I've had both wonderful experiences here and not so great ones. I live a block away so it's an easy & convenient choice. My first experience back in January was a great first impression. The waiter was attentive, friendly, and quick. The food was great, and the sweet potato fries are some of the best I have ever had. I could easily consume an entire plate of them and be totally content. The second time I went I ordered the same thing and plus side, the waiter recognized me and stopped to say hello and ask how I was doing.
The 3rd or 4th time, I really wanted their cubano so I made my boyfriend come with me. It took about 20 minutes to get water and menus. It took about 45 minutes to get food. I understand a restaurant being busy, but 45 minutes for two sandwiches? No thank you. I haven't seen this waiter for a while though so I don't know if he's still there.
I've also been for brunch. Again, a good experience. I had people show up who I wasn't planning on and the waiter/host was incredibly accommodating, friendly and patient. The mimosas were not watered down, and my party and I had a blast! I got the biscuits and gravy and while the biscuits could have had softer bottoms/been larger, it was a great reminder of growing up in the south.
The Argonaut is a solid choice on H St NE. Taco Tuesday is amazing, especially on the back patio when the weather is good. The service is friendly and at times a bit slow, but that fits the atmosphere of the place. If you want people running food passed you on trays, try somewhere more uptight. Burgers, sandwiches, and sweet potato fries do not disappoint.
Review Source:TLDR: Went for wing night, saw biggest roach I've ever seen, wings were decent but they need to call an exterminator. Other food pricey and not terrific, but wing night's a good deal.
Review: Eww. Just went for wing night with a friend who lives in the area. Â Right after we paid, a giant cockroach crawled down the wall and tried to cuddle right up next to us. Â It was well over 4 inches long- probably the biggest I've seen living in DC. Â My friend told a staff member on the way out, and she said "Oh, we know. It may have come from outside." No, we saw this monster crawl down the wall and onto the booth and start towards the table. Â Either way, there's a reason they're coming inside.
This is the second time I've seen a roach, but didn't say anything the first time because it was small and wanted to give them time to fix the issue.
Otherwise: Steer clear of the pasta, burgers, & sandwiches- they'll disappoint. Steamed plates and fries are ok, though pricey. Â Wing night (Mondays) is decent, but may need to fight off a cockroach who's big enough to bum a cigarette from you.
Came here for Science Night, it was pretty awesome. Â It's pretty packed so get there at least 30 mins early for a seat/table. Â There is science only triva and a bunch of supplies (straws, duck tape, etc.) for the building challenge. Â The beer price is pretty sweet. $4 pint of booty beer, which I thought would be one step above natty light, but it's actually a pretty full bodied ale that has decent hope to it. Â A pitcher was $12 bucks, and tuesday is their $2 taco night (served to at least 10 pm), so it was packed for that. Â I don't suggest the tacos since it's pretty americanized, the fish tacos were crispy and legit, but not a fan of their chicken or pork.
All in all, i will most very likely be a tuesday regular for their science night, excited!
On Wednesdays they have a $25 all you can eat and drink deal for their tacos and certain beers. We had a charismatic waiter who was also very attentive. It seems that this place gets quite crowded and people sit for a while so beware of potential wait time. I liked their fish taco the best by far. The other options were tempeh and chicken.
Review Source:I've only been here for brunch, but the brunch menu has plenty of choices. I always bring my nephew, and it's very kid friendly. They have a nice patio area out back where they provide beanbags for corn hole. The staff has always been really nice. I should def try this place one day for lunch/dinner.
