Spider Kelly's feels like it's only been around a year, but it actually just quadrupled in size and is now a fixture in the Clarendon scene. Before it was a tiny, unnoticed bar. Now it has a hip, cool vibe and beautiful people abound. It tends to lean older than some of the neighboring bars, meaning if you're 35 you won't feel out of place. It's got a huge wrap-around bar with two attached rooms, yet it gets to be standing room only, especially weekend nights when the line is out the door (despite its 450-person capacity). Their happy hour lasts until 8pm, featuring half-priced wine and pitchers, $3 glasses of wine and $4 appetizers Mondays, $2.75 draft specials and half price hamburgers on Tuesdays, $2 bottles of beer and $.50 wings on Wednesdays, $3.50 margaritas and mojitos Thursdays, $3 rail drinks, half-price cocktails and $4 off pitchers Fridays, and $10 select pitchers Saturdays. Great deals for such a swanky place (drinks are normally $5-8). And they are smart enough to keep a bunch of bartenders on hand, so getting a drink is never a problem. There are several lounge areas with couches and love seats as well as game areas, and the place has a laid-back vibe despite its vastness. The macaroni and cheese is phenomenal, but as a "side dish" you'll need at least two people to split it. And Snooki would be pleased that they have fried pickles, ordered by the bowl (again, you'll need a few people to split it as eating a bowl full of fried pickles by yourself is, well, gross). It has 16 beers on tap, 11 wines by the glass and an extensive cocktail list for the ladies, including pretty stellar mango mojitos. read more

Spider Kelly's - Bars Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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After passing by Spider Kelly's many many many times, my friend and I made dinner plans to go here last nite. I was a bit disappointed when I noticed that there were no draft beers available at the bar. Only bottles. Though a nice selection of bottled beer, but it's just not the same. Plus, the prices were equivalent to draft pints at most places... but a bottle is only 3/4 of a pint. Also, going at 5:30pm on a weekday, there were no happy hour specials to be seen. We came on a tuesday, which just happened to be their half price burger days. I ordered the Spider Kelly burger with cheddar, the onion marmalade, lettuce, tomato and grilled onions. And my friend and I split the rosemary and garlic fries. The burger was pretty good, but it could have used a bit more flavoring to give it a kick or something. The fries were very good. The bartender was really nice and chatty, since I got there a little before my friend showed up. We chatted about spring/summer season beers. Our waitress was also very nice, she checked on us just the right number of times and was quick to bring the bill and all, when we were all done with our food and beers. Overall, Spider Kelly's a pretty nice place to meet up for a casual to slightly more than casual meal. I just wish they had draft beer. read more

This place was not what I expected it to be. I thought it would be a deep, dark, lounge-y place, but the lights were brighter than the ones above my cubicle at work. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but my group and I kept trying to figure out whether we were at a lounge, a bar, or a family restaurant. There were booths along the right wall, low-to-the-floor couches on the left wall, and tall bar tables in the back. It just seemed like it wasn't laid out very well. Anyway, the server was pretty busy, but she made enough time for us. I'm not a big burger eater, but a few of my friends got burgers and said they were realllllly good. Around 10 or so, they finally dimmed the lights. We were heading out at this point, but I might come back here for a later night, or early enough to take advantage of a happy hour. read more

We came here for happy hour yesterday with a large group of people. The couch area was a really nice place to just chill, hang out, and talk. And because it was Wednesday night, the $2 bottle beer and 25 cent wings special was fantastic. The issue came later in the night, around 7pm, when we wanted to order some food, specifically, the garlic rosemary fries someone else on Yelp was raving about. We kept waiting and waiting, flagging down the waitress every 15 minutes to ask on the progress of the fries. She kept telling us the kitchen was backed up. It eventually took over an hour to get our fries out, and they were missing the garlic. And the fries themselves weren't even all that great. Highly disappointing. How long does it take to fry a batch of fries, and how hard is it to get the right toppings on them? Very long, and extremely difficult apparently. I might come again for the vibe, but the kitchen needs to step up its act. read more

