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Georgetown Is Getting a New Beer Hall!

Finally, some good news that doesn’t involve rats in our favorite dining establishments nor our dilapidated on-campus housing is gracing our school. The Georgetown neighborhood is getting a brand-new bar in the form of Church Hall, which is slated to open at 1070 Wisconsin Ave NW this Friday!

Though Piano Bar, Chi Di and The Tombs have all had their fair shares of the limelight, we’ve all truly been craving a new spot in our Georgetown bubble. And while there are other similar establishments around D.C. like Penn Social, Church Hall, which is a Penn Quarter hangout spot from the same proprietors as Penn Social, promises to be a special place, and 4E is here to tell you why.

  1. Monday to Friday 4 to 7 p.m. happy hours. Sounds really happy to me! With essentially all drafts, wines, and rail drinks for $2, this place is giving Mai Thai a run for its money on their delicious yet probably overpriced pitchers.

    4 to 7***
  2. Gin and tonic. On draft. They say G&Ts are an acquired taste, and I feel like if they’re on draft I just may acquire a taste for them.
  3. Boozy slushies. Need I say more?
  4. 28 Beers on draft. Even all of the craft beer snobs should be able to find something that suits their taste at this place. And if not, the beers rotate regularly, so there will surely be an opportunity for everyone.
  5. A prime location near M Street.  Within the bubble, there aren’t too many options for going out. Without having to trek to AdMo or U Street, we like the idea of another option nearby campus.
  6. An opportunity to relive study abroad. For all those who attended Oktoberfest or Springfest, you know how satisfying lederhosen and a stein of your favorite brew can be. We just needed the right atmosphere to relive this memory.
  7. Another option. Because sometimes, you just get tired of the weekly Tombs-ChiDi-AdMo rotation.

See those of you (21+, of course) there!

Photos/GIFS: giphy.com, chicagofoodmagazine.com

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Georgetown Bars Now and Then

Have you ever heard the rumors of Georgetown’s bustling nightlife and bar scene in the 1980’s, 1990’s and early 2000’s? Have you wondered where these bars went? Or have you accepted the fact that M Street is an eerily too similar replica of your hometown mall? Here at 4E we asked these questions and did the research into Georgetown’s bar history, and no this is not a shameless plug for my final research project. But if it was, I would suggest that you check out this website to learn more. So if finals have you feeling down, take a walk with 4E down memory lane and peer into the past with our Georgetown Bars Now and Then. 

3401 M St NW, Washington, DC 20007

Then: Poseurs

Now: The Running Company

This bar created Georgetown’s punk rock scene. It was the first bar in Georgetown that integrated music videos into the bar! It closed in 1989 and is now the Running Company. However, Poseurs loyal followers hosted a 30-year reunion, so check out their event on Facebook Event.

3477 M Street, NW Washington D.C. 

Then: The Cellar Door

Now: For rent

This building used to house The Cellar Door, a live music club that played host to famous artists such as Jimmy Buffet, Patti Smith, Carole King and many more from 1965-1981. Since then the location has been a sandwich shop but currently remains for rent.

3295 M St NW, Washington, DC 20007

Then:  Rhino

Now: Club Monaco

This location has been a bar since 1952 when it was first the Shamrock. It transitioned to Winston’s Pumphouse in 1972, and then in 1996 it became Rhino–a popular if not beloved Georgetown University bar. It was closed in 2015 due to high rent and is now Club Monaco, a clothing store.

3259 M St NW, Washington, DC 20007

Then: Crazy Horse

Now: Coach

Now a Coach retail store, Crazy Horse was a local bar popular with both Georgetown students and young adults from the DMV area.

1238 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007

Then: Carriage House, followed by Tramps

Now: Zara

This location was first the Carriage House, a dining room frequented by many important social and political figures of the District. Then it was taken over by the famous disco club Tramps, run by Washington Playboy Mike O’Harro. This establishment was a left over remanent of the 1970s disco scene. Unfortunately, in 1982 it stopped “Staying Alive” and closed its doors. It is currently a Zara clothing store.