Review Source:Went here for Sunday brunch around noon and got a table for two right away. Â The space definitely is tight with people crowding around the front waiting to be seated nearly sitting in our laps by our table. Â It was not a comfortable spot, Â but again, I realized quickly that this is more of a bar than a restaurant. The confusion sinks in when there were toddlers running around the place while people got giddy from drinking what appeared to be watered down AYCD mimosas. Â
Anyway, I went for the eggs benedict but I knew I was in trouble when she asked if I wanted ham and that the traditional Canadian bacon was not an option on it. How you gonna make eggs benedict with ham? Â It's either smoked salmon, florentine (spinach) or Canadian bacon, that's it. Â They also give you a side of bacon with it, which makes sense with any other variety of egg dishes, but with this one it made no sense. Â Anyway, as you can see from my photo, the plate needed some green on it. Â Traditionally, almost anywhere I've ever ordered eggs benedict, it's been served with a green salad of some sort of vinaigrette. Â Okay, I could get over that if the eggs benedict itself was tasty and it was not. Â They also put ice in my pineapple juice which made it taste watery. Another faux pas is putting ice in juice. No!
I did not like the food here so I won't be returning. There are DEFINITELY better places to have brunch in DC.
Very low-key, no frills atmosphere. The sweet potato fries make it worth the trek down (past hipster-bar-central and that really yummy looking greasy pizza joint) to the end of H street, the chicken sandwich holds its own well, and if it's $2 taco night?- forget about it.
I've mostly spent Sunday nights at Argonaut (1/2 price draughts 8-close!), but recently attended my first Science Night (Tuesdays at 8pm). The trivia was excellent but the lab (they have you build things using basic materials provided and test them -- cars, catapults, etc.) really brings Argonaut's Science Night a step above other trivia nights.
Agree with what others have indicated about slow servers, though in my experience this is always because the place is crowded with only a few servers/bartenders. When attentive, servers have been nothing but friendly and patient.
No frill kind of place. Â I went with a large group and the service was efficient and friendly.
Most dishes were on the heavy-greasy side but they were mostly well executed and delicious.  The "mega" onion rings were great.  The sweet potato fries were excellent.  My BLT sandwich  was quite good.  Good drink/beer selection and price was reasonable.
This cute-casual spot was the perfect place to seat 11 soccer fans before the friendly USA vs Germany game at the RFK Stadium. We had called the day before to see if they take reservations, which unfortunately they didn't. However, when we asked what the possibility was for us to walk in and get a table around noon, they accommodated us by reserving an area for us upstairs! Now, that's service!
When a place has a small and limited menu, you know the food will most likely be good. Indeed, Argonaut delivered on a hearty brunch for all of us. I like that each dish came with a choice of sausage, bacon or vegetarian bacon (yup, I did not know this exist) and rosemary potatoes or cheddar grits! We all devoured our bellies with the delicious and filling dishes. With dishes ranging from $10-$12, except for the Steak & Eggs which was the priciest item on the menu at $15, this place is pretty wallet-friendly too!
The service was a little slow at times but I understood, given that it was prime brunch and we were hidden away in a little nook on the second floor. Nevertheless, we had a great time there and were excellently taken care of.
I have really mixed feelings about Argonaut. Â On one hand, they get it! Â We want Science Night and a patio and a cool double-sided indoor/outdoor bar! Â On the other hand - wtf? Â We're always seated right away. Â And then ignored by some of the loveliest servers we come to know by the end of our meal.
We were ignored for so long once that we completely missed the happy hour window by the time he came to take our order. Â We laughed about the fact there was only 60 seconds left in the happy hour window so we'd better give him our drink order quickly. Â He didn't laugh. Â He came back 3 minutes later and told us he couldn't get the order in on time. Â WHaaa? Â Just adjust the price, dood. Â Don't be a miser.
BUT, Argo isn't about a fancy dining experience where you get things like a waiter who takes your order and functional chairs. Â No. Â And we still love Argo.
We love Argo for holding down the east end frontier. Â We love Argo for the sweet potato fries. Â We love Argo because of the awesome barkeep who basically built this place with his bare hands and loves all of us - just for living in the east end with him. Â We love Argo because we know, deep down in her heart, she doesn't want to be a place that reheats frozen foods and pre-makes things and serves you random slices of brie on top of brunch items where it doesn't make sense. Â She wants to be a real neighborhood resto. Â With local & fresh produce, minimally processed ingredients and a reasonable & attentive waitstaff.
One day...
I had heard good things about this place, but unfortunately my food experience did not living up to expectation.
