Watutsi II Pub

if this place was somewhere else, with different types of less awesome people in it, it would be gross and I’d warn you all never to step foot inside. But, alas, it’s in University City, 2 blocks from my house, and is a haven for regular, amazingly talented, worldly, funky (predominantly black) people to drink (strong mixed drinks/​cold beer) and eat for cheeeaaap– and sing karaōke.
If I was an early 20^th century anthropologist wanting to prove something essentialist about black people being able to sing I’d do all of my fieldwork in this pub during karaōke nights (which I think may be wednesday and saturday). Everybody in there can SANG. like, blow. Better than the original version, turn down the track cuz i wanna hear this man’s voice. Sing.
If you are a brown person with a date (or a small group of friends), or a not brown person who enjoys being in the company of brown people, between the ages of 24 and 50, looking for a low key good time and you happen to live within 7 minutes of this place I highly recommend it.
Bring cash, though. The ATM across the street charges approx $ 3.

6.25 for a jack and coke and a glass of wine. not bad at all. the part that seemed a bit strange, but didn’t bother me a bit, was how the bartender only filled the soda halfway up the glass. about a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ mix. You need to be buzzed in, the door locked for security reasons i suppose. an island bar surrounded by comfortable stools. it reminded me of a place fred sanford would go to in 1975. and i’m not saying that because my gf and i were the only white people in there. i’ll definitely drop in next time i’m in the neighborhood.

I’ve dropped in a couple of times and would call it hit-​or-​miss. It really comes down to what you’re looking for and when you visit.
This is very much a bar for locals and regulars. Most patrons seemed to know each other, and while the folks were friendly and welcoming, I can’t say it’s my scene. A little too low-​key. (You might have noticed that Fiume, the part-​time bar right across the street, has gotten a bunch of reviews while Watutsi II had none until now.)
However, let’s say you’re just looking for a quick beer or drink after work, or you’re on the way to somewhere else. You haven’t hit an ATM and only have five bucks in your pocket and 30 minutes to kill. Those dollars will go far at Watutsi II: probably two beers and a round on the jukebox. Nope, I’m not kidding.
City Paper recently blurbed about this place and made it sound more lively than it was on my visits. Apparently, there’s a strong charitable vibe among patrons here, with collections taken up for neighborhood causes and people in need. Gotta respect that.