Bar Elena

I had high hopes for this place since it’s close. But I was pretty disappointed on our first (and subsequently last) visit. We arrived for happy hour and chose food and drink. The nachos sounded good from the happy hour menu description but places tend to put extra things on top that aren’t included in the description. I specifically asked the bartender (who was the only person available to take orders) if the nachos came with the things on top not listed on the menu. She said I could add protein, but otherwise they come as described. Since they were described as beans, cheese, and sour cream for toppings I was excited. I opted to add chicken, again listed as just “chicken”. My wife got wings, a side of fries, and we both got margaritas. While the margaritas were good the bartender messed up the rim garnish on my wife’s drink. When we got our food I was extremely sad to see many things on top of the nachos not listed. When I said something about there being lots of things on the nachos not listed on the menu the bartender ignored me and walked away. My wife said the wings were mediocre. Overall the price was decent since it was happy hour. However, the entire experience wasn’t worth it.

Came here for happy hour. Not too crowded. Their happy hour is pretty weak straight forward with things like nachos, tacos, sliders, and $6 glasses of wine. Seems like a place that a lot of regulars come too, because people were walking in and being greeted by the bartender by name. I’d come back.

Good service and delicious food. I tried the burger, oysters, hushpuppies and their tap beer. Everything was tasty. The cocktail shrimp was overcooked therefore extremely expensive. The atmosphere is good. They have arcades, pinball machines and other games. My wife and I liked the bar at first. We tried it a couple days after they opened and have been back a few times. However, it is very disappointing that in such a short period of time, they are doing the same as the majority of restaurants in the area which is to raise the price and decrease the amount of food or quality of the food so I have to downgrade them to a 3 star place. It is ok without being anything special just an average new restaurant that wants to recover their investment in one week with overpriced food and drinks.

Sad this place is closing down. They had the best nachos and super fun trivia on Sundays. Rip.

After a long rideshare trip, my boyfriend and I caught the last ten minutes of happy hour at Bar Elena. I enjoyed the Blake's Grizzly Pear Hard Cider, Our Fancy Nachoes, and 1/2 Dozen Oysters on the Half Shell. The Blake's Grizzly Pear Hard Cider was sweet, light, fruity, dry, and smooth. Their Fancy Nachos consisted of crispy corn tortillas loaded with pico, crema, cotija, radish, cilantro, lime, black bean puree, and braised brisket. The 1/2 Dozen Oysters on the Half Shell was served with mignonette, cocktail sauce, and lemon. I liked how fresh they were.

Lo makes the most fabulous drinks Ever! And Melba is just the most kind and friendly manager, we had a great time for our girls happy hour 💃

The Cuban sandwich was good. Definitely filling. The Caesar salad with the grilled romaine was horrible. The lettuce was wilting and hard to cut. It presented nice but it was terrible. The bartender was the only one there. I didn’t sit at the bar so the service was lacking a bit. Dull atmosphere.

We had the hushpuppies which were delicious and plentiful! For the entree I had the eggplant parmesan and my husband had the burger. The eggplant parm was good, I liked the thinly sliced eggplant paired with the pesto and spaghetti. While they already have quite a few menu options, I think they would also benefit from expanding a bit!

It's a simple neighborhood spot, with exposed brick, sports on the TV and a stylish but unpretentious vibe. The menu is very simple bar foods, like nachos, quesadilla and some salad options. They had options for mocktails and non alcoholic beer which I really appreciated during dry January. The bartender was a little distracted by the rowdy party next to us, so wasn't top notch but I think it'd be better on other occasions.

Bar Elena is the ideal neighborhood spot for a casual drink and some bar bites. Located on H Street at the intersection of 5th and H, the restaurant/bar is large on the inside and has plenty of seating at both the bar and regular tables. After ordering at the bar, a friend and I sat at a table towards the back and waited mere minutes for our drinks to arrive. The drinks were good but the food was even better. We ordered the nachos which were topped with sour cream and jalapeños as well as the popcorn chicken. The popcorn chicken was definitely a highlight; it was fried nicely and came with a nice sauce. The nachos were typical bar food and were pretty good. I also got the fried tacos (similar to taquitos/flautas); for $12, these were pretty small and you could tell they weren't the most fresh. One thing to keep in mind is the prices; during happy hour, the prices are decent for snacks and drinks. During regular hours, prices add up; the popcorn chicken and the fried tacos were both $12 and the popcorn chicken barely merited that price point. The tacos definitely didn't. That being said, I'll definitely be back for happy hour at Bar Elena

This place is pretty solid! They have a really great happy hour with a few food options. They also have a $6 all day special with a shot of well liquor and a pony sized corona. I don't think their food is anything to write home about but I also haven't tried everything on their menu. The staff is really amazing though and their service is impeccable. So if you're looking for a chill neighborhood vibe, this is definitely the place for you!

