H St. Country Club, H Street NE

[Spiral Stairs]

If you've been dying for a place where you can play pool, eat a Frito pie, putt some balls, drink a milkshake, and then top it off by getting blitzed in front of small children, Joe Englert is about to scratch your itch.

Says Joe himself (in the comments to the above blog post):

The working trade name is "H St. Country Club"--we would have 19 putt-putt holes with a Washington/historical/political theme.

Also, six 9-foot billiards tables by the hour.

We would seve updates of American Classics (goat cheese hamburgers, four cheese mac and cheese with roasted mushrooms, angus beef foot long hotdogs/frito pie, corn on the cob, milkshakes, pumpkin pie all year round.

Two or three bars.

Open Saturday and Sunday early for kids and families

Thanks--Joe Englert

I am strongly in favor of each individual item described above. I just don't know if they will all prove to be like peanut butter and chocolate, or like a fish and a bicycle.

[edenman]

Update. Mexican food theme, open in a month or so.

[davidphotek]

The menu is up and it looks like they will be open near the end of the month (May).

Link to menu: http://www.hstreetcountryclub.com/eats

[chiefdc]

The menu is up and it looks like they will be open near the end of the month (May).

Link to menu: http://www.hstreetcountryclub.com/eats

I'm surprised. This appears to be a very serious culinary effort. If the food is as good as it looks, we have a gem on our hands.

[synaesthesia]

I'm surprised. This appears to be a very serious culinary effort. If the food is as good as it looks, we have a gem on our hands.

The menu was designed in consultation with Ann Cashion. So it shouldn't be too big a surprise.

[DPop]

I'm surprised. This appears to be a very serious culinary effort. If the food is as good as it looks, we have a gem on our hands.

I hate to be Debbie Downer here, but I have to disagree. If the theme is still the same as noted above, why would I want to go and pay more than I would pay sitting at the bar at Palena for food in an environment like that? From what it sounds like, the plan for this place is somewhat of an urban fun park, which I was all for when they were talking about serving burgers and frito pies, but not when I'm paying $9 for Shrimp Tacos and $19 for Pork Rib Carnitas. Seems like a gross mismatch between the cuisine and the "entertainment".

[ppsailor01]

This place is going to rock, I can't wait for it to open. H st is the place to be.

[Pat]

Has anybody eaten here? I'm thinking of stopping by this evening. Maybe I should put this in the whim thread. The menu for the main restaurant sounds appealing, but I'm just wondering how the whole concept has played out and whether it has worked.

[youngfood]

Has anybody eaten here? I'm thinking of stopping by this evening. Maybe I should put this in the whim thread. The menu for the main restaurant sounds appealing, but I'm just wondering how the whole concept has played out and whether it has worked.

I enjoyed a group meal there recently. The shrimp tacos and duck quesadilla were hits; the pork rib carnitas and the lobster dish less so. Minigolf was fun and surprisingly a challenging course. Cocktails were more well-thought out than you might expect, but inconsistently executed. They seem to offer a real menu upstairs, but basically treat the downstairs as a bar, so I haven't tried the more limited menu from down there as yet.

I predict Don puts this place ahead of Napa 1015, but still behind Granville Moore's and Taylor when he next updates his NE dining guide.

[DonRocks]

I enjoyed a group meal there recently. The shrimp tacos and duck quesadilla were hits; the pork rib carnitas and the lobster dish less so. Minigolf was fun and surprisingly a challenging course. Cocktails were more well-thought out than you might expect, but inconsistently executed. They seem to offer a real menu upstairs, but basically treat the downstairs as a bar, so I haven't tried the more limited menu from down there as yet.

I predict Don puts this place ahead of Napa 1015, but still behind Granville Moore's and Taylor when he next updates his NE dining guide.

You know, I still haven't been. Question: Going early in the evening during the week with a twelve-year-old for Minigolf ... good idea, or bad idea?

(I'm picturing something like The Big Hunt, i.e., bad idea.)

[Pat]

You know, I still haven't been. Question: Going early in the evening during the week with a twelve-year-old for Minigolf ... good idea, or bad idea?

