[Let me begin by saying the posted hours are confusing. The hours listed currently on Yelp are the…read more'restaurant hours' at Streetfood BBQ. It also serves as a bar/club/karaoke spot, which is open until 1am on Weds and 5am Thurs-Sat. Without further adieu, my review:]
Bright yellow walkways and stairs of the Schieblock building's award-winning architecture might brighten your walk to Streetfood BBQ. This will conjure up Wizard of Oz memories.
The first time I passed it during the day, I quickly processed the gestalt, and knew this is a place I belong.
I came back the next night, and from outside, supporting the chatter of smokers, loud karaoke filled the air. I would find this off-putting, but for the choice of music and passion with which it was being sung. A throng of joyous voices belted out Mary J. Blige's 'Real Love.' And it didn't stop there: Boyz ll Men, 112 feat. B.I.G. & Ma$e, R. Kelly. Song after song it was like they knew what I needed to hear. If ever it weren't clear the Dutch know how to rock, bump, and grind, it was now.
Before entering I was engaged in conversation by a man who might've been the only person older than me there. He was much older, and clearly on cocaine or something like cocaine. A business man and motivational speaker, he gave me his card, told me if I was ever in LA he'd hook me up with a place to stay, and also recommended another bar which he was certain I'd like more than this one. I would later come to deduce that this man was probably the night's cocaine dealer.
Inside, the crowd is College-aged, and there's a sense that most everyone is familiar with everyone else. I was alone, and near-paralyzingly aware of my status on the cusp of 'creepy old guy' territory.
Drinks could be a little cheaper.
In the bar area, the seating is long benches on either side of long tables- it's a good place for mingling or creepily watching the crowd on the dance floor taking part in karaoke. Next to the seats are a bunch of cool games, like air hockey and shuffleboard.
Being mildly out of place, it was difficult seeing any opportunity to socially infiltrate the crowd. After my second or third drink of trying not to look awkward, I decided to go check out the place recommended to me by the cocaine dealer.
Before leaving, I went to the restroom. In addition the urinal trough, there is only one lonely toilet. I found out the hard way it clogs very easily. There is no plunger or items which could be used to improvise unclogging a toilet. So I left in a thinly veiled hurry, hoping no-one who witnessed my escape went in to use the toilet while my presence remained in their memory.
The cocaine dealer was wrong. The other bar sucked. And, it might've been the alcohol, but I was now struck with Donald Trump-like confidence. I not only convinced myself I'd go back and successfully socialize with the folk, but I'd also effectively cast away any potential inquires or accusations of my clogging the toilet- be they only through a cock-eyed look across the room- with indifference.
When I returned I found the toilet had been unclogged, and all was uphill from there.
I don't remember how it was initiated, but I ended up hanging out with a particularly cool girl who offered to take me out with her friends later in the week (when I would find out just how cool she was, having a father who owned one of Rotterdam's coolest clubs.) She had a nice sweater.
Through my experience, it was clear this is a cool bar for cool people, but with a somewhat tight age bracket.
