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    Calico

    3.8 (222 reviews)
    Closed 1:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

    Order Calico Takeout or Delivery

    Calico Photos

    CALICO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Hipster
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise

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    Recommended Reviews - Calico

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    Reviews With Photos

    Cute bar!
    Kelly M.

    This is such a delightful bar stop in DC. It's not anything fancy and I haven't tried the food (I suspect it's normal bar fare) but they have a beautiful year round outdoor space in a quiet spot in the alley, and a great selection of drinks. I was on a med and needed to drink a mocktail on my last visit. I forget the name of it but it was actually pretty good! Now they have $10 spritzes on Sundays too!

    Caroline W.

    This is a great spot for sitting down and chatting with friends. We went on a perfect evening, so the open air seating was very nice. I personally liked that I could order from a QR code and not have to go up to the bar, but I know that isn't for everyone. I liked being able to close my tab from my phone and easily keep bills separate. Once we ordered, the drinks came quickly. The staff also brought water and would come by and clear the table when we were finished. My drink was delicious, but very strong. The French fries were also good if you need a snack. There's a lot of tables and nooks you can sit in, but I especially loved the greenhouse outside!

    Chicken sandwich
    Keilon L.

    Go for the drinks and ambiance during happy hour. The food tasted like middle school lunch. I skipped lunch before my happy hour visit and knew that I'd like a sandwich or the like when I arrived. The bartender, woman with a couple cool tats was nice enough and I asked her what was better or more popular between the burger and chicken sandwich. She said the burger so I ordered it. The service was pretty quick and the burger tasted like trash. I was embarra for the restaurant honestly as how can you serve this in an establishment that looks this charming. I took one bite and and put it aside. The bartender asked me how it was begrudgingly and I gave her my honest opinion, but I told her I'd work my way through it. She said please don't do that and let's just swap it out for the chicken sandwich. I said cool and get the chicken. The chicken was eatable, not memorable. It's what I'd get from a high school cafeteria when the good cook is there. I'll never suggest coming back here but again, it's a cute place to sit with friends. The happy hour offering was ok. It's the only thing that could maybe have a friend convince me to come back here for a drink. Good location, nice enough staff, nothing special.

    Jaylene C.

    We found this bar after grabbing a bite to eat nearby. This bar is kinda tucked away and a bit unassuming - we almost missed it! The inside is very spacious- they have a good amount of bar stools and tables available although the tables were all full when we got there so the bar it was. There is a roll-up door that circulates the air. Apparently, this can either cool the place down and get a bit chilly or warm the place up. If you get uncomfortable, just let the bar tender know, and they'll do what they can to help make it better. Speaking of the bar tenders, they are quick, friendly, and have a great personality, which made our visit even better. We didn't realize that they had a decent outside area until we were on our way, but this place definitely has something for everyone. The food looked good but we didn't eat so we will definitely have to come back to try everything that this place offers.

    Jasmine T.

    5 stars for the staff and the food! DC Fray hosted bingo and they didn't start until an hour later, so I won't knock it off for Calico but definitely was apart of my experience.

    Tomato Pie
    Samina M.

    Calico is a fun social space that reminds me of my favorite Southern VA college bar with the best DC twist! Came here for my friend's birthday dinner and loved the spacious ambiance and lively atmosphere. With part of the restaurant being outside, this is a great place to enjoy a warm evening with friends over delicious food and drinks. To eat, I got the Tomato Pie Pizza. Lots of flavorful sauce, garlic, and plenty of Parmesan on top. In the moment, the pizza seemed a bit underdone. However, after taking home my leftovers, the pie tasted a whole lot better once the ingredients could settle. To drink, I had an Aperol Spritz. Refreshing and citrusy! I would recommend that the staff provided straws to ensure one can mix the drink together. Overall, paired very well with my pizza. The service was fantastic on such a busy night. Appreciate all of the staff being so kind and getting our orders in as soon as we arrived! Really enjoyed my experience at Calico and would love come back out in the summer!

    Hiral D.

    Love this place! Please do yourself a favor and get an adult juice box and loaded tots. Absolutely love the tots. I got the lavender lemonade twice and it's delicious! It's a pretty chill vibe and I love that you can order and pay from your phone. Makes things super easy and fun for a group!

    Aperol Spritz
    Noel O.

    We were looking for a great place to sit outside and enjoy a spritz and Calico nailed it! This place has a great vibe, great drinks, and friendly staff. Prices were also reasonable for DC.

    Cocktail "juice" pouch. Can take to go
    Nisha B.

    Chill spot, about a strong 6 minute walk from the Convention Center Metro. Front door entrance is right o Blageden Alley. Came on a rainy Saturday afternoon, so everyone was inside. But there are outdoor seats. Bar seating, booth like seating and cafeteria style tables/benches. Harry Potter was also playing with chill music playing in the background. Order everything from the QR menu and pay online as well. There is a 20% service charge added to every order now. I had a tasty IPA, cheese quesadilla were hella cheesy (duh lol) but I almost choked on the cheese lol. I got a "juice pouch" that was a cocktail, that I took to go. That was good. Spent like $40 on a beer, quesa and pouch drink The bartendars and waiter of water/bringer of food were super nice! Would like to check this place out on a dry, warm day

    Adult juice box
    Olivia B.