(I'm picturing something like The Big Hunt, i.e., bad idea.)

This evening at about 6:30, there were several families there with kids. They were younger than 12, but it was a very family night atmosphere. (I actually heard someone make a comment about it being family night, but I wasn't sure if that was a metaphor or if they really have designated family nights.)

As far as the food, I'm usually reluctant to order the most expensive thing on a menu, but what I really wanted was the duck chilaquiles, so I got them. They were okay. The duck was a bit tough, not terribly so. The chilaquile part was skimpier than I would have thought and had pretty much melted/disintegrated under the duck. The tomatillo salsa was quite good, though. I'd eat there again, but I think I'd go for something else.

[JLK]

Has anyone tried the shuttle from Chinatown to H Street? If so, how regularly does it run?

[synaesthesia]

Has anyone tried the shuttle from Chinatown to H Street? If so, how regularly does it run?

Every half an hour. I've sat on a really nice one, and a really gross one.

[edenman]

Every half an hour. I've sat on a really nice one, and a really gross one.

The X2 is another option for getting out there, but it doesn't run all that frequently late at night...I used to just cab back once sufficiently fed and drunk, but now that you guys have nextbus, the X2 might be an option for return trips too.

[Tweaked]

The duck quesadilla was forgettable...but then again I don't remember much about Saturday night

[hillvalley]

What's the protocol for reserving time on the golf course, shuffle board, or skee ball?

[The Doctor]

What's the protocol for reserving time on the golf course, shuffle board, or skee ball?

I was there a few Saturdays ago, and around 8 p.m., there wasn't a wait for any of the above. By later in the night, the situation changed.

I believe you just go up to the little golf booth (upstairs) and give your name, and they'll tell you what the wait is going to be. The bartender downstairs keeps the queue for the shuffleboard. The wait time is difficult to gauge sometimes because there's no time limit for using the tables. The skeeball seemed to be a free for all, but the turnover on that was pretty quick. That is, people would just play a few games and then move on.

[synaesthesia]

The food downstairs leaves a lot to be desired, from our experience tonight. The chile con queso came out congealed. We ended up having to cut up the cheese with a knife. The tamales were bland, and the meat stuffed inside melded with the masa into a big mushy lump.

[hillvalley]

The nachos left a lot to be desired as well. They were burnt, bland, and boring. I don't understand why they didn't stick with typical American Country Club fair. Eating before hand is highly recommended but it still makes for a good night out.

[youngfood]

Headmixtress Gina is redoing (has redone?) the cocktail program here.

[jstevens75]

Get the Chicken Nachos, they are great, and one of the few places that I have seen that use fresh cut jalapeno

[Matt]

I was looking for an off-beat restaurant in a part of town I don't usually visit and tried the H Street Country Club recently. What a great surprise! Although the upstairs dining area is small, the Mexican food (the real thing, not the Tex Mex stuff) was very well prepared. The Lamb Enchiladas and Snapper Vera Cruz were particularly good! Checking out the kitchy but fun DC-themed indoor mini-golf course after dinner was a nice change of pace too. I definitely recommend checking it out!

[hungry prof]

I was looking for an off-beat restaurant in a part of town I don't usually visit and tried the H Street Country Club recently. What a great surprise! Although the upstairs dining area is small, the Mexican food (the real thing, not the Tex Mex stuff) was very well prepared. The Lamb Enchiladas and Snapper Vera Cruz were particularly good! Checking out the kitchy but fun DC-themed indoor mini-golf course after dinner was a nice change of pace too. I definitely recommend checking it out!

Nothing like the smell of a publicist in the afternoon. . .

[PigglyWiggly]

My husband and I tried this place out. Low/no expectations, but it was a lot of fun. Don't remember exactly what we ate (we did golf and drink a few rounds beforehand), but I remember my dish was duck and it was terrific. Cute course, not too busy (weeknight, prob. around 7pm), we golfed maybe 3 rounds and nobody seemed to care. We'll go back again.

