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Drinks in Chinatown

KHT20

By KHT20
in D.C. & DelMarVa: Dining

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KHT20

KHT20

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Anyone know of any good, not-so-fancy places to get drinks in the Chinatown/Metro Center area after work? I know Legal Seafoods has a $3 top-shelf martini deal, but not on game nights. And if anyone mentions either Hooters or Coyote Ugly, I will not be a happy camper :wink:

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KHT20

KHT20

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Yeah, I took a look at the thread before I posted but wasn't too enthralled by any of the suggestions. I'm not really looking for a place with food, but more of a place to meet a couple friends for drinks before seeing the band that saved/ruined rock.

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hjshorter

hjshorter

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Yeah, I took a look at the thread before I posted but wasn't too enthralled by any of the suggestions. I'm not really looking for a place with food, but more of a place to meet a couple friends for drinks before seeing the band that saved/ruined rock.

Hm, what about RFD?

You talking about the Strokes? :unsure:

Heather Johnson

In Good Thyme

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Malawry

Malawry

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I know you want a bar, not a restaurant, but I love the bar at Matchbox. They have many house-made infused vodkas which they mix into tasty drinks, plus the bartenders have given great service every time I've gone.

Though I am too late for a pre-Strokes show. My ears are ringing from the concert. I hope you weren't near the girl who was whistling at eardrum-piercing frequencies like we were.

Rochelle Reid Myers aka "Malawry"

Diary of a Cooking School Student

Foodblog: 34 Hungry College Girls

Foodblog: Expecting a Future Culinary Student

Lots of Everything

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rbh

rbh

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my friend and i go through this before caps games all the time - looking for new places. for beer, RFD Washington has great selection, Gordon Biersch, Capital City Brewing, and District Chophouse serve their own beers. Fado and Irish Channel (in the Red Roof Inn) are ok also. Also for MCI Center events, there's the F Street Bar on the 2nd floor (no ticket required to get in).

This week, I discovered the happy hour at McCormick & Schmick's (where Angelo&Maxie's used to be) and their $1.95 happy hour menu (buffalo wings, mussels, onion rings, oyster shooters, 1/2 lb burger and fries, couple other things that escape my mind right now).

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syzygy8

syzygy8

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This week, I discovered the happy hour at McCormick & Schmick's (where Angelo&Maxie's used to be) and their $1.95 happy hour menu (buffalo wings, mussels, onion rings, oyster shooters, 1/2 lb burger and fries, couple other things that escape my mind right now).

$1.95 for a half pound burger and fries???!!!!

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KHT20

KHT20

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I forgot the McCormick & Schmick's opened downtown - I've been to the 16th St. location and thought the food was such a great deal (tasty too). Oh well, we'll have to do it next time.

We ended up at RFD and had a couple beers. I like the Brickskellar better, but what are you gonna do about it? Show was great though... a lot more high tech than the last time I saw them.

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rbh

rbh

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best $1.95 burger i ever had...... ok, tastiness wise, it's nowhere close to matchbox, but you can't beat the price. it's only been open since mid-feburary so i don't think it's started to draw the crowds yet. beers are a little pricier than other places but can't complain about the total bill.

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JennyUptown

JennyUptown

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I'm heading to Ella's tonight. I've been there once before (for lunch - wasn't all that impressed) but never for happy hour and I'm kind of dreading it. Because of the cheap drinks and free pizza, I am expecting a mob scene. But tonight I am the attendee and not the planner so I have to try not to sulk.

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eunny jang

eunny jang

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They have a guy at the door at 11am? Or was that at the bar? I just want to get in the door - I could care less about having a drink.

There are legitimate, non-sketchy reasons I ask (although it's only peripherally food-related, I suppose); I'm not a snotnosed suburban kid trying to act cool for a big weekend out.

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JennyUptown

JennyUptown

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I'm heading to Ella's tonight. I've been there once before (for lunch - wasn't all that impressed) but never for happy hour and I'm kind of dreading it. Because of the cheap drinks and free pizza, I am expecting a mob scene. But tonight I am the attendee and not the planner so I have to try not to sulk.

