Our first and most popular bar
design. This bar is available in various forms and sizes. At the bottom of
the page, we have developed a simple table and color coded the three
important size aspects to this bar (width, depth, and height). Now, we
know the table may look confusing, but if you just take a moment, you are
sure to understand the concept. We basically have
(2) widths,
(2) depths, and
various options on height.
Model Names
The English Tavern is the name given for our full-canopy bar version. The
English Tavern has also available in a simpler non-canopy version called
English Tavern JRII, (ETJRII).
You will notice the original name as the full design (maybe the canopy
version) and any variations to be JR models. We use this naming concept
throughout our entire line.

The Design
The standard English Tavern is 80" in
width (6' 8"), 82" in depth
(6' 10"), and 89" in height (7' 5"). There is also
a
larger 96" width available, a reduced depth model, and various height
possibilities, in
addition to the standard size. This gives the customer a fairly broad
range of size options to fit their requirements.
The inside height from
floor to the top of the canopy is 79" (7' 5")....this includes the
standard canopy and the SG Stained Glass Canopy (an option). Therefore,
this model is well-suited for most height requirements.
Other people have copied this design over the years. Yet, keep in mind, if
this bar was not purchased here, it is not our bar. You will see many
variations of the design - different poles, sizes, proportions, angles,
options, and stain/finish colors. Again, our quality and their quality are
not the same.
There are four main components to the bar. Each component arrives boxed
and ready for assembly in your home. The assembly is rather simple, as
illustrated above. A simple manual is included that will discuss
installation tips.
The Construction
We use only solid wood in our construction. There is no particleboard,
OSB, or funny wood. We've recently
started using choice veneers on various
inside pieces. We did this not so much as a cost issue, but quality and
speed concern. We use no veneers on any exterior wood pieces. The
veneers amount to filler and inside pieces. The veneers make-up less than
5% of the bar construction. Technically speaking, veneers (plywood) is
still deemed solid wood. Therefore, solid
wood can still be used in
terminology. The use of veneers is an upgrade in our bar construction in
various ways.
The back has one large heavy beveled mirror, two smaller upper right and
left arched mirrors, and two smaller lower right and left mirrors.
We use all mortise and tendon construction (machine, not handmade - new
since 2005). We use side-block reinforced edges. Our frame is stouter and
the bar is solid. We use spaceballs in our wood panels (new for 2006). The
dovetail drawer was recently upgraded (new for 2006). We've added
additional canopy mouldings (new in 2006). Since 2002, our improvements
have yielded a far superior bar than even our original design.
All-in-all, our construction is well-built. The money you spend with us
goes in the bar and pays for the additional features and quality you'd
expect when dealing direct with the manufacture.
Size of our bar
Our bar is built bigger and uses about 25% more materials (than most of
our competitor's). Yes, the design may be copied, but the size in height
and depth are proportionally smaller....resulting in far less material
than you can imagine. If you are seriously looking at a copied ET design,
pay attention to the dimensions and view the photographs carefully.
In some cases, you may want/need the smaller size. Unfortunately, we do
not sell the smaller size. If you need the smaller size, there are people
on ebay/internet that sell the smaller size.
Our Finish
Truthfully, this is one of our best selling points. We use an industry
poly finish with a multi-coat sealer. There are no shortcuts in the
finish. We blend a special topcoat at the chemical plant for our finishes.
We get the question often, "how does your finish hold-up to water
stains".....and to answer that question, we decided to hold an experiment.
Poly finish durability test results.
Each bar is sanded (3) times before the stain is applied.....and (2)
additional times during the finishing process (between sealing
coats).....and a final 1000/3000 grit. We're not saying we have the best
finish in the world, but it is good....far superior than most importers in
our area. We also know we are one of the 15% or so export factories using
a poly finish (per the chemical plant). If you want melamine, laquer (NC),
or a general wax finish, you'll get that with the general importer quality
bars.
One last note, our finishing raw material runs 100% higher than comparable
melamine or NC sealer or topcoat finishing. The difference might be minor
to the eye, but it's the materials that ultimately decides the longevity
of the topcoat.
