Southside 815, Southern American Sports Bar with Flat-Screen TVs - Old Town Alexandria

[monavano]

I've been a fan of Southside 815 for many years. It is a neighborhood "joint" with impressively low prices and generous portions. I know that does not necessarily mean quality or enjoyment, but if you're in the mood for a burger or sandwich, or even a Southern-inspired entree( fried green tomatoes, ettouffee, po boys etc.), I think you will enjoy this place.

What prompts my post is that for the first time, I got to enjoy their Happy Hour specials. The smoking ban in VA went into effect, and Southside now only has smoking outside (in season). The bar was a really smoky place to walk through to get seated in the restaurant, let alone eat in. I would walk through thinking "man, I'd love to eat cheap, delicious bar food, but...I'm not in the mood to take a shower when I get home."

Anyway, Mr. MV and I got to sit at the bar and enjoy Buffalo wings @ $.35 a piece. The wings are quite good-crispy, meaty, juicy and come with lots of blue cheese dressing (not homemade, for sure). We also enjoyed a "mini nacho" plate that had their own pulled pork, cheese, taco sauce and sour cream.

With my club soda and Mr. MV's beer, it came to $9.86.

We left fat, dumb and happy, having left a 30% tip and feeling good!

FYI, from experience, their burger has always been good. Not Central or RHB good, but enjoyable nonetheless. The fried chicken is worthy also, as is their pulled pork which is served in heaps between a bun. I've not ordered it to date, but the stuffed pork chop is about the biggest thing I've even seen and if you're in mood for fried green tomatoes, I think it hits the spot, at $5.50. They also have frickles .

[goldenticket]

What prompts my post is that for the first time, I got to enjoy their Happy Hour specials. The smoking ban in VA went into effect, and Southside now only has smoking outside (in season).

FYI, from experience, their burger has always been good. Not Central or RHB good, but enjoyable nonetheless.

As I've said (probably several times) before, Southside's burger is one of my favorites. It is also among the items on the happy hour menu, available at half-price.

Like Monavano - I'm very happy about the smoking ban and being able to go back to Southside and come out without smelling like an ashtray!

[goodeats]

This is a kid-friendly place too (well, in the dining section that is), as gelittleman has enjoyed their mac-n-cheese some time last year. I forgot what I had, but I have enjoyed my meals there before.

[Soup]

A very solid place. Never had a bad meal there and in the summer is a great place to sit outside.

as for the prices, I think even outside the happy hour, the value is certainly there. Their monday night po'boy deal is great.

BTW, they serve one of the best versions around the DC area. Shrimp is really good but oyster is better. The fried pickles rock.

Would recommend this as a very casual place and we certainly take the kids but there is a lively bar scene.

Soup

[Al Dente]

I spent entirely too much time there back in the day when I was young(er), single, a fiendish smoker, and major imbiber. The food was always well prepared and went well with my 3th, 4th, or 17th drink. Bartenders were always friendly and never once threw me out. I met more than one future ex-girlfriend there.

[glee4]

I went there last night and I was a bit disappointed. We ordered the Crab and Corn Drop Fritters which was tasty. The peach pepper jelly reminded me of spicy hot and sour saucy (very yummy). I ordered the gumbo and wasn't impressed with it. The sweet potato biscuit that came along with the gumbo was delicious. I wished we had ordered their bread basket. My friend order the Po'Boys - Combination. The bread was great but the oyster lacked any flavor and the shrimp was okay.

Next time when I go back I have to fried chicken, which they didn't have that night, and the 815 Biscuits.

[kmm]

I went there last night and I was a bit disappointed. We ordered the Crab and Corn Drop Fritters which was tasty. The peach pepper jelly reminded me of spicy hot and sour saucy (very yummy). I ordered the gumbo and wasn't impressed with it. The sweet potato biscuit that came along with the gumbo was delicious. I wished we had ordered their bread basket. My friend order the Po'Boys - Combination. The bread was great but the oyster lacked any flavor and the shrimp was okay.

Next time when I go back I have to fried chicken, which they didn't have that night, and the 815 Biscuits.

If you go for brunch, try the "Southern Eggs Benedict". It is one of my favorite dishes ever! Instead of an English muffin they use cornbread. The cornbread is almost like cake...

[ktmoomau]

Saturday after getting my family to volunteer with me, I took my Mom, SO and Hubby to dinner (well they ended up paying, so I guess they took us to dinner) we were at the Campagna Center and wanted someplace close.  The boat parade was going on, and after Scottish Christmas Walk all the restaurants downtown tend to be pretty busy, so I took a gamble that this side of town would be a better bet and it was, no wait.  

We got the bread basket- which has cornbread and two types of biscuits, with really tasty pepper jelly.  Their biscuits are good biscuits.  I got the pecan chicken, Hubby meatloaf, Mom shrimp and sausage with grits and SO had the drunken pot roast.  I didn't love my chicken- the chunks of pecans were a bit too big and it was more of eating chunks of pecan with chicken than an encrusted piece of chicken.  BUT the grits, potatoes and greens with my plate were really good.  I also really liked the tastes of drunken pot roast that I got- I would order that.  Hubby and Mom both liked their dishes, Mom took about half her shrimp and grits home it was a huge portion.  As an added bonus for me, I could see the WVU game from my chair.  Another table had the nachos and that was very tempting.  The service was really good and we all just kind of wanted to sink into a chair, warm up and relax and this was a good place to be able to do that.