Meet up on Saturday night

[WolverineDG]

What do we want to do? Eat? Drink? Both? My guide book isn't giving me much in the way of cheap offerings & also doesn't relate how big these places are, but some likely spots so far:

Banana Cafe & Piano Bar, 500 6th St SW, Metro Eastern Market, dinner from $16, piano bar upstairs, open until 11:30 on Saturday nights

Kelly's Irish Times, 14 F St NW, Metro Union Station, live music Saturday nights, Guiness on tap; also a pub called the Dubliner next door.

Red River Grill, 201 Massachusetts Ave NE, Metro Union Station; Tex Mex cuisine, cheap drinks, cheap(?) eats, open til 3 a.m.

Any other suggestions????? Help please!

dg

[spiderpig]

1. I'm in, but I don't know DC too well

Was there for the Sept. 05 march and stayed at the Marriott Wardman Park near the zoo, so that's where we pubbed. This time I'll be at the Courtyard at 9th and F Street, so more centrally located. Just me this time, so I'd like some DU company!

[livvy]

3. There should be plenty of that!

Can't wait!
Welcome to DU, too!

[spiderpig]

6. Thank you!!!!!

:hi:

[spiderpig]

7. Long-time lurker, infrequent poster

Everyone else seems to say things much better and quicker than I.

:shrug:

[livvy]

2. I vote for Kelly's. If it has Guinness on tap, it must be ok! LOL

It seems to me I've heard of the place, too. I can't remember where, who, or when, but the name is familiar.
I'd say we should just plan to meet for drinks. When you get a big group together for dinner, it can sometimes get to be a headache, especially for the organizer.

[SharonRB]

5. I think people are going to want to eat something after the

march, though. It doesn't have to be "dinner," but there should be food available if people want it. Just my two cents! :)

[livvy]

9. You are probably right.

I guess I was thinking about meeting later in the evening, after people had rested up, changed, whatever.
More people might come, though if it was right after the march. After looking at the three, it seems the Union Pub might be the best.
During the summer they have Saturday doggy days on the patio. What fun!

[LynneSin]

11. I think we should just let people eat first and then meetup afterwards

Maybe it's me, but I'm still scarred from what happened at RFDs with that tab. I know that no one was there who specifically was trying to screw us out by not paying but I know both of us had to make up for some of the cash needed.

I've said this a couple of times that after the protest let people make their own dinner plans and then we can meetup somewhere around 8-9pm for drinks

[livvy]

15. I agree with you.

After the march it would be nice to stop in somewhere for a bit, but then it would be nice to go back to the room, kick back a bit, change clothes or whatever, before heading out for the evening.
I've been one of the last ones left when the tab comes. It can be difficult. Like you said, most people don't intentionally leave too little, they just underestimate, miscalculate their tip, or forget about the appetizer they ordered.

[babylonsister]

17. That's so late!

:wow: Maybe a bit earlier for people who have to catch a plane the next day?

[SharonRB]

4. Anyplace you pick is fine with me -- this is your thang!

The one thing I would try to avoid, though, based on what we experienced in New York, is a place with music if at all possible. Remember how noisy it was? We couldn't even hear ourselves think, leave alone talk, and we all had sore throats by the time the evening was over.

I think eating and drinking is probably what we'd want, but no music!

[livvy]

8. Here's more info on the three

Here is Kelly's:
http://www.manhattan.edu/alumni_friends/images/Graphics/StPattysDay/Kellys,%20DC.png
Overview
A favorite watering hole of students, locals and Hill workers alike, the pub is taken over on weekends and St. Patrick's Day by the under-30 crowd.
The Irish Times has been a favorite watering hole for university students and Capitol Hill residents alike, but pretty much anyone could appreciate its Old World feel.

It sits on F Street like a statement from another age. A one-story bar with an awning that stretches out to the street and a splintery-looking exterior, Irish Times looks out of place in the midst of the tall federal office buildings – even compared with the more traditional-looking Irish bar and restaurant, the Dubliner, next door.