I went with two friends and enjoyed the sunny patio on a Sunday afternoon. Â However, I think that was the only redeeming point about Argonaut.
Out of the three of us, this is what we ordered:
"Famous Fish Tacos" : the fish was flaky and decent, but the cheddar cheese was a dry sprinkling of obviously processed packaged cheese, the "pico de gallo" was just tasteless tomatoes, the "cabbage-cilantro slaw" was really just simply dry cabbage with no flavor, and the "remoulade" was like a chipotle mayo. It was all atop a bland processed flour tortilla. Â Altogether, it was actually fairly gross and definitely not worth $13. Â I think they can remove the "famous" from this menu item as I would never recommend it or order it again.
Fish n Chips: the fish was very oily, but at least tasted fresh and was moist. Â The fries were good.
BBQ Wings: nothing memorable. Â too saucy. mango bbq flavor good, but too sweet. Â The celery sticks were sad, thin floppy stalks.
Mojito. Â Probably the worst mojito I've ever had. Â I think they used Rose's Lime Juice and mixed it with rail rum. Â It lacked fresh lime flavor, it lacked fizz, and definitely lacked zesty mint.
Value: 2 out of 5 stars. meh.
I give this place 2 stars because of the attentive service and the nice patio seating.
Went here again for lunch the other day. Â The nachos did not have enough cheese on them (I hate "dry hump nachos" - the worst!) and the BLT was on Texas toast - terrible choice! Â When eating a BLT, you need a nice crispy bread, not a soggy, spongy bread like Texas toast. Â I would definitely recommend a sourdough or wheat, something not as thick. Â My friend loved his burger though and it did look pretty awesome. Â I'll still go back to try other things since it's close to my house but I hate to be disappointed by a bad BLT, bummer.
Review Source:Argonaut Anchors H Street from the East [Live!]
Sometimes we judge places by "anchor stores"--like Macy's or Bloomingdale's--and sometimes we have ship-like restaurants that act as anchors for our well being. Â The Argonaut from the East for H Street [Live!] works. We'll have to talk about the West another time.
As one of the first and longest running restaurant establishments for wannabes on H, the Argonaut holds a beacon for all who enter the corridor. We went on a kids-night Wednesday and had more fun than Chuck E Cheeses! [sorry Chuck]. The place caters a bit more to the sophisticano-istas--parents and friends of parents and people who aren't parents yet all with a palette for fresh food--carefully crafted--and beers! You know, the trendy draughts, ales, IPAs, and so on--they have something for everyone and a full bar. Who gets distracted by a few kids, some balloons, and a whoopsie doopsie here and there? [not sure what that would be exactly but you get the point]
We had the Steamer Combo (see photo below), Fish Tacos, and started with Nachos--all superb. We were spoiled by our looks-like-he-works-on-a-ship server who kept us in good beer, light conversation, and even took our picture. Maybe he was a pro from kids night. Doesn't matter. We absolutely loved our experience and the ambiance even without having kids of our own.
We also heard when the weather is nicer, you can bring your kids and your dogs. Oh my, what's next--parrots! The food alone keeps you coming back while knowing you don't always have to hire a sitter or leave your dog to tear up the couch.
The Argonaut--as H Street's primo anchor--rocks!!!
Also posted on H Street Live Spot Light
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hstreetlive.com&s=3c3c6c6f04c0d55ab41229e8f4b13c055541d61f7019dcdfb1d71735afba9c69" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.hstreetlive.c…</a>
this is a brunch only review and i dig the veggie bacon option. food was okay, not super impressive, but i'd probably come back due to the nice patio and great server.
my eggs, grits and toast were overpriced and a little lackluster, but a nice sized portion. my friend said her texas toast french toast with brie was tasty, although the one tiny slice of brie they provide really doesnt qualify that menu description.
our waiter charged us for the wrong items, but at a $2 difference and he was so nice, we didn't make a fuss.
I've been going here for years and have had the opportunity to watch it grow, expand, and really change (for the best!)