    Came here for some after dinner drinks with my brother and a friend, fun outdoor seating. The adult juice pouches were the highlight!

    Daiquiri

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    6 months ago

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    14 days ago

    10/10 love it would definitely go back. Juice boxes were so cute and had a great time celebrating my friend's birthday

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    8 months ago

    Beautiful place, excellent service and wonderful food! If you go in the summertime sit outside on the deck!

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    Free State - Hazy IPA

    Free State

    4.3(149 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    Not to be confused with Free State Distillery in Upper Marlboro (though many also call it Arthur…read moreWheeler Spirits haha), this place is located just off of the main street in chinatown, and it's surprisingly lowkey. It's a basement bar with a bit of a dive vibe, but it's hard to ignore the nautical, blue crab theme throughout. Turns out that one of the owners is a Marylander, which is cool to see reflected in the decor in a place in dc, even though it is next door. They have a happy hour and they have a great variety of drinks in general. It's bring-your-own-food (BYOF) and there are a bunch of delicious looking Asian spots nearby, including upstairs. It didn't start getting crowded until closer to 10, which, as I said, is surprising for this part of town to me. Everywhere in Chinatown is not going to be packed and busy, and this place is here to remind you of that. Stop by if you're looking for a more chill vibe. Staff are pretty cool.

    Free State is perfect for a chill bar in the Downtown area. It's exactly the kind of place you want…read moreto share a few drinks and be able to hear the person in front of you. I had a delicious orange crush drink and my friend had a sangria. The bartenders are extremely chill and nice; they only come up when you need it which is nice for good conversation. I'll easily be back when I want to catch up with friends without a speaker blaring in our ears. Great place to introduce to more people!

    Photos
    Free State - Spiked chocolate

    Spiked chocolate

    Free State - Bar

    Bar

    Free State - Small glasses

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    Small glasses

    Chadol Korean BBQ

    Chadol Korean BBQ

    4.5(134 reviews)
    1.0 miNoMa
    $$$
    All you can eat
    Full bar

    Chadol Korean BBQ was such a fun pick for our monthly dinner series! My friends and I had a great…read moretime and honestly left fullllll. For $45 per person, the all-you-can-eat experience feels like a really solid deal considering how many protein options and side dishes you get. They start you off with a variety of banchan (side dishes), including a salad with this super tasty dressing that had the perfect little spicy kick. For the BBQ, we kicked things off with the spicy bulgogi and butter garlic shrimp, while the others tried the pork belly (I don't eat pork). Later we ordered the steak, spicy brisket, and grilled squid, which were all delicious. The spicy brisket especially was a standout for me. The guys also ordered two rounds of fried dumplings that looked amazing, but since they contain pork, I had to sit those out. I'd love to see Chadol add a veggie dumpling option to the menu! As for the sides, the kimchi and cold glass noodles were both hits at our table, and of course we all added white rice. The "mashed potatoes" though? Definitely more like potato salad and unfortunately very bland. On the other hand, the cheese corn costs extra but is 1000% worth adding. For drinks, the guys enjoyed the Woody Old Fashioned while I had a mezcal margarita-style cocktail that was smoky and refreshing. We also ordered one of the chicken options but never received it and eventually just gave up on it. One of the coolest parts of the experience is the ordering system. Most meats are ordered directly from a machine at your table, and the food comes out quickly on this conveyor belt-style setup which was honestly so fun. Drinks and side dishes are ordered through the servers. The atmosphere was lively and energetic without feeling overwhelming. The restaurant is actually much larger inside than I expected, with a modern setup that works well for smaller groups. That said, I didn't really notice tables for larger parties, so I'm not sure how they accommodate groups bigger than 6 people. Service started off a little rough because our server wasn't very attentive, but after I called it out, he definitely stepped it up and things improved. Overall, Chadol was a really good experience and absolutely worth the price. The 1.5-hour seating limit makes sense too, both to keep things moving and give others a chance to enjoy the experience. I'd definitely go back!

    I ate here around a year ago and reviewed them on google. The food is not good, service is slow,…read morefor some reason you can't order certain things with the tablet, and it's really easy to miss the little automated train thing that brings out your food. This place has negative reviews deleted on Google. Spend your money elsewhere, there's better Korean food in DC.

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    Chadol Korean BBQ
    Chadol Korean BBQ
    Chadol Korean BBQ

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    Ciel Capitol Hill

    Ciel Capitol Hill

    4.2(11 reviews)
    1.1 miNoMa

    The setting is really nice and during happy hour the sun sets on the other side of where there is…read moreseating so it's perfect. However, the music is so loud that it's impossible to enjoy dinner with friends. We came on Wednesday's for the live jazz music but after a long day of work trying to wind down was impossible. We saw several people leave because of how loud it was. The type of music playing and the time of the set being during dinner hours the noise level should be played on a lower level.

