Spider Kelly's, Wilson Blvd. in Clarendon - GM Nick Freshman in a Huge, Expanded Space

[evilkim]

Very belated post... but went to Spider Kelly's maybe 2 weeks ago and found a new black bean veggie burger on the menu! I am not a fan of a grilled portobello mushroom on a bun, so I was eager to try. The burger had a nice amount of spice, very nice flavor and good texture. My vegetarian heart has been won over- a very good veggie pita and a yummy black bean burger, SK is my perfect weeknight spot! I am planning on going back on a tuesday for half priced burgers and a cold beer. Cheers!

[stupidusername]

The retail spaces next to Spider Kelly's that used to belong to Orpheus Records and some luggage and random stuff store are being cleared out. The permits on the door indicate that this is for the expansion of an existing restaurant. It would appear that Spider Kelly's may be tripling in size unless I misread what is happening (I don' have any inside information). I like Spider Kelly's a lot but its small size is one of its nice features. It would be interesting to see what it would be like three times as large.

[dcs]

I like Spider Kelly's a lot but its small size is one of its nice features. It would be interesting to see what it would be like three times as large.

Only 8 hardy souls there about an hour ago. Three times as large might be a problem. Then again, it is a Sunday night.

[dcs]

BTW, the hand cut fries with garlic and rosemary were very good. The shrimp po' boy roll seemd a tad stale, but otherwise a serviceable sandwich. The "tart tangle of sweet red peppers [and] cabbage" were a nice touch. Solid 100% beef hamburger. Pickle slices were good, tart, and appeared homemade. Unless I was halucinating, which is always a possibility, there was no draft beer. This seems misguided in a bar with this menu.

[SeanMike]

BTW, the hand cut fries with garlic and rosemary were very good. The shrimp po' boy roll seemd a tad stale, but otherwise a serviceable sandwich. The "tart tangle of sweet red peppers [and] cabbage" were a nice touch. Solid 100% beef hamburger. Pickle slices were good, tart, and appeared homemade. Unless I was halucinating, which is always a possibility, there was no draft beer. This seems misguided in a bar with this menu.

If you read further up in the thread:

The choice came down to 1 draft beer or 15-20 bottles.

There's never been draft beer there.

At first, I thought that was a bad thing, but as I've gone there multiple times I haven't missed it. Friendly service, good food, and enough of a decently priced bottle selection that I don't get too bored.

[dcs]

The retail spaces next to Spider Kelly's that used to belong to Orpheus Records and some luggage and random stuff store are being cleared out. The permits on the door indicate that this is for the expansion of an existing restaurant. It would appear that Spider Kelly's may be tripling in size unless I misread what is happening (I don' have any inside information). I like Spider Kelly's a lot but its small size is one of its nice features. It would be interesting to see what it would be like three times as large.

On a telephone pole in Clarendon is the following Public Notice of a Special Exception Use Permit:

U-3233-09-1 Spider Kelly’s for live entertainment and dancing in “C-3” General Commercial zoning district under Section 27 and Section 26.B.14. Property is approximately 13,915 sq. ft., at 3181 Wilson Blvd. (RPC# 15-075-002). Applicable policies include GLUP “Medium Density Mixed Use” 3.0 F.A.R. with special provisions for up to additional 1.0 F.A.R. for residential.

I do not know what this will do for the food, but it should be quite a boost for the alcohol sales. More live music is always good. Hopefully they will attract bands more of the caliber that play at Iota rather than those you would find at Whitlow's on Wilson.

[DonRocks]

The retail spaces next to Spider Kelly's that used to belong to Orpheus Records and some luggage and random stuff store are being cleared out. The permits on the door indicate that this is for the expansion of an existing restaurant. It would appear that Spider Kelly's may be tripling in size unless I misread what is happening (I don' have any inside information). I like Spider Kelly's a lot but its small size is one of its nice features. It would be interesting to see what it would be like three times as large.

I think Spider Kelly's is expanding "up" as well as "out."

