Alfresco Tap and Grill

Lauriol Plaza’s Owners Add a Huge American Tap Room at the Foot of Adams Morgan | Eater DC

"I visited the new, laid-back American spot opened by the team behind Cactus Cantina and Lauriol Plaza and found a large, multi-tiered restaurant perched on a hillside with three distinct patios and a total of 335 seats (212 outdoor, 123 inside). The space — built on a former family-owned parking lot and overseen by Grupo7 Architecture + Interiors — features floor-to-ceiling glass, a central courtyard with a retractable pergola roof, and a patio on 18th Street NW outfitted with Belgian “drum chandeliers” that provide light and heat. Managing partners Cindy and Jaime Sanchez pivot from their Mexican roots to a catch-all menu of sandwiches, burgers, pastas, pizza (made in a dedicated oven), and hearty handhelds, while new Spanish chef Israel Bartoli (La Tasca, Ben’s Next Door, Wagshal’s) offers apps like crispy duck rolls, crab cake croquettes, and arugula-stuffed prosciutto rolls with shaved Parmesan and balsamic. Entrees include a boneless short rib slow-cooked in Chianti with mashed potatoes and crispy carrots. The bar pours a wide selection of draft and bottled beers plus wines and features frozen slushy margaritas and Negronis (a nod to Lauriol), plus new cocktails such as a martini limoncello and a kale-and-kiwi “Power Mojito.” Weekday happy hour runs 3–6 p.m. with $5 beers and wines, $6 cocktails, and $5-and-up apps, and the restaurant plans year-round service with weekday lunch, dinner into the evening, weekend brunch, takeout, and delivery." - Evan Caplan