1218 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007

Then: The Third Edition

Now: El Centro

The Third Edition was a Georgetown neighborhood staple, serving students, visitors and the neighborhood from 1969 to 2013. It even got a moment of Hollywood fame as the beloved St. Elmo’s Fire bar in the 1980’s classic “St. Elmo’s Fire” Now it is an upscale Mexican restaurant called El Centro.

3104 M St NW, Washington, DC 20007

Then: Mr. Smiths

Now: Fine Retailer

Mr. Smiths was arguably the second oldest continuing bar in the Georgetown neighborhood as it was founded in 1962. In 2014 it was forced to move from its M Street location to K Street, where it replaced longstanding bar Chadwicks due to rising rents. Now, it’s location is filled in with “Fine Retailer” (whatever that means).

3111 K St NW, Washington, DC 20007

Then: Bayou

Now: AMC Theatre

Currently the AMC Theatre, the Bayou was the go-to music scene from 1953 to 1998. Check out this website to learn more!

3003 M St NW, Washington, DC 20007

Then: Garret’s Railroad Tavern

Now: I-Thai

Garrett’s Restaurant and Railroad Tavern shut its doors for the last time on a Monday in 1979. It was described as “not simply another restaurant closing but rather the loss of a popular community hangout loved and frequented by locals, students, employees, and tourists.” It has since been replaced with a Thai restaurant. Here is another article discussing Garret’s closing.

1206 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007

Then: Champions

Now: The Sovereign

Champions closed their doors in 2002. It was a dubbed “the original sports bar” and was a favorite with the Georgetown student body, visiting college students, tourists and residents of the DMV area. The bar was bought and converted into an upscale Belgium restaurant called The Sovereign.

Check out the website Booze to Bougie to learn more:

Photos/gifs: trophyhomes.com, images.google.com, boozetobougie.wordpress.com

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4E Goes to Hollywood

Hollywood-Cartoon-Sign-WallpaperWhile 4E usually posts things that are relevant, somewhat strange, and often less conventional, rarely do we take the opportunity to brief you on a day in our lives. So, in the spirit of campfire stories let us share our latest adventure…

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It all started when some obscure e-mail was sent out to the masses of The Hoya, with the subject reading something along the lines of “FREE TRIP TO LA”… (we thought it was a joke at first). Actually, to be honest, a few weeks later when we boarded our flights, traveled across the country and wound up at a random dorm complex in Long Beach we STILL thought it was a joke. And if we’re being completely honest- now that we, and our fellow Hoyas, have left and returned to our respective summer lives, our random trip to LA is still seems completely unreal.

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It turns out we were there for a conference. It was called DOHAgoals. It was all about empowering people through sports. It allowed us to share air with a lot of super stars: Michelle Obama, Maria Shriver (Hoya Saxa), Debbie Phelps (Oh, and Michael too), Nadia Comăneci, Avril Lavigne, an important man with a beautiful french accent, Abby Wambach…

giphy-3

You know, big names. Big words. Big living. There was even special furniture brought in to the giant conference center ordered especially to match the colors of the event. All expenses were paid. We ate a lot of free lunch and drank a lot of coffee. And it was thanks to the Qatari government.

In 4E fashion, we decided to take advantage full advantage of this FREE trip: 

We hid in a hallway for 3 hours, rather than go for a run.

We posed for pictures on elevated surfaces (and spammed our GroupMe with a scrapbook of our adventure- 17+ of which no one else seemed to acknowledge…).Screen Shot 2015-07-30 at 10.42.20 AM

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Screen Shot 2015-07-30 at 10.42.47 AMWe wound up on a set for So You Think That You Can Dance, meaning there’s like a .0089999% chance we’ll be making our feature television debut!

We met a lot of fellow student ambassadors who were all sports management majors and proudly told them what little relevance the conference had to our own very less relevant studies.

We went to a rooftop bar, Hollywood, a karaoke bar and a bowling alley.

And if these examples are not painting the picture of a ~wild~ adventure, know that we at least had fun.