With Liberty Tavern, Clarendon Ballroom, and Eventide, this could turn out to be the single busiest food-and-drink block in the DC area (if it's not already). My goodness, just three short years ago you could pull up and park with NO problem. Now? It's the garage or nothing.

[stupidusername]

On a telephone pole in Clarendon is the following Public Notice of a Special Exception Use Permit:

I do not know what this will do for the food, but it should be quite a boost for the alcohol sales. More live music is always good. Hopefully they will attract bands more of the caliber that play at Iota rather than those you would find at Whitlow's on Wilson.

I suppose many of these decisions have been made and are just now being built (website says they are now closed for renovation), but just a plea to keep this place much like it is, with better than expected food and a nice vibe. I would hate to see it turn into Mister Days or something like that. Bigger is not necessarily worse but often can be worse.

[dcs]

With Liberty Tavern, Clarendon Ballroom, and Eventide, this could turn out to be the single busiest food-and-drink block in the DC area (if it's not already).

The Navy League Building block looks like an up and comer also.

[TSchaad]

Don't leave out Zoso Flats. Flatbreads, Winebar, Chocolates and soon a Cupcake Bakery. If this keeps up I'll die poor,fat and slightly inebriated.

TSchaad

[dcs]

I think Spider Kelly's is expanding "up" as well as "out."

I walked by this morning on the way to pick up a French press coffee at Liberty Tavern and noticed the original space of Spider Kelly's is closed for the construction of the expansion.

[FunnyJohn]

I walked by this morning on the way to pick up a French press coffee at Liberty Tavern and noticed the original space of Spider Kelly's is closed for the construction of the expansion.

Been closed for a while. When it reopens Spider Kelly's is going to be huge!

[stickmoon]

Big changes at Spider Kelly's. Shuffleboard, anyone?

[dcs]

Looks like they are going for the Dave & Buster's crowd.

[DannyNoonan]

Going the D&B route would be disappointing to me. Echoing stupidusername's sentiments, the earlier SK's was different - not exclusively devoted to the drinking/bar scene nor to the restaurant scene. Better than average food with some real care put into several notable dishes (the chicken noodle soup, cardiac mac & cheese, and the garlic rosemary french fries) served in a setting that looked, but didn't feel, like a bar. I'm afraid the new place will be overrun by frat boys and software sales guys standing three deep at the bar jockeying for red bull vodkas and Miller Lite pitchers. Not that those guys don't deserve a place to unwind but I thought that's what Whitlow's was for.

Wait and see I suppose.

[ktmoomau]

Going the D&B route would be disappointing to me. Echoing stupidusername's sentiments, the earlier SK's was different - not exclusively devoted to the drinking/bar scene nor to the restaurant scene. Better than average food with some real care put into several notable dishes (the chicken noodle soup, cardiac mac & cheese, and the garlic rosemary french fries) served in a setting that looked, but didn't feel, like a bar. I'm afraid the new place will be overrun by frat boys and software sales guys standing three deep at the bar jockeying for red bull vodkas and Miller Lite pitchers. Not that those guys don't deserve a place to unwind but I thought that's what Whitlow's was for.

Wait and see I suppose.

I am hoping this means I can get to the bar at Liberty Tavern. I really enjoyed the old Spider Kelly's too, the food was great and a steal, so if it is still that good, I will be back. But it did have a nice calm vibe. But in the map they seem to have tables in their own area, so maybe it will still kind of be a pick your atmosphere kind of place.

[cheezepowder]

It's reopened, and yes, it's huge now. Reading the menu, I recognized alot of dishes from the old menu. They now have draft beers unlike before (see comments upthread).

[Iceman]

I got a chance to pop in here Monday night briefly and have a drink.

The original space is almost unchanged, but they've opened it up a bit so it can seat more diners. The middle space has a huge bar, loungey-couch areas, and a dart room in the back. The area closest to Eventide has 3 pool tables, 2 shuffleboard tables, a couple of video games, and a few tables.