Our finishing gets better each year. If you expect a piece of Herndon
furniture, that's not us. Yet, we make every attempt to provide a durable
and quality finish. In addition, our website has over 2000 photographs of
past bar shipments for review. Judge for yourself.......you won't find any
glamour shots here.....just serious, straight-forward, photographs.
Also, new in 2006 is our HISTORIC finish in all 3 base coats (Danbury
Brown, Rockford Rust, and Essex Brown). This finish resembles more of an
antique look with weathered and highlighted features.
The FRONT Interior
Since the beginning, our front interior design has changed over the years.
In 2005-2007, we allowed fully customized interiors (option). This proved
problematic and slowed our construction considerably. Therefore, when
viewing the past photographs, please realize some interior options are not
available. Yet, we have condensed the basic requests into (2) front
interior options - Type A and Type B.

Type A (standard)
The English Tavern comes standard with a versatile configuration in Type
A. It contains two dovetail drawers in the center and right and left are
flanked with a new open shelf system. The middle interior has room for a
compact frig unit and/or a trash unit or a combination of both. Yes, you
could install (2) frig/wine units if desired. The drawers of the English
Tavern are 5/8" solid wood and feature no plastic or metal drawer glides.
The drawer system is completely free-flowing....there is no tacky white KV
plastic side-runners (like kitchen cabinets). You will find this gross
addition in many of our competitor's bars.
The thumbnail to the right
shows a wine frig and a trash bin (+$99). The adjustable shelves may
be removed at any time and the frig/wine units installed. The trash
bin must be ordered with your bar. It is not an add-on feature for
later.
The interior of the Type A 96" English Tavern is slightly different
due to its additional 18" in width.
Click Here for a picture of the STANDARD 2007 96" model front interior.
Click this link to read more about
your frig options relating to the STANDARD ET Interior.
Type B (option upgrade)
In this upgraded configuration, the English Tavern may accommodate a
full-size under-counter refrigerator/wine unit....in the most common size
of 24". In addition, the front has (4) dovetail drawers versus the
standard (2). It is possible to use some keganator units in this
configuration.
The interior of the Type B 96" English Tavern features the appliance
location in the center.
The Front Poles
Although we originally planned this as an option, we are now including
this feature standard in our English Tavern design. For over 5 years, we
listened to customers ask what is the best way to run the electric to the
front piece......and each year, we offered no solution. The reality was
the customer needed to use a rug or pre-wire access ahead of time.
Therefore, new to 2007 also includes (1) of the two large poles to have
an electrical channel running down the center of the pole. Therefore,
this allows you easier access to run the wiring from the back, through the
canopy, down the pole, and into the front section. Thus, we've solved your
electrical problem. Wiring not included.
All bars from 07-08 do
not have the conduit pole. It was a requested item as we integrated its
use into production. Therefore, in-stock bars may not have this feature.
The BACK Interior
The lower back of the English Tavern has four dovetail drawer units
running along the top edge (five in the ET96"). The entire lower section
is open with adjustable shelves. We no longer offer doors on either the
front or back. You will see past shipments with doors, but this is
currently not an option.
The back is only 16" in depth and does not accommodate an under-counter
appliance. If you wish to use a full-height under-counter appliance, then
you must choose the TYPE B front interior option. A full-height
under-counter appliance is typically 34" in height, 23-24" in depth, and
18-24" in width.
Sink Options
Over the years, we've sold various sink options - marble, different
designs, one-of-kind styles. Yet, currently offered is a standard 10"
copper bowl that is custom made for the reduced depth of the English
Tavern. Although the back is 16", the sink area is limited due to the
front overhang, frame, and back wall. This restricts the size of the ET
sink bowl. We custom craft the sink to fit in this limited area. It is
possible to use another manufacture's sink....but few manufactures make
such a small bowl. The standard 15"x15" bar sink will not fit.
The ET80 allows the sink to be installed in either the right or left side
(no center). The ET96 allows the sink to be installed in either the right,
left, or center. We do not drill for the faucet. This can be easily
handled with any experienced carpenter.
Tabletop Options (new profile design for 2007)
As
of 2008, we no longer offer the English Tavern with marble or granite. The
option is popular, but with continued streamlining and costs
considerations, we have temporarily suspended its availability. In place
of its deletion is a new inlay veneer wood tabletop.