This used to be our little hole in the wall dive bar. We tore this place up back in the day. So, naturally, I was a bit put off when they went through a major management change and became a family friendly restaurant. The food wasn't great, the clientele wasn't great, and the overall feel totally changed.
However, it seems like they've worked through those bumps. The past few times I've been, the food has been great (fish tacos, brunch, bloody mary bar for $5), the service is great and I really can't complain!
I was so frustrated by my dining experience today at Argonaut, that I actually joined Yelp so I could write this review.
It started out great; we got seated quickly and the atmosphere was awesome. Myself and my 2 friends were looking forward to enjoying the Sunday brunch. We put in order and settled in to endless mimosas, which weren't great but for pre-made mimosas, they weren't bad.
It took them an hour and 15 minutes to get our food to us, which was utterly ridiculous. Our server, the only saving grace of this experience, informed us that they accidentally switched our tickets and our order got pushed back. Other tables got their food before us, and even bigger tables that arrived after us still got their food first.
When our food FINALLY came, it was not even remotely worth the wait. My French toast was mediocre and the brie on top was totally unnecessary and didn't go with the toast at all. Both my friends' eggs were overcooked and the bacon was undercooked.
The only reason why I'm giving this restaurant 2 stars is because our server was so friendly, attentive and apologetic for the situation that she deserves a star all her own. Ultimately, I say find another place to get brunch.
I applaud the beer selection and the variety of food, which differs from the boring, typical DC-small plates obsession. Kudos for offering up a nice variety and for appealing to vegetarians.
But I can't say the meal was all that good. Hushpuppies were bland, and dipping sauce that came with it was just as boring. Sweet potato fries were decent, but the aiolis came in these odd paper cups. Just made a mess. Invest in some stainless steel cups for the dips and sauces. Worth it.
I had the tempeh taco's. Not terrible, but not great. Hot sauce bottles had crusted sauce on the lip -- made it very unappetizing. A nice place to grab some brews, but I'll skip the food next time.
We stopped here for a quick dinner on Friday night given that it was close to the Flats at Atlas (where Yelp's Fantasy Land event was). The service was good, but the food was only so-so in my opinion.
I ordered the grilled cheese and tomato with salad on the side. I was pleasantly surprised at the size and quality of the salad. I wish I had known that it had beets on it, because I would've asked for those to be taken off, but otherwise, it was a good salad. The house dressing (citrus vinaigrette I think?) Â was very light, but flavorful. The grilled cheese itself was not good at all. I am picky about my grilled cheese, but the bread just tasted like stale bread that they threw in the oven or something. It was the kind of crunchy where it just falls apart....not the good kind of crunchy. There was also way too much cheese and it tasted like cheap cafeteria cheese as well.
My boyfriend got the steak sandwich and thought it was good, but would've liked some kind of sauce on top of the sandwich. It was a little dry without it.
Like I said, the service was good and the outdoor seating area looks nice. We'd probably go for drinks with friends at some point, but I wouldn't choose it for food.
I visited Argonaut recently for a happy hour gathering with friends. When our server escorted us to a semi-private room upstairs where we could chill and drink, the night was off to a great start. Our server was friendly, and he did a pretty good job of checking in with our group for additional rounds of drinks.
The beer was good, and the food was decent. I wouldn't call it anything more than standard bar food, to be honest (maybe the fish and chips were the wrong thing to order, who knows).
But at the end of the evening when it was time to cash out, things went to hell. Of course with 10+ people, we needed to pay in a variety of ways - different groupings, cash, cards, etc. I don't think this is an unreasonable request, but it took us a good 30 minutes to cash out of that place, and that was with my friend and I helping the server do the math and take care of the logistics. Then the card machine upstairs ran out of paper, so the server went downstairs to cash everyone out. That wasn't a big deal until the next day, when a few of us realized he had charged all of our cards twice.
I continue to marvel at dining establishments that can't seem to handle groups that require more than one check. I mean, how often do large groups put everything on one tab? I'm glad I was there with great friends to pass the time with, because it was really aggravating to spend all of that time and energy just to get out of there.