Definitely a huge space, with tons of TV's for the sports fans.

The menu is pretty much the same with some additions - I was always a fan of the menu, as it is not typical bar fare.

Happy hour specials seemed to be very aggressive, but I did not take note of all of them. It will be interesting to see whether this place loads up on weekends - I bet it could.

[stickmoon]

Happy hour specials seemed to be very aggressive, but I did not take note of all of them. It will be interesting to see whether this place loads up on weekends - I bet it could.

We were skeptical at first, but after checking it out first hand we love the new layout. Like Iceman said, the three rooms have distinct purposes but their look and feel overlap enough to give the place a cohesive vibe. Probably 20 tv's in the large, center room...if they get the NFL Sunday Ticket this could turn into the best sports bar around, at least in terms of the food, ambiance, and sight lines to the tv's.

The original room is basically the same, except more tables, no couches, and it's a little brighter.

They still do half-price burgers on Tuesday nights, except now the burgers come with the choice of fries, onion rings, grilled veggies or greens...at the same price as the old Spider Kelly's ($8, $4 on Tuesdays).

All thirteen drafts were $2.75 for happy hour, which goes until 8pm. Mostly sports bar standards like Bud light and Blue Moon, but they also had Lagunitas IPA on tap. Some decent bottles as well.

Last night our bill was 18 bucks for 3 happy hour beers and 2 black bean burgers, one with fries and one with onion rings. Score!

Oh, and they have a Ms. Pacman arcade near the dartboards in the back.

[FunnyJohn]

Probably 20 tv's in the large, center room...if they get the NFL Sunday Ticket this could turn into the best sports bar around, at least in terms of the food, ambiance, and sight lines to the tv's.

They still do half-price burgers on Tuesday nights, except now the burgers come with the choice of fries, onion rings, grilled veggies or greens...at the same price as the old Spider Kelly's ($8, $4 on Tuesdays).

All thirteen drafts were $2.75 for happy hour, which goes until 8pm. Mostly sports bar standards like Bud light and Blue Moon, but they also had Lagunitas IPA on tap. Some decent bottles as well.

Last night our bill was 18 bucks for 3 happy hour beers and 2 black bean burgers, one with fries and one with onion rings. Score!

Oh, and they have a Ms. Pacman arcade near the dartboards in the back.

Regardless of what happens next Football Season -- March madness starts tomorrow. If they have 20 TV screens and the right permissions everyone will be able to see their game in the early rounds. Now that's a SCORE!

[Dave Pressley]

Dear Nick Freshman,

Congratulations on getting SK open! Sorry you got your asses handed to you tonight!

The place looks great and it looks like you had a lot of happy people in there....and on the sidewalk waiting to get inside.

With a healthy shot of bourbon in mind,

-Dave

[cheezepowder]

I'm afraid the new place will be overrun by frat boys and software sales guys standing three deep at the bar jockeying for red bull vodkas and Miller Lite pitchers. Not that those guys don't deserve a place to unwind but I thought that's what Whitlow's was for.

Wait and see I suppose.

It will be interesting to see whether this place loads up on weekends - I bet it could.

Last night (Fri night) Spider Kelly's was packed. I couldn't walk around the bar - there were too many people. Maybe it was because of the nice weather and basketball games, but I was wondering where all these people came from. Glad they're doing well. We were in the mood for something quieter so ended up at the bar at Harry's Tap Room for a drink, where it was a noticeably older, quieter, sparser crowd.

[SeanMike]

I swung by there yesterday. French fries were good, the fried chicken sandwich seemed fried a bit differently to me than I remembered but was still very good (especially with fridge sauce) and I happily slurped down a few draft beers (though they had to ask someone if it was okay if I had a pitcher on my own...).

The bar was packed (MD and WVU were both playing at the time) but the dining area I was in had a few TVs, much better light than before (as I like to read while I eat I really appreciate that) and was fairly quiet. I'm happy to see SK reopened.