I never went to the old version of this place because it just didn't look inviting. . . I always wanted to stop, but then upon further contemplating, I just never felt an urge strong enough to walk in. Now being all super-huge it gives me that feeling of walking into that bar in Dazed and Confused complete with the high-school aged clientele (I'm sure you're all at least 21. . . maybe even 23, but the overall age has got to be right around there). I really wanted to like it. . . I really wanted to have a new bar that I'd enjoy going to. . . but this isn't it. Yes, there are plenty of bartenders. . . but, they're NOT good bartenders at all. No, seriously. . . you all need to learn how to pour a drink (and which glass to use. . .3 drinks, 3 different glasses), and learn the number-one rule of making a drink. . . DO NOT USE THE GLASS TO SCOOP UP THE ICE. Your manager should know better. . . It just gives me a weird Virginia Techy, Centervillian type vibe. . .I don't know what that is exactly, but that's the feeling I get in here. It's a baseball cap tilted to the side, DC101, football jersey, and to confuse me even more skate shoes when you don't know how to ride a skateboard look. Know what I mean (I guess it's a Ocean City/Dewey Beach vibe, when I haven't been to either in a very long time)? Unlike what another review says. . . It's not really a breath of fresh air from the Ballroom, Clarendon Grill, and Mr. Days. . . it's the same recyled air in a new wrapper (with better tv's). I'll give it another chance and may raise my star-vote, and maybe its just trying to grow into its new shell. . . but, I don't know. . .I'm not feeling any soul in these places. read more

I go to this place maybe once a month and have always had fun but its not as cozy of a place as I would like. More of a 2.5 than a 3. Maybe it is because I seem to only be there on busy nights. Either way it is not a place I would spend a whole night out. Never tried the food so I don't know. Drinks: I love Jack and Coke and that is what I always get here. It is like $10 for one and they aren't very big which is never good and can get pricey. I feel like if I have had 6-7 already and I am not stumbling and being ridiculous you could give me a little more Jack as they are small glasses. Maybe I am asking too much. Service: Like I said it seems to always be busy when I am here so I never have really talked to any of the staff. The bartenders always seem friendly but haven't really interacted with them too much. Considering how busy it has been some nights, the wait time to get a drink from the bar is not bad at all. Entertainment: Shuffleboard, pool, basketball arcade game and a couple others. Great! Prices are a little expensive though and you may not have an opportunity to get a table depending on how large the crowd is. That being said this is why we come here, to play shuffle board. It has become somewhat of a tradition for a group of us to come in play shuffle board for an hour or two, have a few drinks and go elsewhere. It could also be that my friend and I are like 50-0 (no exaggeration) at shuffle board here. So when we go all our friends love to challenge us in hopes to win and we love somehow managing to win every time. We refuse to go anywhere else for shuffle board. It is a good time though. Its a younger crowd and can get quite busy but definitely worth checking out. I wouldn't recommend doing a whole night of drinking as it can get expensive here but if you're barhopping in Clarendon you should stop by and play some shuffle board or pool and have a couple drinks before going else where. read more