I neglected to mention that Ella's for happy hour wasn't nearly the nightmare that I thought it would be. There wasn't exactly an endless supply of free pizza, but what we got was reasonably tasty. I'm still Matchbox's biggest fan though and would choose Matchbox over Ella's any day. But I won't cringe when someone suggests Ella's either.

Surprisingly, it wasn't all that crowded on Thursday after work. There were people; it wasn't deserted or anything. But it wasn't a zoo either.

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KHT20

KHT20

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They have a guy at the door at 11am? Or was that at the bar? I just want to get in the door - I could care less about having a drink.

They definitely have people at the door bright and early in the morning on weekends. Not sure about weekdays, however... I think it depends on what sort of rugby/cricket shenanigans are going on in the world.

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PoorLawyer

PoorLawyer

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They have a guy at the door at 11am?  Or was that at the bar?  I just want to get in the door - I could care less about having a drink.

They definitely have people at the door bright and early in the morning on weekends. Not sure about weekdays, however... I think it depends on what sort of rugby/cricket shenanigans are going on in the world.

Yeah whenever I am there that early it is because I am there to see Syracuse beat Georgetwon at the MCI center

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syzygy8

syzygy8

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Lots of good beer.  Nice big bar area.

Lots of GREAT beer. Pitiful service.

I went in to RFD on Friday PM after work. No cask ales available at all. I was very surprised by that. They clearly had a keg of Heather Ale ready for what looked like a gravity pour and two other kegs in that cooler. But if they weren't going to tap it by 6:30PM on a Friday, when would they?

Does anyone know if anyone else serves any real ales in the DC area?

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TedE

TedE

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I went in to RFD on Friday PM after work. No cask ales available at all. I was very surprised by that. They clearly had a keg of Heather Ale ready for what looked like a gravity pour and two other kegs in that cooler. But if they weren't going to tap it by 6:30PM on a Friday, when would they?

I was there Saturday a little after 9:00 and asked the same thing. The only reply was, "we have them but aren't tapping them yet". Huh? My guess is that they think they aren't quite "ready" yet, but all 3 of 'em? My pain was only compounded by the fact that I missed the last of the Oggi's left over from the Lupulin Slam by about 5 minutes (had to watch the guy across the bar drink the last pint). Damn. And to top it all off we were surrounded on one side by a party of 6 six all drinking Foster's oilcans and a group of 8 on the other all drinking Bud Light :huh: . It was a depressing sight. I was somewhat consoled by a bottle of Stone Vertical Epic :smile:

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hjshorter

hjshorter

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And to top it all off we were surrounded on one side by a party of 6 six all drinking Foster's oilcans and a group of 8 on the other all drinking Bud Light :huh: . It was a depressing sight. I was somewhat consoled by a bottle of Stone Vertical Epic :smile:

How did you restrain yourself from asking them to leave? :angry::wink:

Heather Johnson

In Good Thyme

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Miguelito

Miguelito

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Suddenly I feel great nostalgia. Back in the '80s, when I was in my late teens/early 20s quaffing Bud and Old Milwaukee back in Indiana, I thought Foster's oilcans epitomized exotic, high-quality foreign beer. Ah, youth!!!

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syzygy8

syzygy8

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I was there Saturday a little after 9:00 and asked the same thing. The only reply was, "we have them but aren't tapping them yet". Huh? My guess is that they think they aren't quite "ready" yet, but all 3 of 'em?

I really think the folks at RFD (and Brickskeller) are creepy. Yeah, they've put together a hell of a beer collection, but their service is some of the worst in this city. I'd rather go to a bar that serves only Bud and Bud Lite (and drink a cocktail!) that has quality service.

RFD had been the place to go when I was really jonesing for a real ale, or the closest facsimile. And when I showed up on Friday and couldn't have it with THREE kegs in the fridge......

Ella's has bottles of Menabrea. The "velvet" selection at the Chophouse is always good too. Who needs RFD?

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