than just a business.
He does not advertise the philanthropy. Onlookers might miss the significance of the bricks lining the buildingās faƧade, each engraved with the name of a school funded through drink sales and shared meals. Most customers never realize that each August, Kamal closes the bar for a full month to travel and personally oversee school construction in countries like Sierra Leone.
There are no televisions inside. Mobile phones are discouraged. The focus is on people, conversation, storytelling, and human connection. It is not performative. It is intentional.
While the bar is rooted in a distinct style inspired by the American West, the values behind it are universal. Education, dignity, and justice.
Jahanbeinās work has remained largely under the radar in a city that often prizes visibility. But that is by design. He prefers the quiet, consistent labor of impact. It is the kind of story that does not always make headlines, but it should.
On this Sunday in June, I walked away inspired not just by a bar owner, but by a builder. A man who reminds us that a business can be more than a bottom line. It can be a foundation. A place to gather, to listen, and to give.
And if you ever find yourself on U Street with a free evening, stop in. Sit down. Have a beer. You might be one of just 63 people there that night, but you will be part of something far bigger.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I went to the Saloon with my family and was immediately treated like we didnāt belong. Without being in the place for more than 2 minutes, the bouncer and pseudo bartender just made us feel like we werenāt welcome and that āour vibeā wasnāt of the restaurants. Again, we hadnāt even ordered a drink or food yet and were made to feel like we didnāt belong. I recommend this place to NO ONE! This place needs to learn that every customer is the same. Especially in an area like DC. Ashamed of the service and the treatment.
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Rude service. Bar back was not welcoming, very rude and gave us a hard time. We walked into an EMPTY bar requesting shots and he blatantly told us we came to the wrong place for that. DO NOT COME HERE.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Yeah, this place sucks! Beer selection was good but the staff/service was terrible. Would not recommend. Weird rules are weird.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Stopped by for some beer and ended up eating as well at this fantastic little place. A great atmosphere with good food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kindest bar in dc
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Great place for a quiet drink in bustling DC. Decor is unique and people are incredibly friendly. Stop in for the Open Piano Bar on Wednesdays and get ready to be charmed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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