With so many young entrepreneurs creating that much-anticipated nightlife in Downtown El Paso, it is surprising to see bars still emerging, competing to be the mostly visited watering hole. As Downtown grows and becomes more of the city’s night spot, more and more people will want a variety of hang-outs to choose from as their weekends approach. One place already established in the center of the Downtown-universe is Soho Cocktail Lounge. Most remember this spot as Chama Lounge, but in October of 2007, Anthony (Tony) DiNapoli, Joe Rodriguez and Tudur Thomas purchased the establishment and renamed it Soho.
Tony and Joe have been in the bartending business for over 20 years combined, working together throughout the city. You may have met one of them serving drinks at places like Club Xcape, G2, Rol, Geske’s Fire Grill and Bar 26. In 2005 they upgraded their affiliation from friendship to business partners when they launched the first bartending school in El Paso called Liquid Phunk School of Bartending.
Their third partner, Tudur, joined the pair when they decided to take over Chama Lounge. Tudur is from Las Cruces, where he lives and works as a well-respected physical therapist. Tony and Tudur met 8 years ago in a rugby team and have played together ever since.
The trio has big plans for Soho and are in the progress of increasing their clientele base. They attract all walks of life and will continue to do so. During their Tues.-Fri. happy hour, which is from 4 to 8 pm, you will see bankers, lawyers, doctors, and business owners who walked over from their Downtown offices to have a drink, but once the sun sets, the scene morphs into an array of young, dynamic artists, students, professors and yuppies. Tony says, “Soho is a place that you can come [to in] a suit, but loosen your tie!” He wants his guests to feel comfortable; as if they were “at home,” but still experience the “big city urban feel.” Tony feels that by providing the lounge with ottomans and oversize couches as seating, he can accomplish this goal. He says the bar was designed to look, “a modern day eclectic meets Interview with [the] Vampire.”
Drinks at Soho are pretty unique. They serve drinks not found anywhere else in El Paso. Tony and Joe are not your typical, non-existent, bar-owners. They are always working, serving up their specialty and newly-invented drinks. These guys are the Willy Wonka of drinks and Soho is their factory. You can order a Strawberry Fizz Martini, an Apple Fritz, or one of two Bloody Marys; the meat-eater’s or vegetarian! They also serve shooters, mixed drinks, beer and wine.
Every weekend you can listen to a live DJ spinning the freshest music on, what Tony calls, “high quality, state of the art, sound equipment.” Also happening every Wed. night is Open Decks Night, where local DJs can sign up to play for 1-2 hours, but only on vinyl. NO CDs please! Soho wants to take it back to the old school!
Something in the calendar works is Latin Night on Thursdays which will obviously feature a Latin theme, with Latin music and drinks catering to the Latin Fan Club in town. And every other month, on a Sunday, Soho will accommodate the Gothic culture, a “must-experience,” according to Tony.
The only thing “loungey” about this place is the seating. The vibe is something inexplicable. Walk in there on a Friday or Saturday night and what you will see is a booming stock market of singles strutting their stuff, dancing, chatting, laughing, striking up conversations with each other, making the shy crowd a little nervous. In this pool of barracudas, the quiet ones better buy some shots to loosen up the competition and liven up the game!
So, whether you are in the mood for Happy Hour with the intellectuals, a Thursday night salsa rendezvous, Friday night dance fest, or a Saturday evening beer, then Soho is the place for you. You do not have to wear a fancy suit to get in, but a dress code is enforced, and Tony says, “our motto is dress funky, not junky!” When asked what Tony would like everyone to know about his establishment, he said, “El Paso is a very diverse community and Soho Cocktail Lounge is a perfect place because we have many promotions[s] for this diverse community that is growing fast!”