Came here for happy hour. Not too crowded. Their happy hour is pretty weak straight forward with things like nachos, tacos, sliders, and $6 glasses of wine. Seems like a place that a lot of regulars come too, because people were walking in and being greeted by the bartender by name. I'd come back.

A cute place to come for Happy Hour on H street. The drinks are reasonably priced, taste really good, and the service is excellent. I got the Blueberry Mule which was like a Moscow mule but with blueberry. It was incredible and I wish I had ordered another one. I want to note that the service was excellent. From the host to the bartenders, everyone was super attentive to our needs and extremally friendly. I swear one of the bartenders like stared into all of our souls (my friends and I all had the same reaction). Additionally, I accidently spilled my drink and the staff were really friendly about it and took it off my bill without even asking. Like 6/5 service. The only reason it gets a 4 is because I got the chips and guac and the guacamole was the smallest portion I've ever seen (imagine a dipping sauce ramekin at a restaurant) which was sad. Definitely would come back tho for drinks!

This is a nice spot that isn't crazy crowded on a weekend night. Lots of cocktails, local beers, etc. And the menu has lots of little tasty options. We were seated promptly. Our sever was nice. Ambiance is dark and not too too loud. We opted for the Buffalo wings, beef empanadas, and poutine fries. All were tasty. The empanadas, and their sauces, were the standout. All in all, a close spot to us that I'm sure we'll visit frequently.

I want to this place with some work friends this past Thursday. It's located in H street, so you know that parking is a little difficult, but you can find it on side streets. As far as the service, we had to order from the bar, since we went when the bar first opened. I ordered chicken tacos and a rail vodka tonic off the happy hour menu. Everything was tasty and the bartender was friendly. I would recommend if you are looking for a chill spot with good drinks and bar food.

This place is great! Relaxed atmosphere where you can have a conversation because it's never too crowded or too loud. Great cocktails and food. The beet salad, beef empanadas, and mac and cheese are some of my favorites. Lo is a great bartender- we had the Lo' Fashion cocktail named after her. I can't wait to try their brunch!

This is a new local favorite! I love this neighborhood bar/restaurant. Elena takes the place of the popular, but now closed Boundary Stone. The restaurateurs revamped and changed up their style to something more low key for the locals. This is like a more upscale Cheers, where friendly people come over to hang out - but this time, over delicious food and drinks. The food is definitely a step up from bar food. I love their fresh and interesting menu, which was set up by the renowned chef at Primrose DC - and it shows! I had the flank steak with delicious, verdant green sauce (perfectly medium rare and tender, juicy!), hummus and tzatziki (cool as a cucumber - just the dish you need for these hot summer nights), and a smoky shrimp appetizer on this delectable bread I wanted seconds and thirds of (the shrimp was more on the smoky side). My dining companions ordered the catfish sandwich (whopping big size, beautifully fried - topped with veggies and crispy fries) and veggie risotto (the latter was the only thing on the menu that was just ok...a little too creamy and couldn't taste the veg). The cocktail drinks were also lovely and wonderfully-crafted. We had the blueberry pisco sour and a pineapple colada drink that was on the tart side. I will be back! love the atmosphere and decor here, too! cool, urban loft vibes.

The H St burger must not be slept on. Perfect texture, flavor, appearance. Everything about it is perfect.

I came in briefly for a drink, the staff was friendly and seemed like a cool place to hang out. They can also make mocktails!

Way too bright for bar lighting......come on.....people are trying to be cute here and this exam room lighting is crazy. Drinks are good and love the happy hour situation.

