I honestly cannot think of something that would make this place better. In fact, it's everything that it's missing -- pushy crowds, fancy fingerfoods, standard pop music, a pretentious atmosphere, overstuffed leather booths -- that I love about it. Make no mistake, this is not your average 14th Street bar (THANK GOD).
Don't get me wrong, it can get crowded at Kingfisher; it's one of those bars where you can time it so that you can grab a table and play board games/propound a detailed critique of the awesome and/or awesomely bad films that show on the bar's TVs with friends (weekdays, until 6, 6:30ish), or revel in the company of other individuals who are not above canned wine (some may, in fact, be charmed by it and how surprisingly good it tastes) or pausing a conversation for that scene in MIB where Will Smith delivers an alien baby.
This, by the way, is my favorite thing about Kingfisher: the other people there. Kingfisher, by dint of its design, menu, and all of the intangibles that goes into influencing a place's atmosphere, has found a mix that attracts the kind of people that you don't mind scooting over for at the bar. I've never come here and NOT had a fun interaction/conversation with a total stranger. If you've been in DC for a bit, you know that's a rarity (and it makes my Midwestern heart so glad to know that such places do exist).
Okay, back to the other stuff. I've generally found the playlists that have been put on to be great, and suited to encourage either conversation or dancing as the evening demands. You can eat whatever you want, because Kingfisher lets you bring in outside food; I appreciate that their focus is on just making a solid bar happen instead of squeezing in a kitchen to service high-end happy hour snacks. They do have popcorn, but it doesn't have truffles shaved on top. Sriracha, parmesan, garlic powder, etc, are on hand, but you put it on YO DAMN SELF. Which means that you can mix it up however you want. Sometimes you will make mistakes. You will be forgiven, and if you ask politely, you will be given new popcorn.
That's the last key piece of all this: the staff, from doorperson to barback to bartender, are phenomenal. They're friendly without feeling needlessly flattering, interesting to talk to, and good at managing the room. The bartenders give great recommendations and create some excellent cocktails. You get the sense that they would be willing to be friends with you, but there's always a layer of professionalism present -- to reference above, the bartenders will restock your popcorn for you with a smile, but if you decide to be a dick and, say, start a popcorn war with your buddies or go behind the bar to try and refill it yourself, they'll let you know (politely) that that's not okay (no one wants your hands in the popcorn machine anyway).This might seem like a strange thing to highlight, but it 1) makes me feel more comfortable knowing that they're always keeping an eye on those things--and is probably why I've seen no major issues there, since they handle things before they get out of control and 2) it makes it clear that they're not playing favorites/everyone's treated fairly. Again, the people here (working and visiting) are a huge part of what makes this place so wonderful.
Kingfisher is my happy hour bar, chill Thursday night bar, work events bar, and "I've been out all night and don't have the energy to pretend to care how I look while dancing anymore" bar. I've never regretted going, and I've never brought a friend who hasn't walked out uttering some version of, "Hey, I really liked that place."
High five, y'all (which, by the way, are free at Kingfisher). read more