Bar Betsie
Bar · Capital City Market ·
Inventive cocktails, divey vibes, and upscale American bar snacks
Inventive cocktails, divey vibes, and upscale American bar snacks
"Masterfully straddling the line between a fancy cocktail bar and a neighborhood dive, this glitzy Union Market refuge layers dark-red lighting, a huge neon curtain detail, endless mirrored walls, wood paneling, and intimate booths with homey touches like a bar that feels lifted from a Midwest diner and San Juan–style miniature houses from co-owner JP Sabatier’s grandmother. From the team behind Jane Jane and named for Sabatier’s mom, it invites you to camp out in a comfy booth or at the 14-seat bar, snacking on Buffalo chicken dip, grape jelly–and–barbecue lil smokies with grainy mustard, and queso dip with soft pretzels while sipping exceptional drinks. Signatures range from a prickly pear mezcal cocktail that packs some heat to Singani balanced with tamarind and grapefruit, with repeat-worthy spins on classics like the Margaritini (mezcal and pickle brine) and a Gold Rush topped with whipped honey. To dodge long waits between complicated cocktails, the crew smartly offers simple shooters and mini pours of beer and wine, and an outdoor patio keeps the vibe breezy." - Tierney Plumb
"Bar Betsie, a new spot from the people behind Jane Jane, is a 14-seat cabaret-style bar in Union Market, with a patio out front. Inspired by the mother of one of the owners, expect cocktails like the rum-and-cold-brew Café Caribe, plus Buffalo chicken dip and spicy pork rinds to snack on." - omnia saed
"Bar Betsie, a new spot from the people behind Jane Jane, is a 14-seat cabaret-style bar in Union Market, with a patio out front. Inspired by the mother of one of the owners, expect cocktails like the rum-and-cold-brew Café Caribe, plus Buffalo chicken dip and spicy pork rinds to snack on. We haven’t been here yet, but want you to know this spot exists." - Omnia Saed
"Opened by industry vets Jean Paul (J.P.) Sabatier, Drew Porterfield, and Ralph Brabham, this compact bar — named for Sabatier’s mom, who had a penchant for hospitality — features hip neon accents reflected off mirrored walls, wood paneling, intimate booths, banquette seating, and a 14-seat bar plus an outdoor patio. The program serves light snacks alongside beers, wines, and cocktails." - Tierney Plumb
"A dramatic neon red curtain and custom dark-wooden booths create a playful, cozy aesthetic with divey vibes, surprisingly upscale cocktails, and all-American drinking snacks in the Union Market district. The newest creation from the owners of Jane Jane, Ralph Brabham, JP Sabatier, and Drew Porterfield, swings open on Tuesday, March 18; decorative touches honor Sabatier’s Puerto Rican mother—many tequila drinks and classic San Juan-style miniature houses from his grandmother’s residence line the walls—and designers from Edit at Streetsense added red velvet-covered swooping booths and a theatrical marquee over the bar that displays not just the quintessential cocktails but their ingredients. Sabatier explained, “There’s references and echoes to who they are as as people in our lives, and we kind of do add little things in honor of them throughout the menu that are just like nods to these amazing women,” and Brabham adds that after alternatives fell through, “they’ve come to embody a little bit of their presence and personalities in a little and subtle way, of our respective moms.” The cocktail program is intentionally shorter and more celebratory than Jane Jane’s—about 12–15 signatures at a time, many on tap—and includes a rum-fueled cold brew called Cafe Caribe; the playful Let Me Just Say This (a common phrase of his mother’s) made with Angostura, rum, lemon, and Orgeat; a slightly upscale Negroni Bianco and a Negroni on tap; plus fun shooters and planned test-tube shots in flavors like tequila-blackberry, lemon drops, and a Midori-mezcal combo. Sabatier says, “I miss old school, fun bar vibes,” and explains, “It’s our little slogan for this: it’s a party, and everyone’s invited, just because we want it to be a very welcoming, cool, fun party vibe.” The food leans toward American finger foods: creamy chipotle queso, Buffalo chicken dip, lil smokies cooked down in grape jelly and barbecue sauce (a nod to North Carolina), a fried pickle dip made with local Gordy’s Pickles topped with cacio e pepe-influenced breadcrumbs, and house-marinated olives with lemon peels and whole roasted garlic cloves (a pairing recommended with the Negroni on tap). Makan alum chef Justin Chang consulted on the menu, keeping ingredients simple so snacks shine, and he advises assembling a few items into a “little dive bar girl dinner.” Sabatier maintains that, “if you need silverware, it’s a restaurant.” Every table gets a glass bowl of neon-orange cheese balls on arrival, with refills for $4. The spot is open Tuesday through Sunday (weekdays at 5 p.m., weekends at 2 p.m.) and closes at 2 a.m. nightly except Sundays at midnight; observant guests will also find plenty of hidden “peek-a-boos” from Edit at Streetsense throughout the moody interior." - Emily Venezky