Why go: This packed Penn Quarter townhouse gives the standard tavern standbys an upscale gloss: Delirium Tremens is on draft, the burgers are delicately downsized and sided with lacy onion straws, and the pizzas emerge from a brick oven.
What to get: Plates of mini-burgers—salt-and-peppery Angus patties topped with Gouda and pickles on buttered brioche; a calzonelike crust folded around layers of mozzarella, pepperoni, and spicy meatballs; apple-and-pear salad with Gorgonzola; brick-oven pizzas such as the fire-and-smoke, sausage-and-onion, and Matchbox meat varieties.
Best for: A posttheater or postgame bite; museum-hopping fuel-ups; happy hour, when Yuenglings are $2.75, other beers are discounted, and pizzas are $2 off at the bar.
Insider tip: Though a renovation more than doubled the no-reservations restaurant’s capacity, the line still spills out the door at peak times.
Open Monday through Saturday for lunch, Sunday for brunch, daily for dinner.
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