Spiked milkshakes and chili-topped burgers arrive in Tenleytown with the debut of Burger Tap & Shake, the second fast-casual joint from chef Jeff Tunks. The larger sibling to the Foggy Bottom original opens with 52 seats, and a sizable 36-seat patio.
Menus are similar at the two locations, centered around draft brews, shakes and alcoholic “shaketails,” and creative burgers made with Local Harvest beef and house-made buns. Diners can go simple with the $6 house burger, appropriately named the Six Buck Chuck, or opt for five-napkin creations such as the Southern Comfort decked out with pimento cheese, sweet pickles, and fried green tomatoes. The kitchen also makes patties out of salmon, chicken, and turkey, and a falafel-style version for vegetarians.
Families can find a small kid’s menu, while the restaurant also caters to nearby American University students by accepting the campus currency, Eagle Bucks (the bird wall mural is a reference to AU’s avian mascot).
One of the best times to check out the new space may be during the daily happy hours, where draft beers, glasses of wine, and cocktails go for $5. The deal runs from 3 pm to 5 pm and 10 pm to close on weekdays, from 10 pm to midnight on Saturdays, and 4 to close on Sundays.
Burger Tap & Shake (Tenleytown). 4445 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-254-8868. Open Monday through Thursday, 10 to 11; Friday 10 to midnight; Saturday 11 to midnight; Sunday 11 to 10.
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.