Pleasantly surprised that this bar offers more than games, beer, TV, and a whole lot of Arlingtonians. Yes, they actually serve food, and pretty good food at that. They have seating on the left section of the place, and it's definitely not as packed as the main bar or the game area, where on a week-end, you feel packed in like Sardines. I was madly craving Fried Chicken, and instead of going to the always reliable, and tasty Popeyes, my brother wanted to go somewhere where there would be people our age. I went online, and saw that they served Fried chicken. Intrigued, I did what any true yelper does, and that was do their research! So lots of people gave props to the fried chicken here. I'm really skeptical when it comes to fried chicken. After eating at the most hyped "best fried chicken" places in the DC area, this includes Michel Rashard's "Central," Georgia Browns, and Marvins, I can say that none of them beat Popeyes. This even includes the famed South City Kitchen in Atlanta, the supposed "best fried chicken" in the big city of the South. I'm sorry, maybe I worship Popeyes, but the batter there is second to none. Very flavorful, and even though the actual chicken meat is not as tender and high quality as the other places, it just outdoes them on sheer crunch and tastiness of the batter. The kind that you never get sick of, and always ends up tasting good, even when you don't crave it. Now back to the actual review of Spider Kelly's fried chicken. It actually exceeded my expectation, which is saying A LOT because I always have high expectations for fried chicken (is setting the Popeyes standard too high?). But yes, I can say that the batter is flavorful, and the chicken is high quality. It's also at a very fair price, you get half a chicken (4 pieces) and fries for only $10. Most other "high quality" *rolls eyes* fried chicken joints are a rip off, you'll get two pieces and a side for $20 *cough Georgia Browns cough*. Here you get your moneys worth, and the chicken is actually really tasty. Like many others, I also recommend the cardiac mac-n-cheese, they give a heaping portion and it is really good, the type that has fresh cheese baked on top. So I was pleasantly surprised to have a nice fried chicken meal here, and may possibly come back at a future time, something that can't be said for any other place I've gone to for fried chicken, except of course, Popeyes. So why the three stars? Because the service was horrendous, I guess they use most of their manpower to serve drinks in the main area room to the endless amount of drunk Arlingtonians, but the dinner area is definitely a second thought as my water cup was bone dry for awhile and it took forever just to get my check. If this place had decent service for dinner, I'd give this place 4 stars. As far as the happy hour and bar experience, this place definitely deserves 4 if not 5 stars, it's fun and always has a good crowd here. read more

Went for happy hour (they open at 4 on weekdays - don't show up early!). I never got a clear definition of what their happy hour entails but here's what I deciphered: 4-8 PM, they have daily specials (Thursday was margaritas and mojitos for $3.50), and draft beers are half-ish price...bill was $3.67 for $6.50 beer...? Don't get the margarita unless you like sweet&sour mix and dislike tequila...cause you won't taste any in there. Service was unimpressive but not bad. Though we didn't partake they have lots of games - pool, shuffleboard, darts, and God's favorite game...Skeeball! read more

Spider Kelly's is one of the hip/hot spots to go in Clarendon these days. This is quite sad for me as it means if I go on the weekend I have to fight through droves of drunken ex-frat kids and their relatively vapid hangers-on in order to get some surprisingly good food with a reasonably priced good beer. First, the crowd, and I do mean crowd. Lots of 21 to 30 year olds with a few people in their thirties and forties from out of town who didn't know what they were walking into. Similar range and type of person as the Ballroom, but much younger than the clientele at Eventide on their other flank. Do not be surprised if somebody spills a beer on you and then says "Urrr, sorry, bruh!" before stumbling off with their buddies. Do be surprised at the line that forms to get in most Thursday through Saturday nights. But the other nights of the week, I would say to try anything fried from the kitchen. The fried shrimp appetizer they used to have was just plain awesome and the fried chicken is just as good. The slider appetizer, the mac and cheese, the grilled cheese....all great and reasonably priced. The only thing I've had which didn't surprise me with the quality was the jambalaya. It didn't really fit in with the rest of the menu and I wasn't too surprised when it had the spice profile of a shoe. Good overall taste, just no spice. The upside to any downsides though is that you can get the food later than most any other restaurant in the Clarendon area. My overall impression of this restaurant is that you will be in for a good meal and a pleasant experience if you keep this as a weeknight option. If you happen to be a masochist and want to indulge yourself in public, come here on a weekend evening and let the 'good' times roll. read more

I went here for a work HH, suggested by a friend who lived in Clarendon for years. It was a good recomendation! We sat on the outdoor beer patio which is nicely shaded with fire pits for when the weather is colder. There are also a few TVs out there but it is not very loud. They have a lot of great deals for HH! They have a $5 menu whose portions are HUGE! My favorites were the nachos but the loaded tator tots were amazing too! My friend had the quesadillas which he liked a lot. The mac and cheese balls were AWESOME but there were only 5 which was skimpy compared to the other portions. The only HH food we didn't like were the fried pickles- they were too soggy. But most of it was great! ALL the beer was $4 and there were $4 sangrias and wine. I would definitely go back for HH! read more