I went to Bar Elena on a Friday evening around 7:30 -- the place was pretty crowded with folks enjoying happy hour, but we were able to be seated with 2-3 minutes of us getting there. The vibe is cool: open face brick, murals and large paints on the walls, 90's and 2000's music playing. Definitely a fun, sleek, casual spot for the millennial crowd. Their happy hour is from 5-7pm and 10-11pm on Mon-Friday. They have $5 rail drinks, discounted wines, and discounted appetizers. We didn't arrive in time for the first happy hour but ended up staying for the 2nd round of HH. Great idea to have late night discounts as well. They have a really nice specialty drink menu with offerings around $10-$12 which is average for that area of H Street. At the table, we tried the lionstail and the negroni - both of which were really good! We also had some margaritas and whiskey-cokes. The marg was extremely tart - we didn't order another round of those but everything else was good. The food is good too - we had the General Tso wings, a fish filet sandwich, and fries. The sauce on the wings was really really great - some of the best general tso wings that I've had. The fries are thick cut and came out hot n fresh. My friend really enjoyed his fish sandwich. There seems to be a mix of cuisines on the menu - some typical American bar fare coupled with Mexican themed dishes. Good server, quality food and drinks, and a fun atmosphere make this a fun spot on H street. I'd certainly recommend checking them out!

their website says their kitchen is open until close but as me and my three friends came in on a saturday night, the bartender in a tired flannel and baseball cap said the kitchen is closed. when we told him about their website's hours he was very rude and short with us. once we left to go to another restaurant that served food, he says from the bar "it's saturday night, good luck" and yes we were the only black people in the restaurant. so sad to see H street have a restaurant this casually and comfortably dismissive of it's locals.

My group decided we would do one more bar to close out our night and we picked Bar Elena because of the skeeball and arcade games it promoted, we thought that would be a perfect fun ending. Unfortunately, there are absolutely no arcade games and no skeeball which made this bar... well, just a bar. There wasn't anything special about it and the bar staff wasn't very friendly or knowledgeable. I'll amend that statement, actually the bartender was great. His bar back was no help and frankly she shouldn't have been working. I would ask a question and she'd just say "idk" with no further explanation or trying to help. Finally we decided to share a bottle of the sparkling rose, turns out they hadn't stocked their fridge and so it wasn't available/cold. Our runner up, the same. Truly disappointed. No photos because there wasn't anything cute to take a pic of.

This is such a great neighborhood spot. They have an awesome happy hour with great food and drink deals--my partner come here for dinner pretty often! The service has always been really great, too--everyone is super nice and friendly.

Fresh off the tracks and need of serious decompression, I walked onto this little gem. The atmosphere would seem aloof at first. But in all honestly, everyone here is friendly. Maybe it is my southern smile, but I doubt it being I spent the majority of the day traveling. Anywho, I ordered the Lion's Tail to start. Tantalizing! Always looking for a good mix whiskey drink and it did not disappoint! I ordered wings, cause it is a bar. This is my first vacay in a few years and my night out even longer. This little bar satisfies all the senses in every way. Big shout out to Nash who took the time to write down some suggestions for a novice in DC. All in all, if you are alone or with friends, allow yourself to enjoy a good drink in a fun environment that makes you feel like a local.

Came for brunch last weekend and it was fine. We were in the area and it seemed like a convenient spot, but I don't know that I'd come back for brunch. The place was empty so we sat at the bar, thinking we'd get better service there. That apparently was not the case. The bartender was fine, but seemed unhappy to be at work on a Sunday morning. Plus everything just took so long to come out. We got margs because why not. They were fine. A little sweet and fake tasting for me, but not the worst margarita I've ever had. I got the chicken tacos and my husband got the breakfast burrito. Both were a little bland. The chicken tacos were ok, but definitely needed the salsa that came with them. I also wish it had come with some kind of side (slaw, chips, literally anything). The breakfast burrito was pretty plain, but my husband seemed to like it. I might come back here for drinks if I was in the area, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come back for food.

Absolutely loved this place when we stumbled upon it during our trip to DC! The food, drinks and service were excellent!! Look forward to returning next time I'm in town.

Located on H Street corridor, Bar Elena is a great spot for brunch. I was so glad to have been seated even though we didn't make a reservation, on a Saturday! The menu includes great cocktails, as cheap as $6 (yup) and the bottomless is just $18 (you read that right). We ordered the French toast, which was oh so yummy and nice paired with our second order of Ham Benedict. Both dishes split between two people was quite satisfying. We also ordered a side of chicken sausage, which wasn't my favorite but I was craving a little more protein that day. The staff was very polite and professional. It did seem like having an extra waiter could have made the wait for food a little shorter, but overall I was quite satisfied by the entire service!

Service was great, thanks to Nash. We will definitely be back again to try the food.

