12 Jan Where We’ve Been Drinking: Eatbar on Capitol Hill

Where We’ve Been Drinking: Eatbar on Capitol Hill

An uneasy truce exists on Barracks Row in our neighborhood of Capitol Hill. From D to E, chain restaurants and fast food rule. From E to I, it’s funky ethnic restaurants (like the all you can eat, small plate, Balkan Ambar), farm to table establishments, and places that get Best New Restaurant awards (hey there, Rose’s and Pineapple and Pearls).

That, at least, was the situation until Eatbar made the provocative move of opening up solidly on the D Street side of the neutral zone. It may go without saying that Eatbar is an ultra cool establishment featuring craft beer, craft cocktails, and meat-heavy, ethically sourced upscale bar food.

Only time will tell how Eatbar will affect the balance of power on Barracks Row, but in the meantime we, as residents of C Street, took advantage of the fact that good cocktails just got one block closer.

The bar is small and cozy, with an 80s music theme in its jukebox, on its drink names, and on its walls, one of which is completely wallpapered with 80s cassette cases. The small plates hit the spot; we ordered the octopus and the pork burger, and savored every bite. We also loved every drop of the cocktails

What We Tried

Slippery When Wet: gin, white wine aperitif, persimmon, chamomile

Appetite for Destruction: sherry, egg white, lime, chocolate bitters

What We Thought

We’re always game for a sherry-based drink, and for egg white froths. So when we saw a drink with both of them on the menu, there was a 100% likelihood of us ordering it. We weren’t disappointed. We loved the light body, the funky sour taste of the sherry, and the use of bitters, both as a pretty decoration in the foam and as a dash of complex sweet spiciness in the drink.

We’ve actually hit replay on Slippery When Wet, going back for it a second time. We loved the floral notes of the chamomile in balance with the alcohol bite of the gin. It’s a great soft but serious drink. We somehow haven’t asked either time we ordered it what white wine aperitif they use. We need to ask the third time through.