Hello fried pickles, nice to meet you. I can't eat all of them alone, or even with two other people, but they were tasty nonetheless for snacking before our giant portabella mushroom feta cheeseburgers ($3.50 on tuesday!) arrived. I adored the use of the mandoline slicer to dress up the carrot and cucumber garnishes, two vegetables that rarely accompany a burger. The wine was extra chilled and the fresh baked cookies (with milk) were moist and warm. I'm convinced they have a roll of pillsbury in the back, since the waiter advised us it would take 15 minutes to make them "fresh." But who cares, the cookie was the only thing that we were able to finish. read more

$2 bottled beers, $0.50 wings Wednesday until 8p Dogfish Head IPA bottles for $2! Crispy skinned buffalo wings?! I must say, what a little treasure I found! Spider Kelly's has pool, shuffleboard, and two bars. It's definitely a good place for meeting up with friends and meeting new people. Everyone in the VA area likes to hit it up, Alexandria, Tysons Corner, etc. It's got a good feel without the cover prices and difficulty of DC for NoVas! The buffalo wings were crispy with a sweet buffalo sauce, not spicy at all, but sweet. :) I couldn't believe I didn't order more!!! I will be back! read more

A straightforward sports-bar that doesn't try to be something else. SK is always a solid option for hanging out in Clarendon because it's decently bright, has a large bar area, and has tons of spots to play table games or lounge about. The service is solid, and there are lots of TVs for those who want to catch the game. It's a popular spot that stays true to what it is - a sports bar. It doesn't try to outsmart customers with fancy stuff or pretentious whatever. I like that they've picked up more craft brews and have those on tap. I'll echo the sentiments that after 10PM, this place will start getting dude-bros and the ladies start to think they're at a club. I don't know why so many people think SK is something fancier or is some place at the Hamptons. It's not. The clientele can make or break SK on any particular night. read more

Spider Kelly's seems like the type of place that can be cool when it's not crowded, but a raging shitshow of douchebaggery when it gets full. It's a pretty big space, the menu is decent if overpriced (but maybe not overpriced for the area). There are pool tables, shuffleboard, darts and a few other activities if you get bored with just hanging out drinking and talking. When we went it wasn't crowded so there was no problem getting a seat. There are also tons of TVs so this is likely a good place to catch a game. Those are the plusses. The minuses include the big warning at the door not to bring in weapons. If I thought this was just to be funny or ironic, it'd be okay. Combined with the bouncers with earpieces, it tells me this place attracts a bunch of dicks. The entire feel of the space is much more yuppie-meets-clubbers than the dive bars I normally frequent. So verdict - probably a great place to grab a burger, a beer, and play some pool or darts after work. But I'd be a little reluctant to go there later on a weekend, it just seems like it's probably not my kind of place. read more

Middle aged lady running the front table (idk her name) called my name stupid and threw her smoldering cigarette butt at me when I tried to leave. Very upsetting, very unprofessional, I just wanted to use one of the two vacant pool tables. read more

Alright.... so.... I like Spider Kelly's.... quite a bit actually. At least I liked it my first time here. I rolled in here with my one of my girlfriends to get drinks and to chill out. We sat at the bar and were served immediately with no trouble. The only trouble was the time we rolled in. It was 7:50 and the extended happy hour was going to end at 8:00pm, so we wanted to utilize this by ordering our drinks before the deadline of paying full price versus happy hour prices. I got 3 margaritas for the whopping price of $3.75 a piece. They're not weak either which makes me think I made a sound investment. My friend Jas got the house white for $5. She also ordered a margarita, then we split the loaded tater tots and chicken quesadillas that were also $5 a piece. The quesadillas were easy to eat, but as you can imagine the loaded tater tots were pretty heavy on the stomach and wouldn't recommend getting those unless you've been drinking for hours.... good hang over food, but not good for starting out with them. She and I could not finish them. Service was okay for the most part. Dude behind the bar did have his panties in a wad for some reason, but I will let it go. We got what we needed and maintained despite his sass. This was a very obvious straight guy, mind you. He was hitting on the chick next to us and she was totally turning him down. It made good for prime people watching. Alright, Spider Kelly's. I like you and I will return. Who else offers $3.75 margaritas during the week? If someone can tell me, then I will be there. Otherwise, my loyalties stays with S.P.'s. read more

