Mark Dedrick Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 We visited last night for the first time. Really like it. We were at the bar upstairs, which has a much different look and feel than downstairs. From what I understand you can order food, beer and wine downstairs, but no cocktails. Loved the look and feel of the place upstairs, although it is small. While last night it was not crowded at all, I could see it being a bit tough to navigate on a busy weekend night. They have a good, although for me at times challenging to read cocktail menu, designed around classic drinks. It's hard for me to describe exactly how it's laid out, so just know that it's laid out exactly like this. In addition, on the board behind the bar they had a large section featuring different variations on the daiquiri. I'm not certain, but I believe that they will be changing that up periodically to spotlight a different drink. The drinks were well made, and service was fantastic. On the food, we ordered nearly everything off of the menu, and quite enjoyed it. I preferred the dumplings. In short, this is now, probably, the second best cocktails on H Street (behind the Atlas Room), and a great spot to go to get drinks and some relatively inexpensive food. Happy that they're here. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhollers Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 The drinks were well made, and service was fantastic. On the food, we ordered nearly everything off of the menu, and quite enjoyed it. I preferred the dumplings. In short, this is now, probably, the second best cocktails on H Street (behind the Atlas Room), and a great spot to go to get drinks and some relatively inexpensive food. Happy that they're here. Mark, I agree with you on the drinks, but wasn't as big a fan of the food. I went with a few buddies the night after they opened; we also ordered the whole menu. While we enjoyed the fillings, we found the wrappers on both the dumplings and the bao to be a bit thick and gummy for our liking. I'm quite sure they've polished up a bit since opening, so I'll be back (a lot, based on the Manhattan and the Sazerac I had). Cocktails were damn good (and pretty much in line with other H St. spots at $12 each for the classics we tried) and the bartenders were quick and personable even while they were slammed - I'd also rank the drinks on the higher end of H St., but think Atlas Room, Church & State, and Boundary are still the cream of the cocktail crop on H St. Again, this is based on one night's visit, so I'll certainly get back more to get a true feel for the spot. Definitely fills a need on H St., and I hope they slay. Cheers! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyjoan Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 We loved our first trip to Copycat Co. - we got there a bit after 5 on Sunday, and it was pretty empty, but it filled up quickly and they had a nice steady crowd for the whole time we were there. Bartenders were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, and they did not steer us wrong - I had three different cocktails, and they were all superb (I think my favorite of the night was the Harold Smash, with tequila and all-spice - it had that taste of fall without being cloying or sweet). We ordered all of the skewers and both the beef bao and the triple delight potstickers; I did NOT like the skeweres because they were cooked beyond recognition, but the dumplings were fantastic. I would gladly return for dumplings and drinks anytime. I feel like this will be a great industry bar - late hours, good drinks, awesome service, and cheap munchies. A welcome addition to the neighborhood! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhollers Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 On the food, we ordered nearly everything off of the menu, and quite enjoyed it. I preferred the dumplings. [T]he dumplings were fantastic. I would gladly return for dumplings and drinks anytime. Stopped by again last night and have to agree - dumplings and bao are vastly improved. Dumplings we tried (pork-shrimp-chives and veggie) had great fillings and a way better wrapper, much more enjoyable to eat than the super thick iteration the first night. Bao are also improved; seems like they're properly steamed a little longer now. Still a little small, but for $1.25, how can you complain? Here's the full menu (available for a grand total of $23.50 for the whole thing...ftw). Still on the daiquri as their "featured cocktail," but moving to the Manhattan soon. For those unfamiliar, as Mark mentioned, they (monthly? maybe more frequently) pick a base cocktail, then kind of sketch out all the different ways it has gone over the years. Sort of like a drink family tree, if you will. Had two great variations on the daiquiri (a drink with which I'm still not super familiar) - one with aged rum, smashed mint, muddled chili, and lime, and the other a classic Hemingway daiquiri with white rum, maraschino, grapefruit and lime juices. Head bartender really knows what he's doing...great guy to chat with about booze. Mark ("a great spot to go to get drinks and some relatively inexpensive food. Happy that they're here.") and bettyjoan (a great industry bar - late hours, good drinks, awesome service, and cheap munchies. A welcome addition to the neighborhood!") nailed it, above. Cheers! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 I stopped in Monday night for takeout. I stuck with dumplings, as I've found the bao to be a bit too much dough (not $) for my tastes. I took home a few veggie, triple delight, and chicken and mushroom. All pan-fried by default. We've had dumplings here a few times, but these were the best of the lot. Each variety had a subtly different shape, and all had a nice combo of soft steamed tops and crunchy fried bases. Definitely making its way into our regular neighborhood rotation, and a real lifesaver for nights we don't feel like cooking, but don't want to pack the kid up for a dinnner out. (The cocktails upstairs are great too...it's just been a while since I've been up there.) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaRiv18 Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 Cocktails at Copycat are best in show for H Street right now, IMO. They just devote more resources to their bar, including a dedicated ice program, range of glassware, and range of garnishes (used to be you could tell if a bar program was legit if it had Ango or orange bitters on the shelf; now, I look to see whether they use grapefruit peels). The ambiance does approach a sort of relaxed pretentiousness that is not my everyday choice, and may be even more hipster than your regular speakeasy that also attracts a mix of professionals. I have, though, met some fine random people bellying up to the bar in my two visits. Beyond H St, I still think Copycat holds their own against many cocktail programs in the metro area. It strikes a nice balance of classics, contemporary, and their own recipes. I've tried a Left Hand, a Zombie, a Trinidad Sour and others there and all have been cleanly delivered recipes. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapy Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Do they still have the gin fizz on the menu? I'm really looking forward to drinking one when I'm not pregnant. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaRiv18 Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 Boy, if they can't make you a gin fizz, I retract everything I just said about them. I love gin fizzes! I hope you are comfortable on this super-hot day, soapy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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 accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now