Slash Run
Walk Slash Run to this Neighborhood Gem
So many awesome new restaurants opening up in Petworth (my hood) -- it's hard to keep up! I could not wait to try this new heavy-metal neighborhood burger joint and whiskey bar - Slash Run. The retro atmosphere is eye-catching and casual, perfect for a no fuss meal with friends any day of the week. And the burgers..... have mercy. Keep reading if you want to get really hangry.
Bar-tenderrr
I saddled up to the [black glittery] bar with my friends and was happy to discover that Slash Run offers daily happy hour specials from 5-7pm: $1 off all draft beer and rail mixed drinks plus $2.50 Natty Bo tallboys! Our fabulous lady bartender, Pete, helped me choose a draft beer from the list and made sure she chose it carefully (DC Brau - The Public). I love when bartenders take the time to find or mix something you'll really enjoy. If it had been a half hour later, I would've chosen myself because this place got BUSY.
Service was great and an appetizer special was recommended: jalapeno poppers. I am usually against the typical fried bar food that you can find at so many dive bars, but this bar food is done right. The jalapenos were huge and spicy, with three cheeses hiding inside. There was a cheese layer between the batter and the pepper, and then a fontina/cheddar bacon mixture in the pepper itself. The corn meal batter was perfectly crunchy and the cheese was melty, while the pepper stayed crisp. The creamy spicy dipping sauce was a perfect pairing. Delish!
I was surprised and happy to see a fresh vegetable option as an appetizer - breakfast radishes with a dill dipping sauce. A fun finger food that was seasonal and healthy - a great option to have at a bar.
The Meat
I've been on a real burger kick lately - #sorrynotsorry. These burgers did not disappoint. I ordered the Jucy Lucy - stuffed with hot gooey cheese and topped with griddled onions and mustard. Sigh...where do I start? The burger was cooked perfectly with a soft buttery bun, fresh veggies, mustardy-caramelized griddled onions and MOLTEN CHEESE IN THE MIDDLE! What could be better than cheese on top of your burger?? Cheese INSIDE it! You'll never have to worry about the cheese not being melted enough with this guy. Seasoned properly with the ever important perfect bun-to-burger ratio. Next!
Crunch Bunch
The other two burgers we tried were:
South of the Burger: avocado, pico, jalapenos, tortilla chips, pepperjack
Bar Stool Rodeo: BBQ sauce, fried poblano rings (!), fine ground coffee, cheddar
My most favorite ingredient on any sandwich or burger is the crunch factor - aka chips and fried things. These two burgers had it going on. The tortilla chip on South of the Burger provided a nice thick crispy crunch, while the avocado laid on the chill factor for the spicy jalapenos and pepper jack.
Can we please take a look at those fluffy fried gigantic poblano rings on the Bar Stool Rodeo burger? The fluffy tempura batter was crisp on the outside with an airy fluffiness on the inside (I'm assuming from a beer or tempura batter -- the carbonated beer or club soda in the mixture gives it little air pockets of fluff). Anyway, it was freakin awesome on this burger, the peppers added a nice spice and the cheddar and BBQ sauce is a classic combo.
Buttery buns on fleek, cooked perfectly to our specifications (rare), and bun-to-burger ratio another win for both of these meat yummies.
Hanger...
...in action: My friends Robin and Brendan couldn't wait to dig in. I should also mention that the waffle fries were fantastic, could even be so bold to compare to Chick-fil-a waffle fries. Hot and crisp - tasted like they had just come from the fryer. And they are served with homemade mambo sauce! I sang Mambo No.5 the rest of the evening after receiving the mambo sauce...
Whiskey Wednesdays!
20% off all whiskey all night on Wednesdays! We capped off our night with a 2 oz. pour of the Redemption Rye. Look how packed the 50-seat restaurant was on a Wednesday! Great job, ya'll!
I had a wonderful experience at this new neighborhood eatery and watering hole. If you're lucky enough to stop in, don't stress about the wait - enjoy one of their many beer or whiskey options, pick some metal jams from the 100-CD jukebox and prepare yourself for an evening of curing your hanger.
Keep an eye out for the Hangry District card... your business could be next! ;)