ptown Brothers Brewing Co. opened last August, bringing craft beers, southern-inspired food, and a 47-inch TV screen for just about every angle to the Capitol Hill neighborhood. 

Nestled in the former Red Room space, at 320 E. Colfax Ave., Uptown Brothers straddles the area of Colfax that walks the line between seedy and sophisticated. The large windows of the bar and its lounge style, with open tables, booths, and a long bar, invite people watching inside and out—whether observing politicos sip a few martinis after a day at the Capitol or having a front-row seat to the strange occurrences that make Colfax such a legendary street. That can be a good thing—or a bad thing.

We—namely Dave Colt, Kate Mills, Frank Schuchat, Marshall Snider, Dennis Walker, and myself—got comfy at Uptown Brothers on a recent weekday. What brought us there was the owner, Paul Lumbye, who is still a practicing attorney and a former colleague of Walker.

What kept us in our seats was the draft beer menu. If you wanted it, it was there. And if you didn’t know what it was, the wait staff was there to explain, offer samples, and suggest new beers to try. Plus, the menu rotates fairly regularly.

“I was particularly impressed by the extensive draft beer menu,” Snider said after visiting. “Thirty-two choices of various wheats, lagers, ales, ambers, stouts, IPAs, and Belgian-style beers should allow anyone to find something they like.”

For sports fans, this bar should have you at its proclamation of nineteen 47-inch HD TVs. There was a lot to watch and it kept our conversation flowing.

During our visit, we were joined by the proprietor, who shared a story of a motor vehicle hearing he had attended with a client earlier in the day. Even more exciting, he let us know that Uptown Brothers plans to start its own in-house brewing.

A few of us also tried the food while there. Though there were some who raved and some who panned, we all agreed that the menu has some interesting options in case your happy hour stretches into the night.

The menu boasts bar food with a southern flair; mixed in with staples like hot wings, nachos, and BLTs were fried green tomatoes, po’ boys, and Carolina pulled pork.
“The food is unique,” Walker said. “Where else would you get Brunswick stew, crab cakes, and cheese grits in one stop?” D