DMV Dining

After an arduous search throughout many of the District’s bars and beer stores, I was tipped that Bourbon had Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout in stock. We set off for the Glover Park establishment to finally fulfill my personal quest of this sought-after brew.

Rachel and I have been to Bourbon several times, both in Glover Park as well as its Adams Morgan location (where they offer a solid brunch), but we have never had dinner at either of their restaurants. We decided to make an evening out of it. I mean, if we’re going all this way just to try a beer, we might as well enjoy it over a meal, right?

We made our way upstairs, but alas, all the tables were occupied at the time. Bourbon is like ChurchKey where diners seat themselves whenever a table opens up as there is no host service. No matter as I immediately went to the bar and ordered my very first bottle of KBS. While priced at a steep $9, it was worth every drop.

While the bartender just served me the bottle, I asked for a pint glass to pour it in as I wanted to enjoy the variety of aromas captured inside in addition to observing how thick and jet-black this beer actually was. Aged in oak bourbon barrels for over a year, the bourbon flavor wasn’t as overpowering as I thought it would be. Add in the hints of chocolate and coffee and I can see what all the hype is about, and I’m not even a huge fan of stouts. Even Rachel enjoyed it, and she hates bourbon!

Just as we ordered our drinks, Rachel was able to secure a table in the back. As for the food, I ordered a blackened tuna steak sandwich. Topped with avocado, baby spinach, and dill aioli, it was a generous portion of fish. It wasn’t anything special, but for a place that emphasizes spirits over entrees, as well as the $11 price tag, I wasn’t complaining. The side of house made sweet potato chips helped matters as well.

Rachel ordered the bison burger, something she never had before, and had always been hesitant to try ever since she saw buffalo roaming in Yellowstone on a trip years ago. However, she decided to get past that and took her first-ever bite of bison, and it was delicious. She heard bison is leaner than regular burgers, and was surprised by the thickness as well as the juiciness of the sandwich. It was topped with Swiss cheese and sautéed mushrooms and, while messy, hit the spot. The burger came with a side of bourbon BBQ baked beans that were so good that her only complaint was the size of the small ramekin they were served in.

After our waiter read off a list of desserts, we simply could not refuse and had to order the homemade Chipwich. It turned out to be a worthwhile decision. Filled with rich vanilla ice cream and sandwiched between two warm chocolate chip cookies, we asked our friend Brian to help finish it off as were all but full from its deliciousness.

The great thing about Bourbon is its extensive beer selection as we had two more of our friends who lived nearby join us for some drinks. It’s a great neighborhood bar that’s right off of Wisconsin Avenue should you be looking for some quality micro brews as well as some solid bar fare. I’m already looking forward to another Chipwich myself.