The bar comes standard with a mahogany inlay veneer wood tabletop.
We also introduced a new tabletop profile in late 2006. The new profile is
a more defined moulding lip. The thickness did not change. Our top is
still 3cm compared to others 1.2cm to 1.8cm. Bang your fist down on our
top and bang your fist on their top. After the lips are installed and
profile cut, the overall thickness is 6cm. The difference in ours and
theirs is a 3cm top and 3cm lip versus a 1.5cm top and 4.5cm lip.
Why settle for cheap tabletop construction when the tabletop is the most
used and abused part of the bar? In addition, our tabletops have an
additional PU coat to withstand years of liquid abuse. Review our
durability test for a full discussion on this.
The Canopy
The English Tavern comes standard with a wood canopy. The inside of the
canopy features (2) areas to hold stem glasses. The stem glass rack will
hold up to 40 glasses per side for a total of around 80. The inside of the
canopy also features various locations for stained glass (an option). We
offer a stained glass package or you can purchase from your local shop -
either way the ET is ready for stained glass if desired. Every English
Tavern comes with the ability for stained glass - this is not an option.
In addition, we also offer an upgraded canopy called our Stained Glass
canopy that features 'forward-facing' stained glass. This does increase
the height by 3" - to 92".
If access is needed in the canopy, the upper panels can be unscrewed for
total canopy access. This is sometimes needed to run canopy lighting or
fish electrical through the space.
Hardware
And for hardware, we use only high-quality solid brass handles that are
96mm - not the standard 3". The handle is full-cast too. None of that
solid front and hollow back handle stuff.
Some others might advertise solid brass, but it is low-quality local junk
that doesn't match in proportion or style. It is an absolute joke what
some importers pass for hardware. If such items as hardware are so
obviously ignored, it is clear that attention to construction, quality,
and minor details are blatantly ignored.
Enjoying your English Tavern
When quality matters and you expect your dollar to buy value, the English
Tavern is a clear choice among the competitor's. When attention to detail
and the little things make a difference, the English Tavern is your only
choice. Order an English Tavern today or check our limited in-stock
selection for a bar ready-to-ship immediately. And remember, the Pontiac
Fiero was a cute car.....but it was no Ferrari.
ISSUES WITH STAIRS, TURNS, AND DOORS
The English Tavern does present problems in hard to maneuver locations.
The canopy is the biggest obstacle with the ET design. It moves in the
upright position and fits through a standard door by lifting and tilting.
The front piece can easily fit through most doors. If you have a new house
and standard 32"-36" doors, you are ok with most issues. Direct basement
or room access rarely pose problems. In addition, if you are going down
stairs, the wall at the bottom of the stairs may present problems on the
turn. Please pay careful attention to your specific installation 'path'
from the garage/other to your ultimate destination.
We are not responsible for your installation issues.
POPULAR OPTIONS
click
the ? symbol in the DESIGN YOUR BAR cart above for a more detailed
description
SG Stained Glass Canopy
(optional)
The English Tavern is also available with an optional Stained
Glass Special Canopy. In this concept, the canopy is larger in
height and comes with forward-facing stained glass. Currently, we
are not complicating the stained glass design and only offering it
in a tudor-style diamond pattern. The diamonds are available in
either blue, red, or green diamonds. The outside border is wrapped
in yellow with the inset being opaque clear white. The default
diamond color is blue - if not specified by the customer. The
forward-facing stained glass is included in the SG Special Canopy
up-charge. The underneath stained glass is not included (and can
be purchased separately). |
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Underneath Stained
Glass (optional)
The English Tavern does not come standard with underneath stained
glass. This is an optional feature. Yet, all the English Tavern
bar canopies have the lip for stained glass. Therefore, you can
add stained glass at a later date, if you so choose. The lip size
is roughly 1/4".
Again, we have kept the SG
option rather simple and just offering the pattern as a simple
tudor-style diamond pattern (level 1 under options). Eventually,
we will offer more complicated patterns. The JRII comes with its
full stained glass package (as described in its description). |
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Please keep in mind that
the past pictures do not reflect the current production interiors.
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