Driving by Fair Lakes Shopping Center on a Tuesday one wouldn’t expect to see a large crowd at a bar. Perhaps some regulars grabbing the usual nightcap, or some newcomers just looking for a place to grab a quick drink after a long day.
NOT THE CASE with the Blue Iguana Restaurant and Bar, located at 12727 Shoppes Lane in Fair Lakes. Open seven days a week, most people might know Blue Iguana for its seafood scampi, beef tenderloin tips, and crab cakes, or even its vast Sunday brunch buffet of waffles, pasta salad, an omelet station, varieties of fruit, bacon, sausage, home fries, and poached eggs.
However, late night, the environment changes drastically, especially on Tuesdays. In fact, there is so much after hours traffic at this location that parking becomes easier to find on a Friday or Saturday night.
What could possibly bring so many people to one location on a day never really known for late night ventures? The answer may surprise many — Karaoke.
This one-time staple for poor interpretations by “out-of-towners” has become a pie-eyed celebration between friends who all share a love for a certain song. Everyone from young sorority girls to men past their prime stands up and grabs the microphone, giving it their all to do justice to their favorite rhythms and rhymes.
A sign-up is required to sing; one approaches the deejay stand situated in the corner, gives their name and the number of the song they wish to sing (which is selected from a book of music), and when their turn comes up they go up to the booth and read off of a teleprompter to the crowd. During the performance the screen tells them when to pause, and in the case of a duet, it tells the “entertainers” who says what according to a color scheme.
Some are actually very talented, others (and the crowd lets them know who they are) are a bit less than perfect. Hosted by local deejay “Kawboi” (pronounced “Cowboy”), he integrates the crowd into the show, talking to regulars, yelling at the overly inebriated, and doing his own renditions on fan favorites.
The crowd has gotten so large, in fact, that the veteran bartenders there had to add another member to their drink-making team, just to keep up with the demand of the nightly patrons.
“TUESDAYS used to be pretty dead up here, then out of no where it became impossible to get a parking space, let alone a table,” said Jesse Engebretson of Greenbriar.
Dennis Poulsen, also of Greenbriar, adds, “I think people like this place for the bartenders, too; they learn your name and your drink, and after a while they’ll have it waiting for you when you come in.”
The Blue Iguana is open from 11:30 a.m. until 2 a.m. every weekday, and 12 p.m. until 2 a.m. on Saturdays. Sunday the restaurant opens at 10 a.m. for brunch and closes at normal hours.
For additional information about Tuesday nights or weekly events and specials, along with a full menu of food services, call 703-502-8108, or visit the Web site at www.theblueiguana.com.