The Early Word on The Republic

Open since Thanksgiving or so, The Republic has quickly become part of the Marina landscape, and how. The follow-up effort from the guys behind Bin38 across the street, the upscale sports bar has quickly established itself as one of the more, um, polarizing spots in town, and since opinions on the restaurant/lounge are as plentiful as its shiny big screen televisions (timing of your visit might be key), it's time for another edition of everyone's favorite buzz-monitor: Good News/Bad News. As always, share further thoughts in the comments, please. And away we go:

The Good News: "The Republic has the best draft beer selection north of the Toronado. We had the pork chop, scallops, peppers and the root beer float. All of the food was solid." [Yelp]

The Hopeful News: "Marina sports fans looked happy with their new haunt. The service was friendly and efficient ... Despite the fumbles, this place seems promising but we'll have to touchback to see the final score." [Bunrab]

The Bad News: "Rookie service, tiny portions, overpriced. What is this place, restaurant? bar? sports bar? fancy lounge? I wonder if they even have a clue. Who cares who goes there? It sucks." [Eater Comments]

There Were Some Opening Hiccups: "It felt like we were cast in a slapstick comedy about a restaurant so absurdly horrible I wouldn't have been surprised to see cameras." [Yelp]

So It Might Be Time For a Contest Redux: "We swung by the Republic. Wow — I think we might have a contender for Douchiest Bar of 2010." [Eater Inbox]

Yelp Fight! Yelp Fight! "Sure... give the Republic a one-star review. but what you are really saying is that You are a self-centered narcissist who is trapped in the prism of your own experience. You must be absolutely charming to hang out with [meant sarcastically]." [Yelp]

Know Thy Audience (or, Trapped in the Prism of Your Own Experience?): “'What the hell is sue-viday?' was the audible from our enthusiastic neighbor as he read the menu description of sous vide buffalo wings ($9.00)." Said wings come with blue cheese foam and micro-celery, btw. [Bunrab]

Who Needs to Eat the Food to Review It? "The food looked rich, both in description and in price. The burger did seem really good and our FOFA (friend of a friend) seemed to enjoy his with relish." [Yelp]

In Summation: "The Republic feels a bit reserved for a bar--the immaculate leather couches and chairs, sturdy and spacious tables and unadorned cream-colored walls make it feel more like the lobby of a mid-range hotel. What it lacks in gritty bar character it makes up for in ingenuity, converting to a Vegas-grade sports bar at the touch of a button ... the food, like Bin 38's, is surprisingly good for a place that is first and foremost a bar. Is it the authentic sports bar of yore, heaving with faded memorabilia and drunken fans crushing Bud Light cans on their heads? No, and that seems to be the point exactly. [Heig/Citysearch]
· Eater Inside: The Republic [~ESF~]
· All Coverage of The Republic [~ESF~]