One Star Country Club Opening in Federal Hill at the Former No Way Jose Café

No Way Jose Cafe, which was retired last weekend, will reopen tonight as One Star Country Club. The team from Blue Agave bought No Way Jose Café, located at 38 E. Cross St. in Federal Hill, in February 2016 and has spent the past six months brainstorming a new concept and completing renovations on the building.

The new concept “will put a twist on the country club culture, and provide a fun and interactive environment for guests to enjoy,” according to a press release. One Star General Manger Don Messinese said that the interior will have a bit of a clubhouse feel and feature some country club decor, such as golf and tennis items. He noted it would not have the intimidating feel of some country clubs.

“We like to say we are a five-star place with a one-star feel,” Messinese told SouthBMore.com.

Messinese described the menu as pub fare that is casual but also super playful. The menu will include “a little bit of everything,” outside of expensive entrées. Items will include a “diner-style” burger and pressed sandwiches, as well as appetizers, soups, and salads.

The bar menu will focus on simple drinks such as screwdrivers. One Star will serve cans of beer and have six beers on tap with two of the taps reserved for local beers including UNION. When asked if One Star will still serve Natural Light, Messinese responded, “we have to.”

“We’re going to serve quick and delicious food, approachable drinks and remind people that a good bartender or server is not there only to complete transactions, but should be there to help you have a fun time,” said Messinese in a press release. “We want to take people back to the time when you could walk into a bar by yourself that you’ve never been to before, and walk out with ten new friends.”

One Star noted in the press release that they are not looking to capture a new audience with sophisticated food items and craft cocktails.

Renovations to the space include the removal of one of the two first-floor staircases, which allowed One Star to add two restrooms to the first floor and “improve the flow.” A large garage door was added to the front of the building and new windows were added to the side of the building. Natural light and airflow will continue to be features of the space.

One Star will be unveiling its second floor in the near future. Messinese said this space will be used for private events, extra dining space, and other events throughout the week.

The televisions at One Star will air local sports and whatever games customers want to watch.

“We want guests’ first impression of us to start from the second they walk in our doors, not when they look up our rating on their phone before they are physically here,” said Messinese. “We understand online reputation is a crucial element of the hospitality industry today, but we also want to have a little fun with it and bring human connection and interaction back to the forefront of what makes a restaurant great and memorable.”

One Star will be open Monday through Thursday from 3pm to 2am and on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11am to 2am.

One Star has 20 employees.

One Star’s logo 

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via http://southbmore.com/2017/10/26/one-star-country-club-opening-in-federal-hill-at-the-former-no-way-jose-cafe/