I think yelp says just about enough with this place: A-OK. Thought about a two-star rating but then backed off of it. Came here with some friends for a happy hour. I will say that I do enjoy this atmosphere better than the one at Liberty Tavern - though there is something to be said about yuppies packed in so tight that you have to make new friends. Anyways, you can hear everyone talking here, but drinks are expensive and there's no beer on tap. The food is just OK. They try to do some different things with the food, but sometimes it doesn't work out that well. The garlic and rosemary fries are OK, though I accidentally chowed down on a whole garlic when I thought it was a fry. Yes, it's kind of dark in that place. Everything needs less salt. The fries were really salty, the fried pickles were insanely salty, and they don't need to be as creative with the dipping sauces. Just get some classic sauces in there and be done with it, I can't say that I'm too big of a fan of their sauces. The fried chicken was good, though the skin was crispy and yes, again, say it with me, really salty. One of my friends ordered the shrimp po'boy and the whole thing was just kind of weird. Large shrimp, but it was encumbered by even larger pieces of bread that just dwarfed the shrimp and everything else in it. Actually, now that I'm actually writing about it, I'm going to have to give it two stars. I'll be back when they fix the food, or else try that chicken soup that Tom Sietsema raves so much about. For the prices, you're still better off going to Liberty Tavern or one of the many other options near Clarendon. read more

I popped into Spide Kelly's one evening when I just wanted to get out the house but not go clubbing. It was around 11:30pm on a Thursday and I was actually headed to Clarendon Ballroom but saw this place was packed so decided to check it out. There was no wait or cover charge. I had two friends with me. We did not have a problem finding a table. The drinks were strong and inexpensive ($15 for two blue motorcycles). I did not enjoy the music too much as I am more into hip hop but I was not out to really go clubbing so the atmosphere was fine. I made a few friends and stayed for about 90 mins or so. I did not have to get dressed up or wear heels so this was the perfect outing for an evening just out of the house but not getting into anything too crazy. read more

We hit this place up last night after trivia at O'Sullivan's. Sitting outside on the sidewalk was nice. Especially getting to watch people pour out of the Ballroom after last call. The mac and cheese was absolutely amazing. The fries were nothing to write home about but still pretty good. Definitely a nice addition to the Clarendon bar scene. read more

Worst service ever...literally EVER... It was a mellow Sunday with five people in the entire place. Went to watch the Warriors game and have some adult beverages and apps. It was like I asked them to climb the roof and change the station by hand...then I ordered a Höegarten and a chilled glass...their response, " we don't have chilled glasses"...ummmm, ok...how about just a glass..."you're so NEEEEDY" I literally laughed out loud. Get a new job..85% of being a good bartender is customer service... The food was pretty good...but the service is a major problem. read more

Cadence R. pretty much said it all about our visit. I had this place bookmarked for a while, and was excited about trying it. Ill add that my "3 day chicken" was like half a rotisserie chicken from Giant. Not bad, just nothing special. Worst service I have had in forever, I will not be back. read more

If this bar wasn't in one of the best locations in Arlington it would absolutely have been shut down by now due to mismanagement. I've had the displeasure of interacting with the manager numerous times since the staff defaults to him on everything from changing the TVs to trying to get the music working. He's always rude and doesn't even make a minimal effort to make this bar the kind of place his clientele would enjoy. Not to mention that someone literally got STABBED here a few weeks ago because the staff couldn't bother to recognize someone that clearly should have been turned away at the door. Take your money elsewhere - there are enough options in Clarendon that you don't need to waste your time here. read more