Since it's positioned between Massachusetts Avenue and North Capitol Street, you run into the regular "drinks after work" crowd from the Hill and from surrounding buildings during the week, along with the happenstance pedestrians and tourists who don't mind shelling out upward of $4 to get a pint of Guinness at a true Irish bar.
Drinks and appetizers are the usual fare here. If you want real Old Sod cuisine, consider visiting the Dubliner first and then sipping a Bailey's Irish Cream nightcap at the Times.

If you are looking to enjoy that nightcap on a Friday or Saturday, be ready to down it in the midst of a spirited college crowd. A throng of mostly 21- to 26-year-olds pack the narrow walkways between the tables and the bar. On weekends, it seems half the crowd sings along with the live Irish performer (usually a college guitar duo or a solo folk act, for which there is hardly ever a cover charge), while the other half seems to go about its business, yakking with friends and occasional strangers.

Downstairs is another universe, as patrons groove on the dance floor to high-energy pop. Nothing Irish here, except for the Cranberries and an occasional U2 tune. There's also a pool table in a long-idle back room, bringing the tavern up to par with many other D.C. saloons.

I don't see anything about food at Kelly's.

Here's the Dubliner website:
http://dublinerdc.com/
Dinner menu
http://dublinerdc.com/menu_dinner.htm
Lunch
http://dublinerdc.com/menu_lunch.htm


Red River Grill: It's called the Union Pub now: Outdoor patio and rooftop seating available. Dining and happy hour specials offered most evenings. Formerly Red River Grill.
From the Washington Post
...If all this is starting to sound familiar, it's because this corner bar was once Red River Grill, a destination for class after class of young Hill staffers. A fallout between owners led to Red River's closing in January 2005, and it reopened almost seven months later with a new look. Indoors, the wood paneling and Western knickknacks went the way of the uninspired Tex-Mex menu. The main bar took a page from the lounges popping up across the District, with an industrial combination of metal panels and barstools, icy blue walls and banquettes and touches of honey-colored wood. Farther back, the rear dining room is more of a Victorian saloon, thanks to plush carpet, red walls and a heavy wooden bar. Both spaces have plenty of seats, though you'll have to squeeze to get to the bar at prime times.

But Union Pub is really a destination for the Hill's captive audience -- unpaid interns, underpaid staffers -- looking to socialize and have a good time while getting the most bang for their happy-hour bucks.

Menu:
http://www.unionpubdc.com/menu.html
http://www.unionpubdc.com/sand.html
Main website- take a virtual tour!
http://www.unionpubdc.com/

Banana Cafe:
Description:
Banana Café and Piano Bar offers authentic "Criollo" Cuban, Mexican and Puerto Rican Cuisine, served in a colorful and lively setting.

In addition to the main menus, an upstairs piano bar offers a menu of tapas and deserts. An all-you-can-eat Sunday Brunch features Cuban, Mexican and Puerto Rican specialties, as well as traditional selections.

website:
http://www.bananacafedc.com/home.htm
menu (pdf):
http://www.bananacafedc.com/menu.pdf

[bottomofthehill]

14. Kelly's -Kelly's -Kelly's

They have good pub food ( burgers, sandwiches appetizers and specials), and every time I have been there I have had a great time. The place is a blast and if we are lucky, Pete Papageorge will be there for some fun music, he plays a little of everything. Pete has been there for ever. The bar staff is pretty good and the drink prices are very DC but the mixed drinks come in pint glasses.

It is pretty big, there is a dance floor in the basement with DJ I hope it is Kelly's Kelly's Kelly's

[SharonRB]

16. I can't stress enough how concerned I am about a place with music

We did that in New York once and it was just awful! People had to shout to be heard and even that was difficult. We all had sore throats and had to leave early because we couldn't even talk to each other.

I vote for any of these places that don't have music.

[northzax]

10. wouldn't plan on Red River-

shut down years ago. :)

[WolverineDG]

12. Got any ideas?

Looking for suggestions.

:)
dg

[northzax]

13. I avoid the Hill like the plague on weekends

in fact, I avoid going out at all on weekends if I can possibly avoid it, unless I know someone or something new. Sorry, I can't be of much use in the saturday bar-hopping idea around there.

[LynneSin]

18. You are coming Friday night?

:shrug:

[northzax]

19. sorry, have to travel for work

if I get back in time I might drop by.