It is what it is: a cheap dive bar filled with regulars. The food is good enough, but you're not there for the food. You're there for the beer. And that's where Mark fails.
The biggest problem with Mark's is the awful beer selection. If your idea of beer is the watered down diet crap which ends in "Light" or "Lite", then Mark's is for you. But if you actually like your beer to have substance, taste and alcohol, then you'll be very disappointed. Unlike nearby Ledo's Pizza, you won't be rescued by a good bottle selection. You're stuck with bubbly dirty dish water no matter which route you go.
It's a shame. I really wanted to like this place. Living so close, I wish it could've been my "neighborhood" spot. If I'm thirsty, I'll walk to Ledo's instead.
I was hoping this was going to be the divy hole-in-the-wall place that I'd been searching for in Tysons Corner. Unfortunately, I was let down. It certainly is off the beaten path. If not for Yelp, I certainly would never have ventured here. The bartender is friendly and sure 'labors' hard for being 9 months pregnant, but something isn't quite right here. The beers all end in the word 'light' and it is actually too bright in the bar. All said, they need less 'light'. Maybe a little music too. The food is decent. I've had the burger and the chili - neither awesome, neither horrible. The beer (although light) certainly is cold. The combination of the frozen mug and the temperature of my beer kept creating a layer of ice at the top of my mug. It was like a slushie.
At any rate, I'm not in love with the place. I'm not rushing back, but I'm not ruling it out either.
I can walk here from my apartment, it's cheap, and it has pitchers -- so it gets 4 stars.
We came here sort of late on a Friday night so we could have a pitcher and play the naughty version of "What's the Difference." Shortly after we got there, a group of drunk "bros" came in. One of them kept lurking over us and he was annoying but manageable. He wanted us to let him play the game, and when we took too long finishing that round, he farted near us. That's always a quick way to get me the heck out of somewhere. I'm very sensitive to smell.
So we moved from the game to one of the booths and watched the shenanigans from there. The bartenders were mildly annoyed by the drunk people, but played along. They did make it clear that once the clock strikes 2 am, you have to get the heck out. They will slap the beer out of your hand, you do not get to finish it.
It's a pretty relaxed environment, and the price is certainly right. Don't travel miles to come here, but check it out if you're in the area. I don't really like fancy dance clubs, so this place is great for me.
I'm also intrigued by the reviews talking about how the owner sits at the bar, gets drunk, and yells at people. I'd like to see that -- unless he's yelling at me.
This place is a great neighborhood bar. Its not upscale its not pricey its not the place to go to have a 5 course meal. Its a place to unwind after a day in Tysons Traffic. Its a place to chill with bartenders that remember all the regulars and help you out when you need it. For everyone that has blamed this place for being smoky its not. For everyone that complained about the food, its a bar if you want stellar food than go to a restaurant. The wait staff is great and keep you watered. This place never gets too crowded and is an awesome hole in the wall if you want to drink without having music blared in your ears. They will turn one of their 3 TVS to any game that you want. This is definately a place for parties of no more than 5 or 6 because of its size. Also the owner rocks and does not get plastered in his own place. He will be friendly to ya if you just start a conversation with him. So much hate for a small town bar seems ridiculous.
Stop complaining about barflys.... every town has them and these people are nice. Come in on a friday or Saturday night and a distinctly younger crowd comes in. Kareoke nights every other Saturday are pretty good too if you are a fan of that sort of thing.
Bottom line if you want a bar that keeps your mugs full and drinks strong this is the place. If you want a Gastropub go someplace else
This place is tiny. Â Seriously tiny. Â But considering it's located in a shopping center, behind another shopping center, it probably doesn't need to be any bigger than my freshman dorm room. Â
I have to admit the brightly lit dive bar is something of a new experience for me. Â Only, it's also clean, so maybe not so much of a dive bar. Â Until you look over and realize all these people have been drinking Bud Light on the same bar stools for 20 years.
I went once, and spent not much money, but it was still probably enough.
I just moved to the area, and was looking for a place to spend a friday night (or any night really), so I jumped on yelp and took a look at some places in the Falls Church area, and I found Mark's Pub.
My boyfriend and I drove by the little pub and took a peak inside and decided to try it out. Once we sat and the waitress took our drink orders, she had asked to see our IDs (as of course she should) and she casually mentioned she's never seen us around before. Right away from that comment I knew this place had to be a friendly place where people regularly go back to.