I went for the first time a couple of nights ago and I'd give it less than 1 star if I could. Although I felt bad for the waiter who was working his butt off, the service was quite slow. The waiter apologized to my girlfriend and I several times and I overheard him apologizing to most every table in earshot. I have to give it to the guy for at least trying. I'm not sure how well staffed they are on other nights, but on the night I visited, SK was severely understaffed (and it wasn't particularly crowded). Unfortunately, my REAL PROBLEM with Spider Kelly's came later that night as I lay sleeping in bed. Sometime around 3AM my stomach began cramping up and, yep, you guessed it: Off to the bathroom I went! It was a miserable night! I tried to make it into work the next morning but, yep, you guessed it again: More time in the bathroom. By 11AM I couldn't take it anymore so, feeling quite miserable, I took some sick leave and made my way back home. I crawled into bed and spent the rest of the afternoon alternating between there and my bathroom... at least I was home. To briefly recount the culinary events of the previous day: I had a bowl of grits for breakfast, skipped lunch (worked through it), and had Spider Kelly's "Crump's Fried Chicken" for dinner at around 8pm. You make the call. As for me, I won't be going back to SK again. Epilogue: I called SK's the next day and spoke to the general manager. I related the sequence of events to him and while sympathetic, he would not consider refunding my money. I guess satisfaction isn't guaranteed at SKs. What I was really surprised about was that I wasn't interested in a whole refund since my girlfriend enjoyed her meal... I just wanted a refund for the meal that I strongly suspected made me ill. I thought that was a pretty reasonable request but apparently Spider Kelly's did not. read more

Well I am sad to say I am now downgrading Spider Kelly's by one star. I have only been once before and have been so excited to go back again for 1/2 price burger night since I loved my chicken burger and marinated mushrooms so much!! Met a friend there and while I was waiting for my friend to arrive I noticed a few changes on the menu: the free toppings no longer included marinated mushrooms, and the cheeses no longer included Vermont cheddar. And well since those were the only two things I got on my burger last time I was a bit annoyed. Their choice of free toppings basically include 3 types of onions (marmalade, cooked, and raw) and beer mustard. Well since I am picky I would never choose any of the above so that means that there are no "free toppings - choose as many as you want" that I would pick. I still got the chicken burger and paid $1 for regular cheddar and $1 for mushrooms. I have to say while the burger itself was still good, the amount of mushrooms was small and not as tasty (so many more last time I went) and the cheese was just ok. I honestly don't think I'll be back. Sometimes it's the simple things and not sure the reasoning behind changing that, I mean free toppings is great, but at least have more than 3 types of onions as your choice :o( 9/3/09: Slight update - I had decided to email Spider Kelly's about my disappointment since I believe it's good to provide both good and bad feedback to local restaurants. I received a very thorough response within an hour or two from the owner which I really appreciated. He explained the reasons for the changes and also said they are looking to update the free toppings (probably not with mushrooms but that's ok). So I am going to give them another try and maybe this time not have the expectations of the first time I went and see how it goes. But I was pleasantly surprised by their kindness in their email. read more

Pickle Slap - When one individual furtively slaps another with a pickle, thereby forcing the slapped individual to eat said pickle. Generally accompanied by screaming of "PICKLE SLAP!" Spider Kelly"s has da bomb frickles. Plus the serendipity of wanting a burger, it coincidentally being 1/2 Price Burger Night, and said burger containing pork fat, made for a stellar first impression. However, roommate's follow up trip yielded some questionable Mac n Cheese (tasted like the smell of feet). I like leftovers. I like them right out of the take out box, preferably still cold. For the most part, I'll eat anything left over in the fridge - but I just couldn't eat that Mac. I never order Mac n Chez while dining out though, so who cares. 3 stars. read more

Best.veggie.burger.ever. Ok, or maybe in DC. That I have tried so far. It is spicy, great texture, comes with the awesome SK "fridge sauce" and is accompanied by your choice of sides - ranging from healthy to very unhealthy, all tasty. That being said, am not a fan of the expansion. I much preferred the quiet hole-in-the-wall feel it used to have. Now, unless you eat dinner at 5 pm, you encounter a line to get in and boisterous, post-college type crowds. If you are the type that eat dinner at 5, you're likely to encounter families with little kids. Not in the old Kelly's. The multiple TVs are also a little much - although they do play the Food Network on some. All is okay if you go for lunch on a Saturday. Still some kiddies, but overall quieter - and attentive waitstaff. Every time I go I vow to try something other than the black bean burger - I haven't even had the fried pickles! - but it hasn't happened yet. read more

Good brunch food! I've been to Spider Kelly's a few times for brunch. The food is always great. I've ordered the "hangover cure" breakfast, the "yoga pants" breakfast and the breakfast sandwich. The food is delicious and the service is pretty good however the food takes a long time to come out. This is a little confusing as we have been the only party in the restaurant each time we've been. Take note that the restaurant is a crowded bar on weekend nights so there is a little bit of that old beer smell in the morning. read more