Photos/Gifs: giphy.com

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The Ultimate Guide to Adams Morgan

adams morganYou live in Georgetown, so you have probably been to every single place around M Street. You have probably gone to some places in Dupont and visited the National Mall a couple of times. Still, you feel that there are lots of places you still have to visit, or that you always go to the same spots.

I’m here to show you what your next eating, happy-houring or partying destination will be: Adam’s Morgan. A diverse and exciting neighborhood, it has streets full of lively and unique bars and restaurants. It’s the definition of fun!

Our Picks:

1. Madam’s Organ This 4-leveled bar is amazing. There’s karaoke, live bands, billiard tables and a roof deck. Go there prepared to drink (cheaper than Georgetown prices guaranteed) and to dance all night long while singing your lungs off!

2. Bossa Small and dark lit, this buzzy bistro and lounge is perfect to visit with any kind of party. The friendly musicians and live bands personally embrace every visitor, making them feel as if they, too, formed part of the band. Last time I went, the drummer of that night’s live band was from my country of origin, and he started singing some of my national songs. He even invited one of my friends to drum beside him (see the picture below). It was a crazy good time.

So hipster
So hipster.

3. Soussi If you are looking for something more chill, this one place is perfect for beers, shisha and moroccan food. Very dark and relaxing, it has long sofas where you will want to lie for hours just talking about life.

4. Southern Hospitality Last, but not least, this place has incredible original mojitos and delicious chicken and waffles! Much more relaxed than the other bars, it’s  perfect for happy hour.

Bonus points: After all this dancing and drinking, you will be in need of some good food. Stop by Julia’s Empanadas, where they serve freshly made, very spicy empanadas. If you are not a fan, then The Diner is open 24/7 and serves every kind of food. I recommend the cheese fries, but I cannot really tell how good they actually were (at 3 a.m., everything tastes like glory). The best part is that all of these locations are on the same street!

So, next time you are thinking of going to Rhino, Bodega or the restaurant you go to every single weekend, think twice and discover someplace new: Adams Morgan!

Photos: lifeafterannandalehigh.blogspot.com; Guest Writer for The Hoya
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March Madness: Georgetown Bars Round 2

See full bracket and results herethe tombs rhino

So the top seeds in the Georgetown Bar region made it to the Elite Eight, but which one will get to the Final Four?

Rhino or The Tombs?

Rhino isn’t too far from campus, but, after a long night of party hopping, you may not want to trek all the way to M street.

rhino bar picture

But M Street also means food. Johnny Rockets, Tuscany, Quick Pita. And, at a certain point in the night, that’s all that really matters.

johnny-rockets

However, The Tombs is literally steps off of campus. You can even spend your night in Lau and then pop over for a drink.

the tombs

Then again, our basketball team has often been spotted at Rhino, especially after a big win.     Who can turn down an opportunity to dance with the stars of the school?

basketball team

Rhino is more of a weekend bar, but The Tombs is known for their weekly theme nights like Country Night every Monday and Trivia Night every Tuesday.

bull-riding

Personally, The Tombs is a Georgetown staple, as we showed in the Round 1 argument, but can Rhino pull out a win? Anything is possible in March as we’ve seen. (Editor’s Note: clearly this is true. The West region of my bracket is in shambles)

Vote HERE:

[cardoza_wp_poll id=19]

Photos: stationstart.com, atlantadowntown.com, georgetown.edu, flickr.com, sdcitybeat.com

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DFMO 101: Lessons Learned at The Third Edition

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Now that the Third Edition, our friendly neighborhood bar (and this blog’s namesake … kinda), has closed its doors for the final time, it’s as good a time as ever to reflect on some of the things that we learned in its hallowed halls. Over the years, we’ve seen Thirds as a haven for freshmen frantically trying to memorize the zip code on their fake IDs and as the spot where you’re most likely to make out with that cutie who sat behind you in micro. But it just wouldn’t be Georgetown without one final look back on it’s impact on our collective college experience. So here it is, the top four things that Thirds taught us all:

Jackets are overrated Nearly everyone who’s been to Thirds has either lost a jacket, unintentionally traded one with a stranger, been way too hot with their jacket still on or felt awkward carrying their jacket while dancing. For the sake of holding onto your own belongings, it’s better to go with a beer jacket (or, more realistically, a Burnett’s jacket) before heading out for the night.

