Inside Hen Quarter, Buzzard Point’s New Southern-Styled Destination | Eater DC

"Located on the very tip of Buzzard’s Point, I discovered a 6,600-square-foot, Southern-style outpost from Old Town Alexandria that opens for dinner Tuesday through Sunday (starting July 23 at 4 p.m.) and sits at 2121 First Street SW. I found the room holds up to 200 guests inside with another 24 patio seats that take in sprawling views of the Anacostia River; it’s the brand’s second location after a former Penn Quarter outpost. Chef Sammy Davis (a Chopped winner) brings new dishes like grilled branzino, seafood diavolo pasta, and multiple steak cuts while the menu keeps staples such as fried chicken with an array of sauces, shrimp and grits with crawfish, and lobster mac and cheese. I appreciated the Lowcountry spins—roasted Brussels sprouts dressed with pickled okra, candied pecans, and pork rinds, and cornmeal-breaded fried green tomatoes with truffled arugula and spicy remoulade—alongside lighter and vegan options like a Creole-spice ahi tuna bowl with baby kale and candied walnuts and a charred Impossible bowl with vegetables, tzatziki, and red pepper coulis. The drinks program ranges from fruity passionfruit lemonade to boozy cocktails like the Dirty South (Tito’s with pickled brine), experimental Old Fashioneds using applewood smoke and tequila or Hennessy, plus spirit-free choices and cream sodas. Weekends launch with a $75-per-person brunch buffet that pulls from the dinner menu and includes breakfast potatoes, French toast, bacon, an omelet station, a chilled seafood bar (from snow crab to ceviche), ham and prime rib carving, a charcuterie-building station, and bagel and waffles bars—add-ons include $29 bottomless mimosas or a $15 build-your-own Bloody Mary bar with three mixes and toppings such as shrimp, bacon, pickles, and pickled green beans." - Emily Venezky