[Nick Freshman]

Thanks to those of you who have come to see us in our new digs. If you have ordered food, you're more than likely aware that we are still...adjusting. Going from 70 seats to over 300 with a menu that has nearly doubled has completely destroyed a kitchen that had a scant few days to practice before opening--my new chef, Pino, is my hero. We're trying like hell, however, and we are making strides in service every day. My apologies to those of you who may have come in only to wait too long for the food. Hey, at least we have draft beer! That said, I hope you will all come by and see us sometime. We've worked very hard to assemble a terrific staff front and back, and as they learn their way around the bar, they'll get better every day.

My brother Ben, whose photography still hangs in the dining room, has moved on to a day job and the domestic bliss that comes with being home to his beautiful wife every day by 5, but the management that we have is doing a great job of filling his big shoes. Please introduce yourself sometime to our Bar Manager, DJ Suan, or our Floor Manager, Emily Wroten. Both were cornerstones of the original SK who have been promoted to handle new responsibilities. I'll handle the General Manager duties, and I hope you'll say hello--and give me your most brutally honest feedback--if you decide to swing by.

Meantime, the new menu is on the web site here. The Virginia ABC, in their sad, outdated, hyper-bureaucratic brilliance prevents me from mentioning--or in their mind, advertising--my happy hour specials, so if you're curious, send me an e-mail here, and you will get an auto-reply.

[tentimesodds]

Thanks to those of you who have come to see us in our new digs. If you have ordered food, you're more than likely aware that we are still...adjusting. Going from 70 seats to over 300 with a menu that has nearly doubled has completely destroyed a kitchen that had a scant few days to practice before opening--my new chef, Pino, is my hero. We're trying like hell, however, and we are making strides in service every day. My apologies to those of you who may have come in only to wait too long for the food. Hey, at least we have draft beer! That said, I hope you will all come by and see us sometime. We've worked very hard to assemble a terrific staff front and back, and as they learn their way around the bar, they'll get better every day.

My brother Ben, whose photography still hangs in the dining room, has moved on to a day job and the domestic bliss that comes with being home to his beautiful wife every day by 5, but the management that we have is doing a great job of filling his big shoes. Please introduce yourself sometime to our Bar Manager, DJ Suan, or our Floor Manager, Emily Wroten. Both were cornerstones of the original SK who have been promoted to handle new responsibilities. I'll handle the General Manager duties, and I hope you'll say hello--and give me your most brutally honest feedback--if you decide to swing by.

Meantime, the new menu is on the web site here. The Virginia ABC, in their sad, outdated, hyper-bureaucratic brilliance prevents me from mentioning--or in their mind, advertising--my happy hour specials, so if you're curious, send me an e-mail here, and you will get an auto-reply.

Nick, did you kill the pork burger? Because honestly, I had it one time, and it was gross. The fries were amazing though, and I like what you are doing enough to come in to sample the rest of the new menu. I don't mean to be an asshole critic, I just thought the pork fat burger was kind of nast. Cheers for the expansion

[eatdrinkmore]

I went to Spider Kelly's last night to check out the new digs. As soon as I walked in, I was amazed. The new space is awesome, and immediately I thought Spider Kelly's is going to be my new favorite bar in Arlington. I liked the old Spider Kelly's a lot, and I am impressed that they were able to combine a sports bar, with an upscale yet comfortable feel. I haven't seen another bar like it. The beer specials were awesome last night ($2 bottles till 8).

So the drinks were great, the new space is great, now onto the food. Unfortunately, this is where the evening went downhill. I had not read the previous post about the growing pains Spider Kelly was having before I visited last night. It was very obvious they were having trouble keeping up. Our food took forever to arrive at at our table, and once it arrived, we found out that our orders were not put in correctly. I have to say I miss the old fries and the fried chicken was super greasy. The hamburgers are still good though.

But, the important part is, the manager at Spider Kelly's acknowledged the problems, corrected our orders, asked for feedback on the new menu and comped part of our meal. Every restaurant needs some time to iron out the kinks and I think once Spider Kelly's does so, it will be the best bar in Arlington, hands down.