5 stars for drinks and friendliness, 1 star for food (no vegan options at all). Everyone from the host (checking vax card/id), bartender, waiter was friendly. Had the brut, and my friend had a cocktail. We both enjoyed our drinks. They have a rooftop area which I'm sure would be amazing in the summer. But I was sad to realize the "V" in the menu was vegetarian, and basically nothing could be made vegan (it was all mac&cheese sort of vegetarian, which ...most likely made with cheese made with animal rennet, so probably not really vegetarian). I would have loved to be back, but if I can't eat anything I can't really hang.

I really enjoyed this place Amazing happy hour options and prices Super friendly, attentive, fun staff Not crowded Great ambiance and seating options = 5 Stars

The risotto was absolutely terrible lol but the manager was really kind to take it back and let me order something else. It was overcooked and extremely bland... But we ended up getting some hummus and Suzuki at the bartenders request and it was redeemable. The service is also very awesome, very chill relaxed vibe here! I came to host a trivia night and though it is rainy and slow their was a steady flow of regulars it seems. Top 40/Pop and Edm remixes mostly playing. COME Sundays @6 KING TRIVIA

What a pleasant surprise this place was! I had never heard of it, and someone wanted to hang out at 10... lucky that they have a second happy hour that occurs at that time! Anyways, I decided to have a few drinks and tacos. 2 for $5 tacos is a rare treat, since they just LOVE to be super expensive in the city, so I capitalized on it! I started off with what would've been the Strawberry Spritz, but they were out of fresh strawberries. So my friend and I made the wild proposal to substitute it with mangos. Best decision ever! It was a tasty drink. After that I got some red wine that was delightful! As for the food, the pork tacos... they took me by surprise! They were super delicious! They were packed with flavor and the tortillas were cooked to perfection. My friend I stayed until they closed, and while it wasn't her first time, it was mine and I know for sure that I'll be returning!

Fun, fun, fun neighborhood establishment. Bartenders are super friendly and their upbeat attitude is pervasive. You'll feel like a regular on your first visit. Atmosphere is a little Cheers, a little hippy. If Nash is working ask him to "surprise me". He'll ask a few questions about your tastes and then he'll come up with something fun and delicious. Two in our party had "blood orange shooters"and you couldn't wipe the smiles off their faces the rest of the night. From the outside Bar Elena looks pretty average. WARNING: Be prepared to have a great time once you walk through the door.

When your mom comes to town, you take her to the new neighborhood restaurant/bar and hope that it's not a disappointment. Well, Bar Elena did not disappoint! We walked into a cozy, eclectic, fun place. We made a reservation and was seated right away. There were only 3 tables available, 2 of which had reserved signs on and we were given the option to choose which table we wanted to sit at. We opted for a table near the front window, optimal people watching seat! The dinner tables are when you first walk in, with the bar area to the back. In the back there are also a few games to play, like skee-ball. The bar area was really busy. Happy hour is throughout the restaurant from 5-7p and 11p-close. I ordered the Dijon cream moules frites because I read a review about how delicious they were and boy of boy...they were great! The flavor was on point! The cream sauce was very rich and flavorful! The fries are hand cut! I paired it with the $5 hh chardonnay. It was mildly acidic and velvety. My mom decided on the steak frites and she said The steak melt in her mouth. The service was good and out waiter was attentive. I even noticed that one of the owners (I believe she's one of the owners), Sharon Wetteland walking around bringing out dishes. She even stopped by our table and asked about our meal. That was a great touch. I will definite be back, especially with my mom friends because they offer a kids menu which is also available during hh in the dining space. They only have 8 tables in the "dining area", so I would recommend making a reservation on a weekend night or for brunch.

I haven't had this bad experience in a while. Since the moment that I stepped into the restaurant, the hostess treated us horribly because we weren't sure how many of us would be at our table. She started acting desperate and directed us to the bar while waiting for our table. At the bar, I asked for a glass of wine and a really rude guy asked me for my ID. I showed him THREE DIFFERENT IDs and since my IDs are foreign, he said he couldn't take any of them if they weren't my passport so he would not give me any alcohol. I am 29 y/o btw. Later, seated at our table, I noticed there was a wifi for guests. So I went up to the hostess again and asked for the password - again she acted extremely rude. I thanked her for the password, and she didn't reply anything. It is really uncomfortable to be mistreated this way specially when we're spending over $100 usd for dinner. As a tourist, you feel really bad and your journey experience is destroyed. I wouldn't recommend this place at all.

Amazing happy hour deals during the week. We went in a trivia night and had a great time. It's walkable from the NOMA area.

