Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Nellie's Sports Bar, DC

If you aren't from DC, it is likely that you think that I'm going to tell you that I went to a regular sports bar. Um, no -- I actually wouldn't be caught dead in one. And that's not because I don't think they could have good food. I'm just not a big sports fan. But, when a friend of mine invited me to Nellie's Sports Bar to eat before we went to a show across the street at Town Danceboutique, I thought, "why not?" Nellie's is actually a gay sports bar that has become an iconic landmark in the U Street Corridor, DC's new gayborhood.


So, not knowing what to expect, I walked in and began trying to locate my group of friends. That's when I realized that this place is pretty big. With 3 distinct bars and a rooftop deck, I was worried it might take a while to find them, but I actually located them pretty quickly in the main dining area.  As soon as I sat down, the waiter asked if I wanted a drink. I told him that I realize this is a low-key bar-type atmosphere, but asked if I could get a Cosmo with Grey Goose anyway. He said that would be no problem. Yay! I was in the mood for a sweet cocktail.

I had called earlier in the week to inquire as to whether or not they had any vegan options and the guy that answered was not sure, but he gave me the impression that they'd be very accommodating. I mean, I wasn't expecting much as they have a fairly simple menu of appetizers, salads, and sandwiches, but I wanted something. So, when the waiter came back with my drink, quite quickly I might add, I asked him a bunch of questions. He came back with a Manager who was incredibly nice who was able to answer all of my questions. They said that out of the appetizers, the salsa, black bean dip, guacamole, hummus, and edamame was vegan. The veggie burger was vegan, but the bun was not. The salads could be modified to be made vegan. And the veggie burrito was vegan sans the cheese. So, I placed an order. At this point, I was loving the vibe.

They don't really market themselves as a gay bar, but rather a neighborhood bar so there were just a bunch of random people in there having dinner and drinks. There was a huge television set on the wall and pictures of sports teams with sports flags hanging on the wall opposite of us.


When they brought all of our food out, I was pleasantly surprised. The salads were huge and loaded with a variety of fresh vegetables. My plate was also much nicer than I had expected. I had ordered a vegetable burrito sans the cheese and it came with fresh pico de gallo, black beans, chips, and fried plantains. The burrito was also loaded with fresh ingredients including spinach, red and green peppers, onions, and fresh avocado. It was delicious. The black beans and plantains were great too.


Oh, and the Cosmo I ordered was not only mixed well, it was super strong as well, as were all the drinks, I might add.


The Manager came over and asked me how it was and I told him it was great.  The food and drinks were great. The atmosphere was fun and low-key. And the staff were all really nice.  I'm going to add this place to my list of favorite local hang-out spots.  As I was walking out, I noticed a statement on the side of the building: "Are you Nellie enough?" Yes, I think I am.

Nellie's Sports Bar
900 U Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 332-NELL (6355)

Nellie's Sports Bar on Urbanspoon

1 comment:

  1. Nice post Angela. These days’ bars are becoming a perfect hangout place. The big reason behind the popularity of sports bar is that they provide a friendly and low key environment which people loves the most. So, sports bars are also a favourite local hang out spot for everyone.

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