The Buddy System is real — and important Loneliness is pushing your way through a sticky, sweaty crowd alone, not knowing where your bestie has gone. Thirds taught me that a buddy makes everything better — waiting in an infinite bathroom line, fending off creeps or locating that aforementioned cutie from class in the crowd. Plus, keeping a buddy close means you’ll never have to eat pizza alone!

Speak up  Thirds was always known for their theme nights — $2 Kamikaze Night, Ladies’ Night, etc. But my freshman self was most excited about Champagne Night, for a chance to try something slightly better than warm Andre. Unfortunately, when I excitedly asked the bartender for “One champagne, please,” I should have known by the puzzled look on his face that I wasn’t about to enjoy a glass of bubbly. Instead, I got handed a full cup of Jim Beam on ice and paid a steep price for it — in both dollars and bad nights.

Don’t trust any strangers ever But seriously, if someone offers you a beer and says, “It’s not roofied, I promise,” it’s probably roofied. Just don’t do it.

Photo: TheGeorgetownDish.com

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College Students Love D.C.

D.C. is quite clearly an awesome place to be. And now, the media is taking notice. This month, D.C. was chosen the third best city in America. In September Forbes released a list of the most hipster neighborhoods in the country, placing the H Street corridor at 6th. Now, our very own D.C. is the best college city in the country, according to The Huffington Post and The Princeton Review.

As Georgetown students, we have front row seats to the best college city experience in the country. It’s not that hard to see — from a professional standpoint, we have access to the most infamous network of interns anywhere, with government offices, lobbying firms, contractors and banks constantly looking for some impressionable, free college labor.

More importantly, though, D.C. is an incredibly fun city for us college kids. There are tons of bars. Tons of restaurants. Food trucks. Free concerts. Free museums. Easy public transportation. And in Georgetown in particular, we have quality fun institutions within blocks of campus (Tombs, Booey’s, Rhino, Thirsty Thursday at Thirds). Plus, Georgetown is far enough removed from the city to maintain its collegiate feel (despite the complaints of our neighbors). What more could you want from a college town?

Really not much. When most people think of college towns, they’re probably thinking of places like Ann Arbor, Mich. (10th on the list); Boulder, Colo.; State College, Pa.; or Columbus, Ohio. But here at Georgetown, we are witnesses to the same collegiate amenities as those college towns — with the added bonus of living in one of the most exciting cities in the country. Basically, boredom in D.C. is no excuse for a college student.

Other cities and universities ranking highly on the list include New Orleans with Tulane University, Boston with Boston University and New York with NYU, Columbia and Barnard. Our other D.C. brethren at The George Washington University and American came in 3rd and 8th, respectively.

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We’re Number 3! We’re Number 3!

Hope you look good in bronze, because D.C. was just named the third best city in America by Businessweek.

D.C. pulled in a third place finish, behind Seattle at number 2 and San Francisco at number 1. According to Businessweek, the District has become “the nation’s leader when it comes to leisure,” based on our significant park acreage, high volume of restaurants and cultural arenas like the Kennedy Center and Smithsonian museums.

This comprehensive ranking of America’s cities comes out every year, and judges them based on a variety of categories, from libraries to crime to air quality. Businessweek and Bloomberg Rankings came up with the ranking system, which took into account five major areas:

  • Leisure (bars, restaurants, libraries, museums, professional sports)
  • Education (public school performance, local colleges)
  • Economics (income, job availability, unemployment)
  • Crime
  • Air Quality

The metrics for ranking cities were altered slightly this year to put more emphasis on leisure amenities – so while many cities’ rankings may have changed, that doesn’t mean that they’ve gotten significantly better or worse since last year’s list. Last year Raleigh, North Carolina topped the list while they came in 18th place this year. The District pulled itself up to number 3 from number 6 last year.

