WASHINGTON – What’s the recipe for the area’s best happy hour? How about half-priced burgers, “supermugs” of beer, strawberry-mango sangria and cheddar-bacon croquettes?
That’ll do it.
According to WTOP voters, the place with the best happy hour in the region is Chef Geoff’s.
Happy hour runs all day on Mondays and Tuesdays, and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday at three different locations in American University Park, downtown D.C. and Rockville, Md.
“For people that are really interested in trying different beers, like craft beers, there’re actually a lot of options. You don’t just have to drink a humongous Bud Light,” says Holly Stutts, a patron at the New Mexico Avenue, N.W. location.
According to Chef Geoff’s General Manager Tom DeMott, 20 out of the restaurant’s 24 craft beers are available on tap at happy hour in supermugs for $8.95.
“Another feature on there that’s really big is our constantly changing seasonal sangrias. Right now we’re doing a strawberry-mango that is absolutely unbelievable — white wine, strawberry puree, strawberry schnapps, brandy, everything delicious,” says DeMott.
For others, it’s the food specials that make this establishment the best bang for the buck.
“You can get a really delicious hamburger, a side salad, a big platter for like six bucks. You can’t beat it,” says customer Deneen Heath.
The original Chef Geoff’s, established in 2000 on New Mexico Avenue, is a neighborhood restaurant that’s always bustling with customers, ranging from American University students, to longtime D.C. residents.
“It’s just a really interesting, really neat mix. You can look out there right now and you can see young, old, everything in between. Everybody’s sitting down having a burger with a supermug or a glass of sangria,” DeMott says.
The overall goal is high quality, without a dress code.
“We want to make sure that our level of service is impeccable, that the food is fantastic, carefully prepared with love by our chefs in the kitchen, but something that’s not stuffy,” DeMott says.
Other specials on the Chef Geoff’s happy hour menu include appetizers, sandwiches, pizzas, wine and cocktails.
We’ll reveal more winners of the WTOP Best Of competition, weekdays through July 30.
See the full list of WTOP winners and the runners-up in the Top 10 photo gallery.
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