There's a cushy tushy hanging on a hook in the men's room. Impressive. Any bar that not only permits kids, but provides a plush toilet seat cover for their lilliputian butt cheeks cannot be bad. Came in on a Saturday, late afternoon, soccer on the big screens, and a diverse crowd mostly having late lunch or early dinner. At the bar I had a DC Brau Public, and a basket of "frites". The "frites" Â were fairly unassuming , but came with this coriander dipping sauce so irresistible my tongue was tempted to dive into the little cup it was contained within. But, on a first date one should exercise a modicum of restraint and limit things to a wee peck.
The building is gorgeous with weathered and time worn wood floor throughout. A floor the barkeep at Granville Moore's helped install incidentally.
I plan to come back soon and try an actual meal.
Definitely got the feel of a chill neighborhood spot, evident somehow even when I was only one of a couple people in here, having stopped for lunch on a Wednesday. Maybe because I was greeted first by a friendly face looking out from the kitchen. With no one on the floor to greet me, she motioned for me to grab a seat somewhere, which I did. It was quite endearing, actually, and I assume regulars know to just grab a seat and wait a minute if no one's around.
They definitely captured the tavern feel, with cool, rickety-looking chairs and tables that look like they belong in a western, lots of wood and brick, and a few TVs tuned to sports channels.
The bartender/server/only guy on the floor, Chad, was super chill and casually friendly. I even found myself singing along to the music, which ranged from Dire Straits to Tom Petty to Bob Marley.
Now on to the meal itself. They look to have a solid bottled and canned beer list, and the drafts include one or two rotating taps. I went with the (non-rotating) Port City porter, because I dig a local porter more than, well, most things. Food-wise, I took yelpers' recommendations and got the fish tacos. They were...fine, but I wouldn't call them good. The fish meat's fried into little nuggets, so I couldn't enjoy the taste and texture of fresh fish. And then there was basically a side salad on top - shredded lettuce, tomato, etc. - in a single soft tortilla. Unremarkable would be a good word for it.
So I probably wouldn't return for the food, BUT I would totally return for the brews and the chill atmosphere. Which often seem more important than food anyway.
One of my favorite things to do on a Sunday is load up WaPo, NYT, WSJ and the Toledo Blade on my iPad and sit at the Argonaut bar and read. On a nice day, half of the bar seating is outside on the patio, facing indoors. It's awesome.
The beer selection is solid - I'd say 12 on tap, with four $3 selections at happy hour. The patio is incredible. The bartenders are very cool and the general vibe of the Argo is completely unpretentious. A lot of hipster parents like to take their kids for lunch and dinner, which is cool w/ me.
And living in the area, I really appreciate the fact that the Argo sort of paved the way for all the other great bars on H, opening in 2007 and surviving through a pretty serious fire.
Dear Argonaut,
You are almost there. Â Really, you could be SO cool. Â But you must realize that your clientele is YOUNG, even during Sunday brunch. Â When someone puts on the Jukebox because they are tired of listening to smooth jazz, please don't stop their song and refund their money. Â When you do that, it just makes you look old and out of touch. Â
Also, when your bottomless mimosa's end at 3:00 don't throw the pitcher out at 2:55. Â You are already giving away bottomless mimosa's! Â Will 5 minutes really hurt? Â All that does is make you look stingy. Â Stingy and old and out of touch.
Finally, please inform your chef that Eggs Benedict should not come with a yolk that is completely cooked through. Â I would have ordered them scrambled if I wanted that. Â
Maybe it's just the owner or manager, as the staff was very apologetic, but it's as if you are a 70 year old man with hipster clothes on. Â You are on H street! Â Recognize who your clientele is.
Thanks!
You'll come for the shitty food; you'll stay for the shitty service!
No, really -- you really will stay because your servers are so incompetent that you'll be held captive by their slowness.
