Rodney Scheel opened Rods's in the basement of Madison's Hotel Washington on July 7, 1979. It quickly became a regional leather/Levi hotspot. Rod's had a tradition of conducting "spot checks," cutting off men's underwear, and covering the bar's overhead exposed pipes. Rod's was famous for its outdoor patio, beer busts, and unapologetically sleazy vibe. After Rodney Scheel died in 1990, his brother Greg managed the bar until the Hotel Washington was destroyed by fire on February 18, 1996.