Check out where the rest of America’s biggest cities fall in the ranking with the whole list. How does your hometown stack up to D.C.?

Photo: Flickr user rahtenkamen

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Living Without Wingo’s (for now)

It was brought to our attention earlier today that Wingo’s is currently closed, and won’t open again until August 20th. Where else are we supposed to get sauce that promises to be hot on the way in and the way out?

But just because Wingo’s is on summer vacation doesn’t mean you have to go without buffalo wings. We’ve put together some places to fill the chicken wing-shaped hole in your life while we all await the return of our beloved wing shop.

J Bell’s Wing House
Founded by Julius Bell, a Buffalo native, J Bell’s Wing House has been around D.C. for more than 20 years. They serve up traditional southern food and buffalo wings with sauces like Honey BBQ and Mumbo. Their house specialty, 24 Karat sauce, is a sweet and sour spicy barbecue sauce—try it mixed with the hot sauce and enjoy. J Bell’s is carry out only, so if you’re planning on heading here call ahead so that your wings are ready when you get there.
715 Euclid Street NW (between Georgia Ave and 9th Street)

ChurchKey
This Logan Circle bar won in DC Beer’s hunt for the best buffalo wings in the District, so I think it’s safe to say that they’re pretty good. They described it as a wing that “even the most snotty foodie might appreciate,“ with a sauce made simply of butter and Frank’s Red Hot sauce. ChurchKey also has an absurd variety of good beers with 50 different beers on tap and more than 500 different labels.
1337 14th Street NW

Old Glory
Home to the most authentic barbecue in Georgetown, Old Glory’s wings are marinated in amber ale, slow smoked, grilled, and served with a side of cilantro ranch. There’s a good amount of meat on them, and you can choose from a variety of sauces from different parts of the country. Or not choose, because all six are already on the table.
3139 M Street NW

The Big Hunt
If you want to eat wings and you want to eat a lot of them, check out The Big Hunt in Dupont Circle. An order of buffalo wings weighs in at over a pound, so you can share with a friend or three. They’re not too spicy and go well with a cheap beer (PBR, anyone?). Bonus: Tuesdays from 7-11 The Big Hunt has 15 cent wing night which is almost as great as half price Wingo’s on Wednesdays.
1345 Connecticut Ave NW

The Tombs
An old standby that can’t be beat in terms of location. While Tombs doesn’t have as many sauces as Wingo’s and is a bit more expensive, if you want good wings without traveling too far this is the place for you. They serve solid, traditional buffalo wings with bleu cheese dressing on the side—goes great with Tuesday night trivia!
1226 36th Street NW

Hooters
But actually, go for the wings.
825 7th Street NW

Photo: Flickr user dovetaildw

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Is The Guards Closing For Good?

Could this be the end of an era for The Guards? The Washington Post’s All We Can Eat blog posted yesterday that the restaurant and bar might be closing permanently.

While Georgetown students know it more as a bar, The Guards is one of the oldest restaurants in the area. It opened back in 1966, and their website boasts that they have “one of the most attractive bars in Georgetown today.”

They closed last night after dinner service, but their future is uncertain. Apparently owner Hossein Shirvani is renegotiating the lease with the landlord, and the closure may be a bit more than temporary. According to the Post, if the restaurant does reopen it will be after some renovations.

Since I’ve never actually eaten a meal at The Guards, I took a peek at their menu to see what all the fuss was about. It can be weird to think about our bars as the restaurants they are during the day time—I ate lunch at Thirds once, and sitting at a table where I saw people booty poppin’ the night before was a strange experience. But now I’m sad that I’ve only ever been to The Guards for the beer and late night dancing, because it looks like a real, legitimately good restaurant.

Fingers crossed that The Guards won’t be closing its doors forever, because that English-cut Prime Rib. Besides, where else are freshmen going to go out in the fall?

Photo: Flickr user Richie in London