I had heard about Stammbar through the grapevine so when a friend recommended we meet for a drink I was more than happy to try it out.
We met around 7:30. The bar was not full, but there was a fair amount of people. We grabbed the last table available (there was still bar seating but as we were three people, it is easier to talk at a table than the bar). I knew sort of how it worked, but we asked for an explanation just to clarify the process.
To start, you pick up from the kind gentleman behind the counter a magnetic chip on a lanyard which you load with as much money as you want. You then grab a glass from the shelves and walk over to the beer wall to choose your beer. They had a nice selection: Augustiner Helles, Konig Ludwig Dunkel, Andecks, Schneider Weisse, New Castle Brown Ale, Magners, to name a few. After attaching the chip to the magnet next to the beer tap of choice. The screen will show how much money you have loaded/left. You then put your glass up (if you have never poured beer before, make sure you tilt your glass or you will get a glass full of foam) and pull ALL the way down (this is also important or once again, you get a glass full of foam). When your glass is full, lift the handle back up and off you go.
Something I really liked was the different size of glasses. They have half liter glasses but you can also get a 0,3 l. I like this as I feel like I can try a few different beers throughout the night and still be able to ride my bike home :-).
Another fantastic thing is that, like a Biergarten, you can bring your own food. They do not serve any food themselves. However, they have a wall with chalkboards listing several places in the area that will deliver or you can bring take out with. I found this great as it really promoted the other local places and it wasn't all just about the one place. We had gone a block over to one of my favorite places (LeDu Happy Dumpling) and brought them with us.
Around 10:00 it was getting a little more crowded. The majority of the people were University age... my friends and I (all in our early 30s) felt a little "old". The decor is simple. I like the photographs of Scotland (the owner is Scottish). It has the beginnings of a great British pub vibe, but the blue light is too modern and more of a cold colour. I would have loved to see a little more dark wood, yellow/warm lighting. But, seeing as it is in the University area and caters to a younger crowd, I understand the direction they went.
Only negative side is it gets busy after 10:00 on a weekend night and thereby is a little louder and difficult to have a conversation. read more