[SeanMike]

When I went there the other night with my brother, they were out of the fried chicken - so they comped my main dish (the pork chop, which kicked butt). That was very cool of them.

[Nick Freshman]

Nick, did you kill the pork burger?

We did kill the SK burger. Ironically, I have gotten a lot of grief about that and the chicken burger not making the transition. The SK burger had many fans, but it was inconsistent. It was hard to get the ratio right, and they cooked differently than the regular burgers. We just never seemed to be able to dial it in. There was no way we could handle it with our new capacity of 455, so we decided to stick with just the beef burger. One of the problems with growing is that it is much harder to be creative with the menu. Right now, the guys are still holding on for dear life during service, but soon we'll revisit the new menu and start messing around with it.

[SeanMike]

Finally got a chance to try the fried chicken again tonight. For $10 it was basically half a chicken, delicious and a bit greasy. Well worth it.

[dcs]

It may be a small thing, but sometimes it is the little things that matter. When having a burger or sandwich, opt for the grilled vegetables rather than the fries or onion rings. Zucchini, squash, carrots, and red peppers - perfectly grilled with a lot of bite left in them and nicely seasoned. It makes even an ordinary sandwich that much better by being in their company.

[goodeats]

So I looked in the Everything Else Index and could not find a post on Nachos. I have a bad bad craving for nachos. I almost swear that I read a thread recently about good nachos, but it could be my mind creating that because I want them. So I want to know where your favorite nachos are, and why those are your favorite. Important factors to consider would be type of chip and how it holds up, toppings and type of meat and cheese. And I am not looking for chips with yellow goo.

This wasn't my favorite (I'm not sure I have a favorite place for nachos), but it was more than average, and close to you, which in turn, may satisfy your craving tonight.

"This" means the nachos ($9) served at Spider Kelly's. It was tri-color chips, the thin version, with lots of toppings (with either shredded fajita chicken or chili) and lots of cheese (it was the yellow kind but good). I asked for extra cheese on the side (because the day I tried it was the final world cup game and the kitchen was swamped, so things were thrown on a bit haphazardly) and the server gave me a full ramekin of without extra charge or looks.

Hope this helps!

ETA: A search on nachos yielded a Sports Bar thread and Seanmike's post about the nachos at Ragtime in Arlington.

[eatdrinkmore]

Just curious if anyone has tried their food lately. The food was great when they opened, then it went downhill with the expansion. I was wondering if they fixed their kitchen issues they were having during the relaunch. It is a great bar, hopefully the food is good now too.

[goodeats]

ARLnow.com reports of light smoke caused by malfunctioning heating unit late last night. Hope all is well folks there.

[Nick Freshman]

ARLnow.com reports of light smoke caused by malfunctioning heating unit late last night. Hope all is well folks there.

ARL.now doesn't miss much, do they? We are fine over here. One of our heaters did indeed spew a bunch of smoke right after closing, but there was no damage, and we'll be open at 4 today as usual.

[Nick Freshman]

Get it while it lasts:

Sierra Nevada Hoptimum Imperial IPA

I love Sierra, but this one is not for the weak: 100 IBUs & 10+% ABV. All I could get was a 1/6keg, so it won't last long.

[Davo99]

Get it while it lasts:

Sierra Nevada Hoptimum Imperial IPA

I love Sierra, but this one is not for the weak: 100 IBUs & 10+% ABV. All I could get was a 1/6keg, so it won't last long.

Wow - what a beer! It started off a little overwhelming with hoppy accents but mellowed after the first few sips. I surmise that was the 10+% ABV doing it's work! FWIW, this was my first visit to the "new" Spider Kelly's, and I was impressed by the energy of the bar late on a bitterly cold Saturday afternoon.

[SeanMike]

I don't go to SK's super-often, but I like hitting it occasionally. I've found the chicken in various forms is tasty as is the pork chop. The beer selection isn't great, but there's usually something I'm willing to quaff. After Tuesday, though...

