This past Tuesday, Mr. and Mrs. 14thandYou were feeling social and decided that we wanted to head out somewhere in the neighborhood where we could sit outside and enjoy some drinks in the lovely evening weather. We headed up 14th street with an eye on either Bar Pilar or Saint Ex. Unfortunately, Bar Pilar has practically no outdoor seating, and Saint Ex restricts theirs to dinner patrons only. Cork was packed, as per usual, and we weren't really feeling the "wine bar" vibe anyway.
So, we hoof it over to 17th/18th street, only to find every place either packed or restricting outdoor seating to dinner guests. We ended up having dinner and a couple of drinks at the Straits of Malaya on 18th street (good food, loathesome service, but that's another post for another time...)
We didn't head up to U St., because the narrowness of the street tends to preclude much outdoor seating...but there may be a place or two that we're simply not aware of. So, that is our question: when you're looking to head out for a couple of beers (or one of Mrs. 14thandyou's fruity alcoholic concoctions) and you don't want to drop an obscene amount of cash on a full meal, where do you go? Any backyard patios or rooftop decks in the area that we should know about?
Friday, June 27, 2008
14thandYou Inquiry: Where Do you Get Your Drink On?
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22 comments:
Local 16 at 16th & U has a sweet roof deck bar, and Bohemian Caverns never seems to mind offering the outside seating for drinks only, you just have to order your drinks at the bar.
My roommates and I go to Solly's, at 11th and U. They don't have too many fruity concoctions, but if you're looking for a relaxed atmosphere and cheaper drinks, they have a great patio right outside.
Bourbon on 18th has outdoor seating in the back. It's a bit cave-like due to the high fence and the loud A/C running next door. But it's outside and surprisingly quaint considering the above statements. Also, I love their beer selection. Not sure about the fruity drinks, but they do have a lot of wine (and Bourbon, natch).
Also, for whatever reason, I've always been fond of the Alero on 13th & U. They have a lot of outdoor seating in front, and I'm pretty sure you can order just drinks there.
I like the roofdeck at Marvins (14th and U) and also Vinoteca (11 and U). I second the recommendation of Alero and Solly's.
I third Solly's - simple, laid back, and you can usually get a seat outdoors. Don't order fruity drinks there though (you'll probably get laughed at anyway), go for the $3 PBR. Also, further away, but the beer garden at Wonderland is always a solid choice. Marvin's deck always gets really crowded unless you get there early, but it is really nice. Polly's also has very limited outdoor seating, but I noticed it hadn't been mentioned so I thought I'd throw it out there.
Usually can sit outside at Merkado
Best outdoor, kind of a walk, is Levante's on 22 and L
Marvin is good
St Ex is atrocious
Um, Nellie's has an entire roof-top deck than even you heteros may use-stay away from the food there, however.
Local 16 and Marvin do have really nice outdoor options, but the crowds are very bridge-and-tunnel, not really the relaxed neighborhood vibe. And they both get seriously packed. I would definitely second Solly's & Vinoteca. Stetsons and L'Enfant also have relaxed outdoor spaces, and L'Enfant's is actually nice.
Local 16 is always crowded and the people are rude. I love Cork, but it is always crowded. We've ended up at Ulah Bistro a handful of times sitting by the window and it's quite nice. Marvins is totally fun, but the roof is usually crowded, but sometimes you can get great seats...it's a roll of the dice. Saint Ex's policy of closing the outside at 10 is insulting. Nelly's really does have an excellent roof and the food is ok.
Great recs everyone. Totally forgot about Solly's...we'd been there during the winter when the outdoor area was (obviously) not open, so it didn't even enter our minds. But we like it there a lot--particularly the college bar-esque vibe.
Places like Marvin and Local 16 we've tended to shy away from 'cause we're old and boring and the places get a little packed for our tastes. We've never been to Nelly's, but I'm always up for a good gay sports bar. Particularly if they have good drink specials.
Stetson's! They have a backyard patio. Definitely my choice on U Street for pitchers of PBR in the open air. Half-price turkey burgers on Thursday.
I never really understood why St Ex doesn't have longer patio hours - what an awesome place that would be to have a drink outside during the summer AFTER 10 pm. I'm assuming it's some ordinance they have to obey.
And Stetson's! Totally, I forgot about their little gem of a patio out back.
Tabaq on U b/w 14 and 15) has a great roof top. The glass roof is not always open but you get an amazing view of the city.
If you hit up Stetson's, tell the rat that lives back there hello!
I was at Vinoteca at 10pm on Saturday night and it wasn't too crowded. They have a sweet sidewalk seeting area, and some pretty good draft beers in addition to the wine.
I still like Fox and Hounds...sure, you might need to wait inside for an outdoor table for a little while, but it's certainly worth it to watch the 'love parade' pass by while sipping a cold one...
just beware of the roaches on the back patio there at stetson's. i've been there when you would need both hands and both feet to keep track of the number of big (i'm talking southern georgia big) roaches running up and down the walls and in and out of the back door.
Last time I was on the patio at Stetson's, three rats were running around, and one ran over my friend's feet. Not going back!
Perry's has the best roof deck in the city!! Of course, most of it is reserved for diners, but the bar area is nice, just sometimes packed with posers. Go early in the evening, and early in the week for less of a scene.
Sorry for the off topic question, but does anyone know what happened to the store Pink November on 13th and U?
Thanks.
Get to know someone that lives in the Ellington building...the roof is an amazing place to sit back and have a few drinks and watch all of the a-holes from VA and MD cruise up and down the street all night :)
Nellie's! It's the best.
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