About our rating system
Around since 2005, Hank’s just keeps getting better and better. Chef/owner Jamie Leeds now has four Oyster Bars, but Dupont Circle’s is the original. It’s a lot prettier and bigger than when it first opened: You’ve got a choice of patio seating, a skylit bar, a candlelit comfy lounge, the main dining room with tables and a generous swath of oyster bar, and an upstairs bar with stool seating. The place always feels festive and the food is always great; I’m particularly fond of the crab cake, the po’boys and just about anything with oyster in the name). The kitchen has a way with fresh vegetables, too. Last but not least, Hank’s offers a really good deal at weekday lunch 11:30am to 3pm: $13.99 for 2 courses. Hank’s three other Oyster Bar locations are on Capitol Hill (check out this location’s amazing happy hour specials), at 633 Pennsylvania Ave. SE (202/733-1971), and in Old Town Alexandria, at 1026 King St. (703/739-4265), and by the time you read this, on the waterfront at The Wharf, in the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood (check the website for details). Leeds also has a Hank’s Pasta Bar in Old Town, at 600 Montgomery St. (571/312-4117).
