Is your wallet feeling a little light come April 15? Not to worry: Restaurants and bars have your back on tax day—even if the government doesn’t. Score early returns in the form of free whiskey, half-price beers, discount eats, and more.
Half-price booze at BLT Steak
1625 I St., NW; 202-689-8999
Too poor for a Wagyu steak? Drown your sorrows instead with a 50-percent-off deal on all booze in the steakhouse, from beers to wines (glass and bottle) to specialty cocktails such as a blood orange margarita.
Free chips and queso at California Tortilla
Multiple area locations
You’ll have to say the somewhat-embarrassing password “taxes shmaxes” to get your free chips and queso at this Mexican chain. But hey, government cheese never tasted so good.
Bagels for less at Bruegger’s
Multiple area locations
Bosses, take note: This deal is a nice one to lift spirits in the office. The Vermont-based chain offers “big bagel bundles”—13 rounds plus two tubs of cream cheese—for $10.40, about $3.50 less than usual.
Free whiskey at Jack Rose
2007 18th St., NW; 202-588-7388
Rebels may have thrown English tea into the Boston Harbor to protest taxes, but you’ll want to drink all of the free English Whisky Company booze available during a special tasting from 5 to 7:30. You’ll also find $8 cocktails from the same brand of spirits.
$3 brews at Meridian Pint
3400 11th St., NW; 202-588-1075
This isn’t a tax-day special, per se, but $3 brews always come in handy when your wallet’s thin. DC Brau celebrates its third anniversary tonight at Meridian Pint, and you can nab its discount brews from 5 to close.
Discount oysters and bubbly at Trummer’s on Main
7134 Main St., Clifton; 703-266-1623
Guests in the bar and dining room can order half a dozen Virginia oysters topped with pearl tapioca mignonette, cucumber, and dill for just $8.50 (typically $27). Wash them down with half-price sparkling wines by the bottle and glass (generally $4 to $6).
Late-night happy hour at Vinoteca
1940 11th St., NW; 202-332-9463
Filing your taxes extra-late? East the pain by dropping by this U Street wine bar for happy hour from 9 to 11. Choose from 15 wines by the glass for $5, beers for the same price, and discount small plates such as braised bison short ribs and crostini with wild mushrooms and ricotta.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