I used to enjoy coming here for good HH specials, but the Friday night bartenders and bouncers ruined this place for me. First, the bartenders were unattendent and rude. Second, after hanging out for a few hours and managing to have a decent time despite poor service, a friend and I tabbed out and headed for the door at 10PM. However, this is the only bar I have been to where the line to enter was jammed inside the doorway instead of outside, while a bouncer (who was wearing a jacket) was waiting just inside to check IDs. There was still some room to exit so I headed out, but the bouncer tossed out his arm, throwing me back and telling me he was "going to teach me some manners." Other people lined up behind me, trying to push me forward and out the door. After several minutes of the bouncer letting his bros into the bar without checking IDs (as they cut the entrance line and shoved people out of the way) he finally let us go, but not without calling us "idiots" as we left. I think I'll take my business elsewhere to avoid this garbage read more

I might be skewed since I see Spider Kelly's as the anti-Clarendon Ballroom, which I despise. Spider Kelly's preaches a "come as you are" attitude, meaning I am welcome there at any time even if wearing basketball shorts and flip flops. I appreciate this as I enjoy wearing basketball shorts and flip flops. I'm also very appreciative for their step-above-bar-food menu. The burgers are cooked in pork fat, and are deliciously tender and melt in your mouth. One huge plus is the capability of adding an egg to the burger, which adds a lot and brings a little bit of Charlottesville's White Spot to Arlington. The fries are top notch, seasoned with garlic and rosemary. The selection of beers is good, although they don't serve drafts which is sad. It is a good, low key place to dine with friends or to get loaded with friends. It's also a great place to hide from the rampant d-baggery next door at Clarendon Ballroom. read more

I must preface this review with the fact that it's not for a bar hopping experience. I've been to this place during a weeknight and on a saturday afternoon around dinner time and both times I felt it was a fun chill spot. The food is pretty good but not particularly memorable. (If I don't remember what I had, it's usually average.) I think we ordered sliders and buffalo wings during the happy hour special during the week and when I went on a saturday evening I only had drinks. That being said the prices during happy hour for eats were GREAT and the drink prices and beer prices were affordable as well. In addition to good prices, there is LOADS of room to accomodate a group of friends (if you don't go on a super busy weekend late i suppose....) The pool, shuffleboard, video game hoops, and other games also make it a desirable place to meet friends for downtime. I doubt I'll go during a bar crawl type situation, but rest assured if I do I'll adjust my review accordingly. :-) read more

We came here for my friend's birthday to eat a quick dinner before going out in Clarendon. The food comes out at different times, not together - weird. I got the burger, the top bun was cold and not toasted. My friend also got a burger which the waitress forgot about and kept giving us excuses, talking about "I put it in the system but the kitchen doesn't have it, but it's coming I think" (yes, she said those exact words). My friend's burger was 20 minutes late and no manager in sight to apologize. The waitress left us without water refills for a really long time. The spinach artichoke was cold, as well as all the buns on the sliders and sandwiches. I don't even know if I wanna come back for the bar. Bao bar and Don Tito across the street are waaay more worthy of your money. read more

Not sure what some people on here were expecting for a Clarendon bar, but it's pretty spacious (which is nice for Fri and Sat nights), decent drinks and usually a good crowd. The bar games (pools and darts) are nice if you're not just looking to drink and mingle Overall once of the better bars in the area... read more

This place is trash. The bartender gave us 0.5-0.75 oz shots. Not sure if she did it on purpose or not. We went to the back bar and they gave us 2-3 times the amount. Not sure if she gave a crap or not. My girlfriend spilled her drink accidentally trying to get her attention. We wanted another one but she replied "I'm sorry" and then went to attend other guests. Only good part was the back bar bartender was super nice. Checked up on people and actually gave a crap about her job. I don't know if the first bartender did it on purpose or not but she did not give a crap about anything or anyone. read more

Huge college bar with kids Lots of cool games. Always been here late night Good for 22 year olds. Drinks are expensive compared to the crowd that comes there It's big with 2 bar areas and a line to go in. No cover Near the metro. read more