Such a great place for an informal not fancy place but almost fancy meal! On a Saturday night around 8 there was no wait and the service was really fast. I ordered the pumpkin seed fettuccine which was incredible. It had the right amount of crunch with the added seeds and the portion size was just right. I was very satisfied with my meal and my friends were also really happy with the burgers they ordered. I'm excited to return to this restaurant and try out other tasty things on their menu! If you're in the H street area dont hesitate to give this place a try.

My boyfriend and I came to Bar Elena as we were looking for a casual and fun place to go for dinner that we hadn't tried before. The photos of the food honestly did not look that appealing, but we thought the menu was interesting and the place looked like it had a cool vibe. The inside is hip and modern (although the chevron curtains in the front are a little random) and there are games in the back for some after-dinner fun as well. We got chicken wings as an appetizer and they are actually really good! There were lots of items that caught my attention on the menu but I was really hoping that some of the items listed as large plates would have come with sides. The server said that they were large portions, but I wasn't really sure just how large a portion of a grilled cheese could be, so I opted for a sandwich that comes with fries or a side salad instead. I ordered the fried chicken sandwich while my boyfriend got the lobster roll. Both were good and my fried chicken was really juicy and crispy, so no complaints there. Overall, I didn't have complaints about our service either. Our waiter was seemingly the only one on staff at the time so he looks pretty busy, and we could tell that he was trying to get everyone as fast as he could. After our meal, my boyfriend and I played a game of Skee-Ball. It costs a dollar to do it but the machine actually let us play 2 or 3 games (not sure if it was broken lol). Ultimately I would recommend Bar Elena as a place to go for a tell time. Nothing stood out to me as amazing, but we had a good time and had no issues!

Great food, great service and entertainment via bartender. Cute little bar and grill. My table all ordered appetizers and the portion size was enough for us all to walk out full. Their hibiscus grapefruit cider was dangerously light and delicious

I live right down the street from Bar Elena so it's a really easy spot to come to for Happy Hour. I haven't tried much of their food but the drinks are pretty good, staff is nice, and the vibe is fun and laid back. Worth checking out if you're in the area and need a chill place to grab drinks or a quick bite.

My friend and I came here for the late night happy hour and I felt like the options were limited. It had a nice ambiance and I liked how they had some arcade games and board games available. I do wish that they had more arcade games to pick from. Other than that, the bar area is nice and the staff is friendly and helpful. They had some good drinks to pick from and they were all unique. If you are looking for a little bar to drink and hang out in, then this is the place for you!

This spot is totes my jam! From the moment I walked in, I knew the vibe was perfect for a laid back, happy hour vibe and an overdue catch up with one of my closest friends. If you'd like a place that is chill, but still offer drink and food specials for happy hour, this is a good option. Even on a Friday afternoon, it full but without that over-crowded, extra buzzing happy hour scene. We grabbed seats at a high top (we had reservations but may have been a-okay without) ordered a couple of rum punches with nachos and a few other bar food delicacies off the happy hour menu. Although I can't say that I would recommend the rum punch, I was impressed by the $5 price point. There's skeeball, big screen TVs and a general coolness about the space that makes it adaptable to a range of crowds that I think could all appreciate it. Will definitely keep this in the rotation as a pick for when I want to throw on a t-shirt, sneakers and just kick back with friends.

This seems to be one of H St.'s best kept secrets and I'm super glad I found it. Not only is this place super chill, there is plenty to do including games (pinball & skee ball). If you have younger kids, this place is great to bring them to for dinner before the late night crews start marking their spots inside. The HH is very generous with their food options and sizes, you could easily make your dinner from the HH menu. I had the wings and nachos which were both VERY good and flavorful. I also had the rum punch which was a bit strong and yet watered down, not too much juice with flavor to be honest, but I could have had the last bit from the batch they'd made for HH that night. I ordered one of their other cocktails which was basically a Negroni & it was REALLY good. So I know they know that they're doing. I can't wait to come back and enjoy their dinner, because the plates I saw others around me ordering looked amazing.

This place has the best happy hour nachos in town. The chips are fried to perfection, and they do not skimp on the toppings. It has a good variety of beers. The staff members are nice. And it has a good trivia night on Sunday's.

We stopped here for appetizers and drinks after a long day on the National Mall. Nice wait staff, good nachos, quinoa salad and margaritas. Nice neighborhood vibe.