I was hungry and craving steak. Ray's was full (apparently - I didn't go in, but didn't see any open seats and saw people waiting). Besides, I needed more of a walk than just to Ray's, and figured what the heck. I hadn't been to SK in a while and I've always liked their onion rings.

It was after 8 when I showed up and grabbed a seat at the bar. It took a couple of minutes to get the beer order in, but whatever. I'd hoped they would have Oberon on tap but was fine with Two Hearted.

The bartender asked me if I'd like to start a tab and asked for a credit card. That was fine, I figured, some bars do, some don't. Then it was clear they were going to keep it. Bleh. I understand why some bars do that, but I don't care for it, but whatever, I'm tired and hungry and just want some food...

ID?

I got carded coming in...

Denying my better instincts (to say no, and leave) I say sure and hand him my ID.

Which gets rubber banded to the credit card and put in a glass with everyone else's ID/credit card combos.

WTF.

I should've gotten up and left. I regret not having done that (and not just because the steak I ordered there was not that good -- too tough by far, for one thing, though the onion rings were still delicious).

But...uh...yeah. I'm still hugely annoyed at that. I understand holding onto a credit card but I'm not going back again with the possibility that they want to hold onto my ID. Why the heck did I stay? I should've left and gone elsewhere...

[thetrain]

I don't go to SK's super-often, but I like hitting it occasionally. I've found the chicken in various forms is tasty as is the pork chop. The beer selection isn't great, but there's usually something I'm willing to quaff. After Tuesday, though...

I was hungry and craving steak. Ray's was full (apparently - I didn't go in, but didn't see any open seats and saw people waiting). Besides, I needed more of a walk than just to Ray's, and figured what the heck. I hadn't been to SK in a while and I've always liked their onion rings.

It was after 8 when I showed up and grabbed a seat at the bar. It took a couple of minutes to get the beer order in, but whatever. I'd hoped they would have Oberon on tap but was fine with Two Hearted.

The bartender asked me if I'd like to start a tab and asked for a credit card. That was fine, I figured, some bars do, some don't. Then it was clear they were going to keep it. Bleh. I understand why some bars do that, but I don't care for it, but whatever, I'm tired and hungry and just want some food...

ID?

I got carded coming in...

Denying my better instincts (to say no, and leave) I say sure and hand him my ID.

Which gets rubber banded to the credit card and put in a glass with everyone else's ID/credit card combos.

WTF.

I should've gotten up and left. I regret not having done that (and not just because the steak I ordered there was not that good -- too tough by far, for one thing, though the onion rings were still delicious).

But...uh...yeah. I'm still hugely annoyed at that. I understand holding onto a credit card but I'm not going back again with the possibility that they want to hold onto my ID. Why the heck did I stay? I should've left and gone elsewhere...

I met people here every once in a while for Happy Hour, and that's been the policy for a while at the main bar (oddly I don't remember them doing this at the side one - but you usually can't get drafts there). If you have a waitress at a table its not an issue. While I'd be furious if something happened to it, this place can get packed, and with their clientele (esp later in the night) I see why they do it. 1) Cuts down on people leaving their credit card bc they don't want to wait to get it back (not sure how tips work in this situation, but I assume the bartender gets screwed) 2) Cuts down on the number of open tabs, which I'm assuming is logistically easier 3)Prevents people from calling and reporting the card stolen (a completely juvenile/asshole thing that I would not put above the patrons here).

That being said, they have my favorite nachos in the Clarendon area - they use regular cheese and queso.

[DannyNoonan]

I met people here every once in a while for Happy Hour, and that's been the policy for a while at the main bar (oddly I don't remember them doing this at the side one - but you usually can't get drafts there). If you have a waitress at a table its not an issue. While I'd be furious if something happened to it, this place can get packed, and with their clientele (esp later in the night) I see why they do it. 1) Cuts down on people leaving their credit card bc they don't want to wait to get it back (not sure how tips work in this situation, but I assume the bartender gets screwed) 2) Cuts down on the number of open tabs, which I'm assuming is logistically easier 3)Prevents people from calling and reporting the card stolen (a completely juvenile/asshole thing that I would not put above the patrons here).

