The Eberhard’s strange name refers to Eberhard Anheuser, the “Anheuser” half of Anheuser-Busch beer. It was founded by four of Eberhard’s descendants, who obviously spared no expense in creating this expansive new club: The bar is 65 feet long, glittering chandeliers hang overhead, and there’s an iconic Anheuser-Busch beer wagon parked near the front door. Most of the time, the place has an upscale bar-and-restaurant vibe with plenty of tables, comfortable booths, and flatscreen TVs. Late at night, though, the chairs disappear, the music turns up, and The Eberhard transforms into Henderson’s newest nightclub.
The atmosphere: Before midnight, The Eberhard is usually busy, but the space is so huge that it’s easy to find a spot for sports-watching, cocktails, and quiet conversation with friends. You’ll see ladies’ nights out and birthday parties and single dudes biding their time till midnight, when the crowd comes rolling in. After midnight, expect a dress code, thumping tunes, and flashing lights.
What to drink: The Eberhard has a handful of local brews, but mostly they serve up crowd-pleasers like Coors, Bud, Dos Equis, and Heineken. There’s also a list of “crafty cocktails” with cute names like “My Oh Mai Tai” and “The Pin Up.” The good news is that the cocktails are poured strong. The bad news is that if you’re in The Eberhard after midnight on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night, you might have to forego the fancy cocktail and settle for a Red Bull-and-vodka. Once the club atmosphere takes over, bartenders don’t have as much time for multi-ingredient concoctions.
The bartenders: There are plenty of black-clad bartenders behind the bar, which, considering the sheer length of this bar, is absolutely necessary. They’re friendly, pleasant, and plenty at ease dishing out tequila (or any other kind of) shots. When they’re not too busy, they’ll congregate behind the bar in a way that will remind you of the cool kids at your high school.
What to wear: The clientele can be described in two words: “Pretty people.” Expect the ladies to have great hair and impossibly high heels. The dudes will be prowling around in suit jackets.
What I didn’t like: The lack of creativity. Sure, it’s a bar-by-day, nightclub-by-night venue, but it has a kind of homogenized feeling no matter what time you go. And if you tend to prefer low-key, hole-in-the-wall bars, The Eberhard is not your place.
What I did like: The upstairs lounge area has a super-swank library vibe, complete with fake fireplace and cozy bar. It’s often reserved for bottle service on the weekends, so you might have to dodge a bouncer and velvet rope to get up there.
Tara Nieuwesteeg is the “Keeping Tabs” columnist for D Magazine.