[New Foodie]

As seems to be a pattern with me, I'd been meaning to check out H St Country Club since it opened, but hadn't ventured there until Friday evening. We had a Living Social coupon (man, I love that site), but would've made it up there eventually anyway. We arrived around 7pm on a Friday night without a reservation and were seated immediately, although it did fill up soon after that. Golfing immediately afterward (around 8/8:30) was also not busy, but I'm sure later in the night it gets packed as the downstairs bar was full when we left.

I had Sangria ($7) and the +1 had the Classic Margarita ($7), both of which were good. The Sangria was perhaps a little drier and less fruity than I usually prefer, but certainly not bad. We also ordered the Guacamole (Traditional guacamole made to order with diced tomatoes, onions & Serrano chiles. Served with crispy tortillas. $7) to start. This was excellent. It was a very generous serving with a fresh and bright taste. We each ate a ton and there was still some left (which we proceeded to use with our entrees). The chips were crisp and salty and I would definitely order this again.

For my entree I got the Tres Gorditas (Masa puffs [fried corn dough] with three toppings: roasted pumpkin & poblano peppers, zucchini with basil and Cojita cheese and Mexican scrambled eggs. Served with Ranchera sauce and black beans. $15). This intrigued me on the menu and although it was completely unhealthy and helped throw off my New Year's resolution, it was very very good. The Masa puffs were freshly cooked (we saw them frying more to order later) and all three toppings were quite good (the pumpkin and poblano was the best though). This was actually served with rice as well, and between that, the beans and the 3 gorditas was a ton of food. The +1 got the Tacos al Carbon (Marinated pork garnished with onions and cilantro. Served on warm corn tortillas with our signature salsas. $8) from the appetizer menu for his entree. The tacos were stuffed so full he had to eat some of the filling with a fork before he could add guac and salsa to pick them up and eat them. The salas served along side were tasty, one tomatillo based and one tomato, and I stole some for my gorditas. I think we would both re-order everything we got, but we also were eying the Steak Tampiqueno at our neighboring tables.

The mini-golf after dinner was a lot of fun, if a little expensive at $7 for 9 holes. However, it wasn't that busy, and you're not regulated at all (i.e. hole #9 doesn't capture your ball at the end), so you can wander through and re-play holes if you're so inclined. Some are a lot easier than others (the Capital Beltway hole is impossible!) but they are all creatively decorated and fun to wander through. Unfortunately all the skeeball was occupied when we headed downstairs, so we'll save that for next visit.

My only (slight) quibble with the evening was the way the server handled our check. The Living Social coupon was for $50, and our bill was $48, so we put the coupon and a $10 bill (for tip) in the folder. She brought it back to us a few minutes later to mention that tax was separate and had a bill for the $4.40 tax...the $10 was gone. We scrounged up the $4 to leave for tax, but it left a bad taste in my mouth that she hadn't returned to us with $5.60 in change from our $10 and then explained the tax situation. We obviously would have added in more to cover her tip, but it was odd of her to just take it out and pocket it. It won't affect our decision to return, but just more of an annoyance.

[ktmoomau]

Went here last night to play mini-golf and ended up eating here due to crowds elsewhere. We were pleasantly surprised as I think we were expecting the food not to be very good. Started with guacamole which was good, not Cafe Atlantico good, but very satisfying. Then I had shrimp tacos, which were good, my only complaint is they charge extra for crema which is a pretty standard part of a shrimp taco. The vegetable slaw in it though was very crunchy and fresh. the tomatillo salsa was spicy in a good way.

Also had the duck quesidilla, which was good, but tasted much more like cheese and peppers than duck. I think they could edit the dish just a little to highlight the duck a little more and it would be fantastic. The steak and duck entrees looked good.

Drinks were actually a low point here. The Sangria is terrible. I took one sip and couldn't drink it. We should have sent it back, but I don't think a new one would have been any better since it is all in a pot together. The mojito just lacked flavor, although they did have fresh mint. Gin and tonic was the best option- hard to screw up.