I've never before left less than 20 percent at a restaurant, but I figured that because:
A) I had to get myself silverware,
B) I had to get myself ketchup,
C) I waited a solid 15 minutes to be asked what I wanted to drink,
D) I waited a solid 40 minutes to be served, Â
and E) I had to ask for the check twice,
that I earned myself the other part of it.
Not to mention the food itself. And seriously -- I'm not mentioning it because it's so bad it's not worth mentioning.
The only reason this place gets two stars instead of one (or none) is because it has a big outdoor patio and the unseasonably warm weather right now makes any place that has outdoor seating THE place to be.
I bought the Groupon for Argonaut a few weeks ago so we decided to step in here this past weekend - what with the weather being so badass, and hearing all about the outside patio it was a win-win situation.
We tried to sit outside, but the only sort of good seat for 2 was near the planter, and there were hella bees in that mix, so we moved inside. Â
Here's what we got:
-Bottomless mimosa: real good, they pre-mix it, and just keep pouring.
-Make your own Bloody Mary Bar: Yep, that's just what I wrote.
-Sweet potato fries: These were perfection and the dipping sauces it came with were amazing as well.
-Eggs Florentine: I didn't order this, but my husband said it was good.
-Strawberry pancakes: Good and buttery, but nothing overall special.
Why 5 stars? Â The service. Â Our server was nice, friendly, and outgoing. Â Every time she came to fill up my mimosa glass she'd stop and chat about something. Â The kitchen messed up on my order, so they made me strawberry pancakes to go - because I said not to worry, I was already really full. Â I mean this day and age, no one does that. Anywhere.
I think we'll def. go back, there's a huge TV and the vibe is just right.
Conditions:
An outpost of white people in a sea of Hood. Â It's like a jewish settlement in gaza. Â I'm not really sure who this bar is for.
Rad:
My friend Djs here and the interior is pretty damn cool. Â The drinks cost the usual amount. Seems like a lo key place to chill if you live nearby. Â I've heard the food is good but always eat at Dannys.
Bad:
I've never seen more than 5 people here on Friday night.
Stab wounds can be life threatening if you don't hand your air max 95's over to the man with the gun.
I stopped into Argonaut about a month ago and have been meaning to write up the review, so here it is.
The atmosphere:
I personally love bars that have a real British pub like feel to them. Â I guess living in London will do that to you. Â The inside has two sections. Â The bar area with a few small tables and the restaurant area, with some large tvs and bigger tables. Â The outside has what i would call a beer garden or outdoors seating for the layperson.
The Beer:
Argonaut always has a great selection of beers on tap and even more in bottles. Â The beers rotate based on the season and in my opinion come at a fair price. Â Many of the beers a good craft beers that aren't always found in local bars. Â They usually are 6-7 bucks a pop.
The Food:
The Jalapeno and Cotija Tajo Hushpuppies are excellent, don't let anyone tell you any differently. Â But the crown jewel on the appetizer menu are the Sweet Potato fries, with multiple dipping sauces. Â My first visit here brought me to the Fish Tacos, which are pretty great. Â For my last visit, i got shrimp and grits, which were quite tasty. Â I found the grits to be a bit too creamy. Â Sometimes just a little butter and salt goes a long way.
The Servers:
Always attentive and quick to bring by beers. Â On one occasion, they didn't have the bottled beer I wanted, so he provided a nicer beer at the same price.
Overall experience:
four stars, not sure why is loses the 5th star, but I think it could be that the food is a bit pricey, but really, its pretty reasonable.
Arrrrrrrrrrggggg!!
So many people know how great this place is that it can sometimes be a bit tricky to find a table, but it is totally worth it if you can!!
One of my boyfriend's favorite spots, he comes here almost weekly! Too bad they don't have a frequent buyer card here! ha ha
The decor is awesome complete with a ship's steering wheel and wooden paneling, and small tiny bathrooms that kind of make you feel like you are peeing on a boat when you are in those!!
