Looking at the menu, with its hummus and house-made chips, you wouldn’t guess you were in a 70-year-old basement dive. But that’s what this music hall/hipster hangout is. It’s run by Jackie Greenbaum, the wild-haired proprietor of the more expensive Jackie’s Restaurant a few blocks away.
As with many a great bar, the kitchen relies heavily on the fryer, turning out battered pickle spears ($4) and crunchy tater tots ($3.50). Hot dogs ($5) are from Wisconsin brat king Usinger’s, and you can get your half-pound burger ($8) topped not just with the usual cheddar but with blue cheese or provolone. The beer list is replete with Belgian blonds, thick English ales, and stateside microbrews. And there’s PBR and Michelob for the true dive lovers.
Open Monday through Thursday for dinner, Friday through Sunday for lunch and dinner.
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Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