    Omg!! The food was delicious. This was my first time patronizing this restaurant and I was blown…read moreaway. Interestingly enough they have two locations which I did not know. The food at this location was great. The red snapper with the rice and tomatoes was very flavorful. The red snapper could have been cooked a little harder. However, other than that it was great. My friend order the same dish except with salmon. She enjoyed the dish as well but also mentioned that the fish could be cooked harder. We sat at the bar so we didn't get service from the waiter. However, the service from the bartender as great. He was very knowledgeable on the drinks and the food. Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of the drinks. But I ordered a smoked margarita which had a great taste. The ambiance was wonderful. It was very aesthetically please. From the flowers on the ceiling to the rooftop overlooking the Capitol it was great. The roof top provided a chill vibe with low music. It could be a great place for a date night or just a place to go to meet up with friends. I 100% recommend.

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    Ciel Capitol Hill
    Ciel Capitol Hill
    Ciel Capitol Hill

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    Bar Betsie - Back area

    Bar Betsie

    4.3(68 reviews)
    1.4 mi

    A trendy, NYC like vibe this spot was a lot smaller than I expected so I see why they often have a…read morewait. On a nice day, they do have a small outdoor patio as well. I think they take reservations but we were able to grab a bar spot. Are drinks pricey? What do you think? It's a cocktail bar in DC. The drinks we tried were pretty tasty, even the mezcal one which I thought was a refreshing take. The wall shows some of the drinks on the menu and the ingredients/glass it comes in which I thought was a nice touch. Bartenders were friendly but not too chatty as they were super busy but you never waited long for a drink. The bourbon drink with the whipped honey was our favorite but the gin drink that was pink was also fantastic. For food I did try the buffalo chicken dip, pretty large and tasty (not too spicy) and loved the super crisp celery and the fritos. Clean, trendy bathrooms, nice vibes throughout the whole spot for pictures, great for a night cap or pre-dinner drink.

    What a fun cocktail bar. My friend and I popped in for happy hour and it was a cool vibe from the…read morestart. I encourage you to get there early if you plan to go after work. They don't take revelations and the place fills up fast. It's a very cute spot and feels so comfortable and fun. Our bartender was Gaylan and he was great--had great reccs, laughed with us a bit, all around great guy. The 'let me just say this' was so soo good! It tasted like a rainbow--just bright and with a really delicious after taste. I should have stopped at the rose but after my trying my friend's, i had to have one! We initially came for happy hour, but moved to the cocktail menu. The hh was a bit limited, but the drinks were priced overall pretty reasonably for the area. My one complaint is the wine glasses were so teeny. Overall though, I would recommend this bar. Bonus: cheese balls when you sit down! I believe there is also a limited food menu (think nachos) for the after work or late night crowd.

    Photos
    Bar Betsie - Quick view of options

    Quick view of options

    Bar Betsie - Frozen hibiscus pina colada

    Frozen hibiscus pina colada

    Bar Betsie - A well balanced Old Fashioned

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    A well balanced Old Fashioned

    Death & Co DC - Fool's Gold

    Death & Co DC

    4.2(113 reviews)
    0.0 miShaw, Downtown
    $$$

    I've been eyeing this bar for several weeks now, and the other day, I finally decided it was time…read moreto give them a try. I know reservations are probably highly recommended, but we were fortunate to walk in at just the right moment and snag a seat. The seating is cozy and inviting, perfect for a relaxed evening. The atmosphere is just my style, an elegant, dark, grown and sexy vibe that really sets the mood. The decor is striking, with thoughtful touches that create an inviting space to unwind. While it leans a bit on the pricier side, the exceptional service more than justifies the cost. Jordan and the team were incredibly knowledgeable about both the drinks and food menu, offering suggestions that perfectly matched our tastes. We tried two standout drinks that I can't recommend enough: the Attractive Nuisance and El Tiburon, (which is an Old Fashioned made with gin). The bartenders here clearly know what they're doing, each drink was crafted with care and precision. The good music in the background added to the overall ambiance, making it a delightful spot to spend an evening.

    We were here to get drinks and apps to kickstart our friend's birthday celebration. Unfortunately,…read morewe didn't have a reservation for that evening. Because the last time we were here, we could find a seat easily. So never thought about making a reservation. As we walked in, the place was packed. Lucky we got a table in the corner for an hour. One of us had to stand unfortunately. Drinks were great but felt overpriced. Food was delicious too. Fried potatoes and tartar is a must have. The service was great. Ambiance is amazing as well. Slightly on the darker side in the inside. They also have outdoor seating.

    Photos
    Death & Co DC - Please and Thank You

    Please and Thank You

    Death & Co DC - Mutineer

    Mutineer

    Death & Co DC

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    Calico - cocktailbars - Updated June 2026

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