BUT the food is tasty tasty, and they have lots of fun beers to try here too!! We started with sweet potato fries which with our group were gone in a matter of seconds!! One guy in our group Chris got the crab cakes and splurged for them because they are one of the pricier items on the menu and with beer and appetizers and entrees this place adds up quite quickly!! But Chris was ecstatic with his crab cakes, but not as happy as two other boys were with their fish tacos!!! And they couldn't even finish them! They took the extras home in probably the most awesome take out boxes ever given out at a restaurant. I don't know how they don't lose money with those things, but they are nicer than some of my Tupperware at home!! So go here and order extra just to get some take home boxes that you can use forever!!
I got their pulled pork sandwich which was pretty darn good, but I am not gonna lie--i was jealous of the crab cakes and the tacos. So next time I will get those and then get me a take out box too! double bonus!
The food is okay but it doesn't quite line up with the pricing... Â especially for the part of town it's in. The atmosphere is a distinct dive and the outdoor seating faces a tore up high-volume intersection full of trash, rot, and debris. I can't rationalize "paying for ambiance." Â Â The last time I went for drinks here I learned that alcohol costs more by the pitcher than by the glass. Â I'm not sure if the person doing the drink menu is just incompetent or intentionally trying to rip people off, but there aren't a lot of other options. Â
The staff is friendly and trivia here is fun but overall The Argonaut feels much more Clevland Park than H St NE. Â Maybe they're just ahead of the curve, but if the rest of H St was like this I wouldn't have moved out here. Â The Argonaut might not be the epitome of the "fake dive" but it's pretty close.
I hate to break up the 4-star trivia party, but I feel my experience only warrants 3.5 stars. I'm guessing that because it was the 1-year anniversary of trivia, there were more people in attendance than usual as several yelpers mentioned that it was way crowded. The Yelp teams were situated in the nook to the left of the upstairs bar. I was on Team Barbecue Koala Bear (aww so sad!).
A little into the game, I decided I needed food. It's a little curious to me how the system works - you go to the bar, place your order and then come back up to pick up your food. I supposed with the large crowd, it makes it a lot easier for the bartenders/servers, but as a customer, you have to hope that your food is still there when you come back up to get it. When I was placing my order, it turned out that someone took this other dude's food. Tres sad. My food, thankfully, made it to me - a burger with Danish bleu and garlicky fingerling potatoes. Cooked to a perfect medium and served on a pretty sturdy bun, I really enjoyed this burger. [I know, I know - what happened to the sweet potato fries? Once I got there, I just wasn't craving them anymore and the garlic fingerlings just appealed to me more.]
So back to the trivia - overall, I think it's very good. There are score updates every 2 rounds and there were prizes for best team name, best Chris Brown related trivia name, last place and funny answers. I'm iffy with the hostess though - while, she definitely has it together and the homemade categories and questions for "Booze Clues" were good, at one point, I was more annoyed by her than anything else. Yes, there are a lot of people, but I don't think that it's really THAT necessary to be yelling and shouting into the microphone to get everyone's attention...especially when the speaker for the microphone is behind my head. But I guess you gotta do what you gotta do to keep the crowd under control.
That being said, I would probably return to the Argonaut for trivia, [actually order the sweet potato fries] and hope it's a little less crowded.
After a night of  RollerGirl action at the DC Armory, a friend and I meandered to The Argonaut Tavern.
Things I loved:
Variety of people...including the bum off the street and the hipster down the road.
Food! I had the Maine Lobster Bisque (oh soooo good), the garlic fries and buffalo/bbq wings (made to order with combined sauce). In all I came out with a full belly and extremely bad breath! Ha Ha.
Beer...the love of my life. They have a really decent selection of microbrews and about 4 are on tap. Let's just say this was the first time I've had a Chocolate Stout from the tap. Mmmm!
The bartender was great. Rough around the edges with quircky little jokes. Happened to like our choice of jukebox music and slipped us a 5 for more music when our cash ran out.
It seems like a great laid back place and I'll be back for sure!
If you can't remember the exact address of the Argonaut, just look for the huge bright green building. Honestly, you can't miss it. I promise.
