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"), adjustable in depth, and 92" in height (7' 8"). There is also a larger 96" width available and various height possibilities. This gives the customer a fairly broad range of size options to fit their requirements.

There are three 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 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.
 

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.