Bartender was awesome, recommended the "Hoodie Weather" cocktail - apple cider spiked slushee (it was awesome) food was great- didn't LOVE the honey Dijon wings but shrimp po boy was really good. Good prices & food

After a long rideshare trip, my boyfriend and I caught the last ten minutes of happy hour at Bar Elena. I enjoyed the Blake's Grizzly Pear Hard Cider, Our Fancy Nachoes, and 1/2 Dozen Oysters on the Half Shell. The Blake's Grizzly Pear Hard Cider was sweet, light, fruity, dry, and smooth. Their Fancy Nachos consisted of crispy corn tortillas loaded with pico, crema, cotija, radish, cilantro, lime, black bean puree, and braised brisket. The 1/2 Dozen Oysters on the Half Shell was served with mignonette, cocktail sauce, and lemon. I liked how fresh they were.

Yummy brunch food! I highly recommend the french toast - I literally drooled over how good it was. The burgers and mimosas were also on point. It wasn't crowded, the service was good and they were airing the games playing that Sunday. Nice spot for a casual brunch.

My friends and I met up here on a Tuesday to catch up. We wanted to try some place new. The pics looked fun, but I didn't check the menu until day of. My first thoughts were the menu was sparse, but thought I'd give it a try. The nachos were good. I added chicken to mine which gave them some depth, but overall they were good. The hush-puppies (happy hour menu) were........ well, hush-puppies. I asked for extra sauce to give them some flavor as they were a bit bland. The best part (besides catching up with my girls) was the beer. I've been in a porter mood lately and they had some on draft. It's local and it was good. We probably wont be back though.

Stopped by on a Friday around 6 with my sister. Had a good experience. Space: when you walk in, you take a left turn to get to the hostess stand. The bar is to the left and there are tables to the right. Arcade games at the back. They seat you at a table or let you pick a seat at the bar. We opted for a high top table towards the back near the bar. Service: the hostesses were friendly. Our server, Jake was awesome, and had great recommendations. Food: The General Tso's Wings are amazing. Amazing. Try them. Do it. We also tried the oysters and the hush puppies elote loco style. Not as fantastic but not bad. Drinks: I had the Ginger Shrub. It was good. Well balanced. Didn't taste too strongly of any of the ingredients. Overall a good experience. I would go back (especially for the wings).

Went here for brunch on a Saturday and was pretty empty. Service was good, but food was pretty basic. Ordered poached eggs and they were very, very undercooked. Overall fine if you want a cheap brunch in a pretty quiet bar with a good drink.

A typical bar setup but I liked the vibe of it. Went on a Monday night so it wasn't totally packed but still decently occupied. All younger adults so definitely would be a common spot I'd hit up if I lived in the area. They had some good craft beers. Didn't get to try any food.

Walked into the bar and there was a sign to seat yourself. Normally I sit at the bar, but there was no seats available. I sat at a table right next to the bar. As I sat there multiple staff members made eye contact with me. I was not provided a menu, or even spoken a word to. I sat there for 15 minutes with no service until a spot at the bar opened up. I can understand being understaffed and spread thin, but it was not busy considering there was 3 staff members working and having intermittent personal conversations. Once I sat at the bar I was given a menu pretty quickly. Looked over it and decided what I want. It then took 5 more minutes to be approached by one of the three staff members to take my order. I received my drinks pretty quickly. And when I finished them it was quick to cash out. Wish I had a better experience as it is close to my house.

Great place for cheap happy hour or yummy brunch on H street. I love their "I just bought a Vespa" cocktail. The snacks are super yummy- I especially love the elote hush puppies and clam strips!

Delicious food and good service, there for happy hour with friends from work. We ordered a ton of food, great table service. Fries, General Tso's wings, hush puppies, oysters, buffalo wings, chicken liver mouse with toast, we tried lots of stuff, got multiples of them, all consumed! Was a cold day, got the Kentucky fogcutter, ginger toddy, and other hot drinks, also well received. Fun place and recommended!

This weekend four friends from Pittsburgh made a trip to Washington DC to sample the food scene. Our group included two private chefs, a wine enthusiast and an adventurous foodie. One major highlight of our weekend happened the night we stumbled upon Bar Elena. Their kitchen was closed so we ordered drinks and were quickly impressed by the skill and warm personality of our bartender Nash. After perfectly executing four classics, we said, "Surprise us!" He then proceeded to make two of the best craft cocktails of our entire trip! He even provided the recipe for a creation we dubbed "The Nash" so we can enjoy it here in Pittsburgh until we return to Bar Elena again. Thanks Nash!

So happy to have this place in the neighborhood. Unpretentious vibe + great wine list + skee ball + kind, attentive service = wonderful. We'll definitely be back!