Inside, the Argonaut isn't nearly as bright. Instead it's dark and cozy with fun pirate/nautical themed decor. I really loved the school-globe light fixtures and the murals in the bathroom. Our server was excellent (he was from Georgia, after all!) and the whole place evoked the neighborhoody feel that I love about H St. NE.
I've been here just twice, once for drinks and once for a quick bite before heading to the Palace of Wonders. Their drink selection is solid and the food was impressive. I got a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich that was quite scrumptious.
As with the rest of H St., I love this place and wish I could get back here more often. Now that Zach's informed me that the 92 runs close by, I'll definitely make it back sooner rather than later.
Fuck this place.
If this is any harbinger of all the 'good things' that gentrification on H St. is supposed to bring, I'll take my chances getting mugged (again) at one of the several take-outs here.
I've rarely had service that's actually *pissed* me off. Â Thanks Argonaut for the memories.
I've been here 4 times over 8 months and after tonight, that's it.
Considering how much literal running around the cluster of servers do, it's amazing how you never see them at your own table? Â
It was confusing even getting seated. Â The server who seated us I don't think even looked directly at us and very off-handedly pointed at a table. Â I call it the 'corner that time (and Argonaut) forgot. Â I'm not kidding, they forgot about us.
Then we waited for our menus and water.
Then we changed our order and they messed it up it. Â That's understandable, and had ANYONE checked up on us in the 35 minutes that we were eating, we would have gladly resolved it.
When we got our appetizer, I was leaning over to talk to my friend and without warning, there's a plate of food being shoved and dropped near my bosomly area. Â Nice. Â By the time I looked up in surprise, whoever brought the food was gone. Â WTF?
We flagged down a nearby server for extra spoons which we never got. Â Our original server was literally nowhere to be seen. Â When he finally did show up, he went over to a group of giggling white women not 2 tables away who mentioned how much they loved Argonaut to who wanted their check. Â We had been waiting for our check for a while by this point.
After waiting some more, we collectively said fuck this and left cash on the table with a gracious tip.
Argonaut, your food is great but you really need to get your shit together. Â It was not even that crowded when we came in and it got noticeably emptier and quieter as we continued waiting and waiting.
I was *this* close to giving The Argonaut five stars, but they are right on the edge. Â A very solid four and a half stars. Â They're all about the community and it shows with the events they offer as well as how incredibly friendly everyone is here. Â From the waiters(resses) to the bartenders to the trivia hostess to everyone who comes in, it's great to see.
The building itself is an unique shape. Â It's located right on the corner of Maryland and H Street so the building is in the shape of a triangle. Â There are two floors with a bar on each floor. Â The first floor offers a large dining area with an outdoor patio attached. Â The upstairs bar area doesn't open until about 600PM or 630PM so just grab a seat downstairs and play a game of "Battleship" with a friend (yes, they offer board games). Â As the name of the bar suggests, it sports many marine decorations.
The happy hour specials aren't too bad. Â They offer four dollar pints for their Booty beer (which is a Red Hook IPA) and their Dogfish Head 60 minute. Â They also offer four dollar rail drinks, but their Dogfish Head was the drink of the night. Â There is only one downer (this is where the half star comes in), they only offer draft downstairs. Â Seeing as we were here for trivia that's held upstairs, we were out of luck. Â They have an awesome menu loaded with Fried Green Tomatoes, Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries, Cheese Grits, etc. Â I had the pleasure of having their burger and it was great. Â The main thing though is get the Sweet Potato Fries! Â That's a must if you come here.
Trivia is really fun. Â It's a homemade game (Booze Clues) made by Maya and she's a fantastic hostess. Â The game is competitive and it sports tons of unusual trivia categories such as "kinks and fetishes", "transvestites", "ABBA", "Norse Mythology" just to name a few. Â There are a lot of prizes sprinkled throughout the game and the losing team not only wins something, they get to pick a category for the next week's quiz. Â The place gets packed and for good reason.
This place is a must if you're around the area. Â If not, come anyway!
PS - On Wednesdays, they offer a little kid's special for food and the like out on the outdoor patio.
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