That being said, they have my favorite nachos in the Clarendon area - they use regular cheese and queso.

I used to like SK alot, before they expanded. Back then, it was unique bar/restaurant hybrid. Not enough of a bar that you wondered about eating there and not so much of a restaurant that you felt weird just drinking beers or watching a game there. And the food was good. The chicken noodle soup was really good, the fries were good too. And I seem to remember a mushroom "burger" that was messy but good too.

Then it expanded into Whitlow's West or Bailey's East and it went downhill. I went in for a couple beers a few weeks ago with a friend since it was early and nothing else was open yet and was disappointed to see how it had become nothing more than a place for frat boys to drink Miller Lite bottles and play darts. Maybe I am just bitter because this isn't my scene anymore but it's disappointing to see something that was unique and quirky turn into such a cliche.

[Nick Freshman]

1) Cuts down on people leaving their credit card bc they don't want to wait to get it back (not sure how tips work in this situation, but I assume the bartender gets screwed) 2) Cuts down on the number of open tabs, which I'm assuming is logistically easier 3)Prevents people from calling and reporting the card stolen (a completely juvenile/asshole thing that I would not put above the patrons here).

This is exactly right, and #3 is an easy scam that costs us real money. To that I would also add that the policy helps us from screwing up and handing the wrong card to someone (how many people have the same blue Wachovia card?). The problem is, we write a lot of our policies for when we have 500 people inside because that is when the lowest common denominator comes out to play. Or should I say, when we turn into "Whitlow's West or Bailey's East." We make rules like that to protect ourselves and our customers, but we also like to make exceptions to them for people we know, and when it is slow--when we like to think that the spirit of the original SK remains. I am surprised that we didn't make an exception for SeanMike, but I can't fault the barstaff for sticking to the rules, even though they are annoying.

For what it's worth, we are also the strictest in town with carding people. By that I mean we actually hold to the law instead of breaking it on a regular basis. Some of you may be surprised to know that in Virginia, many IDs that seem perfectly legit are in fact not allowed: foreign passports(makes us look xenophobic on a routine basis), State Department IDs*, Green Cards* and an expired license of any kind. We lose tons of business by being strict, but the alternative is to jeopardize our liquor license. It sucks being yelled at every night and castigated on Yelp, but that's how it goes.

Spider Kelly's is indeed not the same place it used to be--the quaint bar that was barely viable financially and poised to be crushed by an out of town monster. That place would now be closed. However, we are still proud of it, and we still have fun here. We're still locally owned and operated in a neighborhood where that is becoming increasingly rare. I'd like to find another owner in town who grew up three miles from the front door and still lives the same distance away. Yes, our onion rings come from a box, we serve almost as much Miller Lite as Nats Park and on the weekends we are invaded by what I will judiciously call "the Clarendon crowd," but we like to think we still maintain some of the spirit of the original. At least as much that can remain when you quadruple your square footage.

*Note that these are issued by the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, but they still aren't good enough for Virginia.

[SeanMike]

Nick,

Thanks for your response. I figured that it was something like that (heck, there were some drunk as hell folks at the bar on that Tuesday night already at 8:30...).

The onion rings might come from a box but they're still quite tasty, especially with the fridge sauce. And I agree totally with thetrain on the nachos - the combination of liquid and regular cheese is da bomb. Heck, I can't even argue with Miller Lite, my usual go-to choice of cheap beer. I even like the music at SKs quite a bit (because they play the same crap-pop I usually play in my car when I'm not listening to GWAR...).

Too bad I can't just show some kind of flash card to say "I'm not a piker who is gonna bail on my check"...you know, something like a donrockwell.com membership card.

[DonRocks]

Too bad I can't just show some kind of flash card to say "I'm not a piker who is gonna bail on my check"...you know, something like a donrockwell.com membership card.

