STFU: Navy Yard Has a Hot Nightclub Now

Hidden beneath the stretch of Nationals Park-facing bars is a refreshing new drinking den that doesn’t have to turn to game days for entertainment.

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STFU, proudly named for the expletive acronym, quietly debuted a few weeks ago in the depths of Takoda Restaurant & Beer Garden’s building. To find the stylish new speakeasy, follow the glowing red light spilling onto its First Street entrance and step inside a funhouse-like waiting area surrounded with mirrors. The push of a going-down elevator button — stamped with STFU’s mysterious mascot of a shushing silhouette — opens the portal to a polished party pad unlike anything the Southeast neighborhood has seen before (1299 First Street SE).

The team behind Sauf Haus Bier Hall, the reliable Dupont destination for rooftop brats, steins, and soccer fans, enters the underground speakeasy world with the opening of STFU.

Managing partner John Issa says the late-night subterranean lounge, two years in the making, caters to its Navy Yard neighbors in search of a sports bar alternative. While there’s no set dress code, per se, casual athletic wear and baseball caps are discouraged in lieu of a classy, “well-groomed” look.

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Issa’s original plan was to actually open a second Sauf Haus across the upper floors overlooking Nats Park. “But then COVID hit and I knew we needed to keep the money,” he says. Takoda, the Shaw stalwart that’s unaffiliated with STFU, ended up leasing the above-ground levels for its sophomore D.C. location that opened in 2022.

“The landlord [later] called and said the basement is still available,” he says. “It speaks to a nightclub theme and upscale bottle service.”

Its name was initially supposed to be Hush, but the pool bar atop Logan Circle’s Viceroy hotel called dibs on it first. STFU simply “kind of stuck,” he says. STFU is in talks with Takoda to potentially share its kitchen to add a snacky menu of charcuterie and small plates that compliment its cocktails.

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The very-red lounge, from its leather bar stools to large neon-lit lips, is outfitted with a high-tech DJ booth and 15 low-level tables framed with soft couches. Sized at 2,000 square feet, “it’s small but pretty chic and bougie,” says Issa. Guests can constantly check themselves (and others) out, thanks to reflective walls at every turn. Bottle service with mixers starts at $275 for Santa Teresa rum or Roku gin.

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The beverage program, led by D.C. bar vets Michael Joseph and Isaiah Morrisey, centers around updated takes on Prohibition-era classics ($14-$19). STFU’s modern-day answer to an Aviation loops in spiced cherry cordial and baking spices blended with Luxardo Maraschino. A traditional Hemingway recipe is tweaked with Ten to One’s funkier Caribbean rum to create a uniquely oaky daiquiri. Its Old Fashioned is enriched with a luscious mix of butter, chocolate, banana, and cloves. The Last Word — here, called “Final Say” — subs in Boosma for Chartreuse, and the coupe gets its smoky floral finish from a mezcal-lavender infusion. The most popular sellers may eventually be bottled for brevity purposes.

“We preach that everything is made in-house,” says Issa. “Everyone so far has been impressed and saying it’s a great addition to the neighborhood.”

STFU opens at 5 p.m. from Wednesdays to Sundays to start and keeps drinking flowing until as late as 3 a.m. on weekends.

Life Expressed Online

Life Expressed Online