Jump to content

Drinks in Pentagon City - Suggestions Needed


Pete

Recommended Posts

I am meeting a friend whom I haven't seen since high school for drinks in Pentagon City after work this week. Although I lived in Pentagon City many years ago, I have no idea what is over there anymore. I am looking for a decent place to grab some drinks and maybe a little to eat. Food is less important, as catching up on the last 20 years will be the priority. Any recommendations?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's a tough one. There's Siné Irish Pub in Pentagon Row, and there's a wine bar there too, Zen, but I've never been there. There's a Lebanese Taverna, but I don't think they have drinks, do they? I assume you won't have transportation other than walking?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am often in that ‘hood, here are a few options:

  • Call ahead and book a booth at Sine. The food is firmly in the “fine/whatever” camp, but the acoustics and privacy are ideal. The handful of booths in the back of the restaurant are the best. Even if some crazy happy hour crowd descends, you’ll be insulated. This is my "go to" when I am meeting an important colleague or long-lost friend and want to focus on the conversation.
  • Lebanese Taverna has a small, adorable bar which offers good privacy and consistently tasty mezze, attractively presented. The wines by the glass are OK, and the spirits selection is decent. One disadvantage is if the bar is crowded for some reason, you’ll want to move elsewhere. I’ve only ever seen it crowded during special events.
  • Want to sit right next to each other? Zen Asian Bistro has a lounge atmosphere with dark leather couches, and a lovely place to catchup, again, if it’s empty. It’s all about the atmosphere here, the food is artfully presented and won’t hurt you, but won’t register on your palate, either.
  • Avoid Fyve at the Ritz Carlton like the plague. Echo chamber acoustics, and last week, a group of co-workers were scared out of their chairs with the smell emanating from the shrimp dish.
  • I’ve heard that the bourbon selection at Harry’s Smokehouse is surprisingly decent. Harry’s is in the mall, in the food court, and therefore closer to the Metro. The bar has some private seats, and it’s rarely crowded. Would be a good choice to try, and if you are not a fan, you can easily walk elsewhere. The food is decent to good—fresh ingredients prepared carefully with an emphasis on local sourcing, corporate, but fine.

Update: I mentioned this thread to someone else who frequents the area and they suggested Epic. I have not yet ventured there, and it's outside the covered walkway protection from the Metro/Pentagon Row, but maybe others can chime in on the experience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You know, I might take some heat for this, but I had a really nice time (not a nice meal; a nice time) at the bar of Harry's Smokehouse. The cocktails skew sweet, but the bartender will be able to tweak them for you if he knows you're a real person (use gin instead of vodka, amp up the acidity, mute the sweetness, etc.), and the wines by the bottle are inexpensive, if a bit pedestrian. I don't remember a single thing I ate here (they'd only recently opened), and neither will you, but Harry's Smokehouse might just fit the bill.

That will be five dollars.

EDIT!

I went back and read KMango's post, and realized I went to EPIC Smokehouse, not HARRY'S Smokehouse. The first paragraph above describes EPIC; yet I was using HARRY'S drinks menu to jog my memory. The drinks at EPIC *do* skew sweet, but not as sweet as they do at HARRY'S (I *knew* something was wrong when I was looking at that menu - the food wasn't great, but I remember it being better than what I was reading on HARRY'S menu). So ... same advice, different restaurant, thanks to Mango! The friend I was with got the applewood smoked scallops and they were worth ordering (pretty much how they look at the top of the dinner menu).

That will be four dollars.

Edited by DonRocks
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all of the recommendations. We wound up at Harry's Smokehouse (thanks, KMango), which was fairly quiet and allowed my friend and I the ability to catch up over a couple of beers. It was convenient since my friend was coming from the metro and I was able to park fairly close. I had a decent burger that was cooked correctly and the service was good. Not a remarkable place by any stretch but worth it if you are in the area.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...