The other hang-up was the service. Which was often non-existent. We first arrived and went upstairs for drinks- no one was at the banquets so we sat in one just to have a drink and wait for the rest of our party. We were told we couldn't sit there without a reservation. So we stood at the bar and ended up in the way of the servers, while those tables sat completely empty until past the time we were there. I respect that the tables were reserved for certain times, but in such a small place it just seemed odd that some of the tables were reserved, some weren't the place just seemed disjointed from upstairs and downstairs. If it was reservation only why put a tiny bar with few seats up there and not put more tables and focus on the bar downstairs?

While playing mini-golf I sat my drink on part of the course so I could put and go to the bathroom. A server came by and took it without asking our party if it was someone's drink. You are supposed to have beverage service in that area, but the server never came back. Dinner service was slow, as well. I think in large part because they have very few servers who also are on drink duty and a lot of people. Overall it was fun, but it isn't a destination for dinner. I feel like I have just hit a bad spell of service lately.

[Genevieve]

Has anyone eaten here lately? We're looking at it as a possibility for a bar mitzvah party (thanks to a recommendation from a kind boardie [Rockwellian? Rocker? what do we call posters/members here?). We're going to go and check it out, but I'm sure we won't be able to try everything.

The duck quesadilla doesn't seem to be an option on the party buffets -- we could select several options from chips/salsa, guacamole, huraches (I've never had those anywhere), quesadilla, mixed green salad with queso fresco, quesadillas, and possibly Nagadoches meat pies (haven't had these either) and smoked veggie enchiladas. We wouldn't be ordering the pork or seafood, though we're not kosher and I'm okay with meat quesadillas. They have mango empanadas on the dessert menu, which sounds intriguing.

Any thoughts from people who've eaten there would be welcome!

(We are also looking at Spider Kelly's and Clarendon Ballroom, both of which would be easier transportation-wise. Don't know about the food at either, but we're eating at Spider Kelly's later this month, so I can try it then.)

[DonRocks]

Has anyone eaten here lately? We're looking at it as a possibility for a bar mitzvah party (thanks to a recommendation from a kind boardie [Rockwellian? Rocker? what do we call posters/members here?). We're going to go and check it out, but I'm sure we won't be able to try everything.

Not lately, but perhaps a year ago - the best dishes I had were what might be best prepared by a competent Latino line cook. (Think: anything that sounds Central American, South American, or Mexican in nature.) I'm hesitant to say this because I realize how it sounds, but I really had some good Latino-influenced dishes when I went - they were good enough where I'd happily order them again.

[darkstar965]

Has anyone eaten here lately? We're looking at it as a possibility for a bar mitzvah party (thanks to a recommendation from a kind boardie [Rockwellian? Rocker? what do we call posters/members here?).

I like "RockStars" and "RockHeads" but I'm pretty sure noone else does.

[saf]

I've had snacks there, and really liked the guacamole.

Then again, it's the only guacamole I've had outside my own house in years (since the rise of the cilantro in EVERYTHING rule), as they were willing to make me an order without the evil that is cilantro.

[Genevieve]

Not lately, but perhaps a year ago - the best dishes I had were what might be best prepared by a competent Latino line cook. (Think: anything that sounds Central American, South American, or Mexican in nature.) I'm hesitant to say this because I realize how it sounds, but I really had some good Latino-influenced dishes when I went - they were good enough where I'd happily order them again.

Thanks, Don. The Latino dishes are the ones that sounded best to me anyway, so that's good. We'll go and try it out soon.

[Pat]

Thanks, Don. The Latino dishes are the ones that sounded best to me anyway, so that's good. We'll go and try it out soon.

You didn't say originally what the purpose was, but this seems very well-suited to a bar mitzvah party, doesn't it? Even if the food is not stellar, it sounds like a great location if you've got a bunch of 13ish year olds.

[DonRocks]

You didn't say originally what the purpose was, but this seems very well-suited to a bar mitzvah party, doesn't it? Even if the food is not stellar, it sounds like a great location if you've got a bunch of 13ish year olds.

Yes, but you have to be careful because 13 year olds aren't allowed to play miniature golf at all hours - call first to see when they can play.