Don't laugh. Those things are going to be worth something one day. No, really. Just live a long, long time (and I'm talking Guinan long).

[SeanMike]

Met some friends at Spider Kelly's yesterday. Not only do they have Fat Tire on tap, but they also have the Fat Tire Ranger IPA on tap. Yum.

Also good: the breakfast sandwich.

Not good: service. They didn't bring me silverware with the food, and our waiter in general was not too interested in checking up on us regularly. More than once we had to yell for him (as he'd walk near us, then walk away), which was really frustrating because I wanted to eat my potatoes and needed a fork! Also we were brought the wrong beer (in a pitcher) once, but just sucked it up. (Bud Light versus Miller Lite, whatever...)

[SeanMike]

I went back the other night to get the pork chop. Man, I used to love the pork chop.

Not the one(s) I had Tuesday night. Instead of one, nice, thick pork chop, it was two pork chops, each very thin. I had wondered why the bartender didn't ask me how I'd like them cooked, and it was obvious that it'd be nearly impossible to get them anything other than well done.

They didn't taste too bad, though I had issues of the bones breaking up and had to pick them out of my mouth as they stabbed my cheek.

Then the freshly-botoxed drunk lady next to me called me Zach Galifinakis and I left.

[Nick Freshman]

For the bravest among you, we have a full keg of Bell's Hopslam in the cooler. We'll tap it on Tuesday. Come get some while it lasts--which won't be very long...

[Rovers2000]

I have to give a shout out to the folks manning brunch at Spider Kelly's this morning.  For a place that I think of mainly as one to grab a post work beer or head on a weekend (although, as I continue to age, those come fewer and farther between  ) vs. a place to eat, they really do an excellent and well priced brunch buffet (I believe it was all you can eat for 18 bucks).  Food was excellent and the discounted pitchers (12 bucks for a pitcher of Dogfish Head Punkin Ale - normally the cost of 2 pints) were a nice surprise.

But the real reason for the kudos was their ability to easily seat a party of 12 (with one baby) and provide seamless service  Tucked away in the back of what used to be the former Spider Kellys (in it's non-game room incarnation), we were able to enjoy the meal and catch up with the family in from out of town.  Our waiter (I want to say it was Juan, but I may have misheard) was just tremendous - water was filled, drinks and food were delivered quickly.  With a group that big, ease of dining was all I cared about and Spider Kelly delivered in spades.  I'd highly recommend it as a brunch spot (we walked in right at 11 when they opened) for those needing to feed a crowd.

[cheezepowder]

While walking by Spider Kelly's this past Sunday, I noticed that they didn't have their brunch buffet set up next to the windows like they had previously.  And, on 4/16/14, they tweeted about a new a la carte brunch menu.  So the buffet is no more.  I'm suspecting they didn't have enough brunch business for the buffet to be worthwhile.

[Nick Freshman]

While walking by Spider Kelly's this past Sunday, I noticed that they didn't have their brunch buffet set up next to the windows like they had previously.  And, on 4/16/14, they tweeted about a new a la carte brunch menu.  So the buffet is no more.  I'm suspecting they didn't have enough brunch business for the buffet to be worthwhile.

True. We scrapped the buffet for an a la carte menu, and we are adding Saturday which we haven't done in the past. Starts tomorrow at 10AM though we test ran it last Sunday to some success. There were a couple reasons, but you're right in that the big one was that the business wasn't there. A lot of food was just sitting there. The a la carte give us a chance to offer some unique dishes more suited to our, ahem, personality: signature items are 'The Walk of Shame' and the 'Yoga Pants Omelette.' Egg whites and spinach for the latter. Plus, we will offer, as always, the full menu from open to close, so you can have wings with your omelette if you like. We are keeping the Bloody Mary, but also adding a few brunch cocktails largely based on bartender creations for our regulars every weekend. We took some liberty with the names for those as well. See for yourself here.

[jasonc]

I always appreciated that you could get grilled veggies with your burger here instead of fries for no upcharge.