Hank's Oyster Bar offers a fun and social seafood dining experience. The menu contains an abundance of genuine seafoods such as lobster, crab, fish, oysters and more. The location is right by a very busy intersection. Parking is very limited and only meter spots are available.
Chances are that if it happens in Del Ray, it passes through St. Elmo's Coffee Pub.
Opened in 1996, this coffee bar and eatery supplies the neighborhood with plenty of baked goods (low-fat muffins being the specialty) and a large dose of caffeine. Sandwiches and lunchtime fare are also available along with a variety of sodas, smoothies and other bottled drinks.
With walls decorated by local artists and a bevy of seating (including a section for children), the warm atmosphere has made St. Elmo's a community meeting place and a common venue for frequent live-music performances.
Fat Tuesday's: much more than a dive bar.
Situated in the rear of the University Mall, near a FedEx, a florist and a daycare, Fat Tuesday's offers gustatory pleasure at good prices (on Mondays the menu's half-price, which is an unbeatable deal), all in an atmosphere conducive to celebration and inebriation. The bar is frequented by George Mason University students.
Fat's is also a small live music venue. Locally-famous acts such as the Daycare Swindlers (a band which also headlines the 9:30 Club) often grace the "stage." Fat's also hosts the likes of Dave Matthews cover band Crowded Streets.
According to the establishment's web site, "Fat Tuesday's has been serving locals for over 25 years in the same location under the same ownership, so we must be doing something right ... We are proud to be a N'awlins Saloon that captures the festive atmosphere of Mardi Gras and strives to celebrate daily. The Cajun and Creole style cooking at Fat's packs our menu with plenty of authentic southern delights: oysters, shrimp,crawfish, catfish, gumbo, Creole, and Po' Boys as well as other sandwiches and burgers."
Spanky's Shenanigans tells you what to expect right on the front door: "Good Food, Good Music, Good Times". In business since 1985, Spanky's boasts a great pub menu, including seafood and steaks at affordable prices. Live entertainment is featured every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. On Wednesday, join Fast Eddie for open-mic night. For the sports enthusiast, Spanky's has 16 flat screen TVs featuring "NFL Ticket". Even the outdoor Tiki bar also has flat screens.
Spanky's is a local favorite for private events like children's birthday parties, team celebrations and events for local charitable organizations.
This original incarnation of the Los Toltecos franchise (other Los Tolts are in Woodbridge, Alexandria, Sterling and Winchester) is a very popular restaurant and bar which offers a large, attractive dining room and a bar replete with big-screen televisions (on which sports are a popular choice, says bartender Andrew Ayash, but "you can ask to watch anything").
"We have a lot of regulars – people who have been coming here for a long time," Ayash remarks. "People love our margaritas and our happy hour [Monday through Thursday, 2pm - 7pm] is very popular. Friday and Saturday we'll stay open until 2 in the morning if there are enough people here."
Dinner entrees range from about $10 to about $15; lunch specials are around $7. The food is good, the service is friendly, the atmosphere is fun, but most important of all is that Los Toltecos offers the Holy Grail of Mexican restaurants: all-you-can eat tacos at the bar for less than $10. Some restrictions apply.
This bar and restaurant, housed in an historic 18th-century building in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, serves a fresh, seasonal menu dominated by seafood and other timely specialties. With tiled floors, brick walls and wooden furniture, the Union Street Public House delivers old-fashioned Old Town charm. It features an oyster bar, a pub and several rooms for rent for private events and hosts special events like pig roasts and clam bakes monthly. It is a local favorite for enjoying crabcakes and a beer or something more substantial, like the hearty gumbo and a wine from an extensive list.