The food was great, I got Chicken Tenders and Cheese fries off of the appetizers menu, and they were delicious. The Cheese fries was such a large platter, I could have split it with a small group, So if you're with a group definitely pitch in and get a couple of apps, they're worth your while.
The atmosphere was very cozy, and homey, the staff was very pleasant and even the customers seemed nice. All around you could see people saying hello to one another, everyone seemed to know everyone...a good sign to see in a local place.
I will definitely venture out to Mark's Pub again, maybe even become a regular....who knows!
New year's night. Â I'm driving around looking for a place to grab a bite to eat while watching some bowl games. Â After running across a few different places that were closed, (I guess everyone is still hung over from New Year's eve) I figured I'd give this place a try. Â It's been on my list of "places to try" for a while now... so what better opportunity!
Looking at the shopping center, I could see how it would be possible to totally overlook this place. Â In fact, had I not lived nearby in the past, I might have even overlooked the entire shopping center! Â The shopping center is buried back behind the shopping center housing the whole-foods, and the bar is nestled among a few ethnic food stores, and a video store. Â
I arrived 10 minutes before the grill was about to close, so I managed to get the opportunity to savor the food. Â I think the taste seemed so succulent because I was starving.... but I really enjoyed the burger and the fries (which were actually potato wedges, but who's nitpicking) Â They had a few decent sized flat-panel tv's up so that I could easily watch the Orange Bowl from almost anywhere in the bar. Â Go Hokies!
The atmosphere was a bit smoky (I'm unaffected by it, but some might find that tidbit helpful). Â The environment seemed friendly, homey, and unpretentious. Â The place is rather roomy inside considering how tiny it looks from the exterior. Â The staff while I was there consisted of two very attractive ladies.. (always a bonus..Hey, I'm a guy..so sue me).
I had a great time! Â Definitely on my list of places to return to. :)
Mark's Pub manages the near-impossible feat of achieving Central Square-esque (Cambridge, MA) ambiance deep in the suburbs of Virginia. Â Quirky clientele and genuine divey decor made me want to follow my visits to Idylwood Grill with a cold one at Mark's.
I used to live very close to this bar and only got to visit a few times, and thought of it because my former house is disbanding to Fair Lakes, Dupont Circle, and other areas. Â I believe it has an elusive photohunt machine (which garners four stars all on its own). Â However, if my hypothesis is disproved (much as my "El Pollo Rico serves yucca" gaffe was), then I will knock off one star.
Alright, I won't totally bash this place because it doesn't deserve it. Â However, I will say this - for the bar food fans who told me that the wings and potato skins were the bomb, you're...well, just dumb. Â The food wasn't anything remarkable and it the best part was the fact that you can go in there and just do what you want (except wear tank tops for the guys - there is now a paper sign in the window telling you not to do so).
This place is rather homey - it reminded me of my grandmother's old restaurant in Tennessee. Â Otherwise, it's not quite a place that I'll be itching to go back to.
This is the local neighborhood bar you crave.
Low-key, unassuming, it's where you go to sit and have a delicious beverage. Â It's where you can meet up with a friend and talk and catch up over drinks and not be bothered. Â It's where you can go alone and find a seat at the bar and not feel out of place.
Live music a few nights a week, a pro-smoking policy until VA makes it illegal and a complete cast of 'interesting' characters give Mark's a certain flavor missing at all the other cookie-cutter soulless chain establishments close by.
If you're looking for a classic dive bar, get ready to dive deep. Mark's Pub (which has been run by a guy named Ray for over 20 years) is a placed I stumbled upon by accident during the Blizzard of 2002... or was it 2003? Anyway, it was the only place open and they had chili mac and cold beer.
Not many people know about this cozy spot tucked behind the Whole Foods strip mall right off 66 and Route 7 near Tysons Corner. Sometimes I'd stop in there for lunch for their sinfully delectable Reuben sandwich. Karen, one of the bartenders, is the absolute best and is a Bartender's Bartender. She's always got a smile, knows what you're drinking and never lets you go empty. More than a few times I've overheard employees from other bars trying to woo her to their establishments.
The bar is all dark wood, the regulars bleed burgundy and gold, and they have karaoke and open mic nights. It's definitely a cast of characters and great for striking up unique conversations. The only downside is that it can get suffocatingly smoky in there... but I guess that's the beauty of the true dive bar.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