I reallyyy like Spiders during the week. Various happy hour specials until 8 and the food isn't half bad. It is a good place to meet up with friends for a casual bday happy hour or just because. I reallyyy don't like Spiders during the weekend. The line is unbelievably long though it moves fairly quickly but once inside, good luck getting a drink. Or having a good time for that matter.. It is bright, crowded, and the music playing in each room is different. It'd benefit from having a bar in the pool room in addition to the main bar and the dining room bar. If you're not with a large group, playing shuffleboard or pool, I don't see the appeal of Spiders. Needless to say, given the other Clarendon options I would rather go to Spiders than RiRa/Whitlows or god forbid Ballroom. read more

Food is pretty good--but the atmosphere and service have been great. My son took me there for Mother's Day. He ordered whisky--straight. I told the waiter (wish I could remember his name) that as the whiskey drinker's mother-please bring that child a large glass of water. The waiter did-And just as we were leaving gave me a free piece of cheesecake for Mother's Day. That's so thoughtful! I go there to play pool-and drink a beer or two. I've eaten dinner there as well but it's the best place to just hangout with friends. read more

"Welcome to your new neighborhood bar." - SK website Agreed with Alex-M. I think Spider Kelly's is great for what it actually is - a neighborhood dive BAR. I don't know why everyone thinks this place is the place to go for food/dinner. There are PLENTY of actual restaurants in Clarendon - SK is mostly a bar...and for that it excelled my expectations. I planned happy hour here and it was great. Bartender was friendly and attentive (and happened to be from my NJ hometown - woo hoo free drinks and shots!), and the food we all ordered at the bar was as expected - bar food. Drinks were GOOD and STRONG. Prices are comparable to anything in Clarendon and drink prices I though were really good/decent (especially the HH special of $2 bottles). I will certainly be coming back here for after-work drinks. I love the laid-back atmosphere in such an up-tight yuppie town ... I hate going to Liberty Tavern and feeling dressed down in my skinny jeans!! read more

Me and some friends usually go to World of beer in ballston arlington but we wanted to try a new spot so i chose spider kellys. upon entering i was immediately disappointed. the bar looks very run down with a bad odor and the staff is very VERY rude. I had hope and thought maybe the drinks would at least be worth the trip. they werent. my boyfriend got an old fashioned and it was the worst one hes had ever. i got the kentucky fuzz it was ok but def not worth the money we paid. long story short if your debating between this bar and somewhere else i guarantee you will be better off going else where. Again i also just cant over how rude the staff was. theres no need to be so agressive with your customers. definately will never be back. i was actually embarassed that i told my friends to come here. read more

I've been coming to Spider's for about three years now, and I can confidently say that it's one of the premier bar and nighttime spots in the whole of Arlington. A pool hall by name, Spider Kelly's offers so much more. Other games, yes, but more than anything, one of the best meet markets in the northern VA area. If you come on a Friday or Saturday anytime past 9, you should expect to wait in line outside to get in- the place really is as popular as you've no doubt heard. And for good reason: the bartenders are talented, the prices are fair, there's pool, shuffleboard, darts, and other games to play, and it always has good DJs on the weekends. There are also plenty of TVs throughout the entire space, which makes it easy to keep an eye on the game while shooting some pool or hitting on the hottie at the end of the bar (don't come here solely to watch a game, though, it's far too noisy and crowded). There's not much else to say, really. It can get a bit too crowded at times, but even during times like those it's still a ball to be there. Come with friends, come with a date, come with anybody: no matter what, you'll have a great time. read more

I've never been to the original bar so I have no comparison, but this place is great. It seems like a fun, relaxed place to hang out and have a few beers, play some games, and watch sports on their tons of TVs. Their mojitos are really good and the HH special can't be beat. The food was great too (I had a crabcake sandwich that was all crab, no cake--amazing!). This is a nice breath of fresh air from the meat market bars (Ballroom, the Grill and Mr. Days). The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was the service. They had maybe four/five bartenders for an enormous bar, not nearly enough for the crowd that was there. And because the mojitos were on special they were making a ton, and they take a long time to make so service was slow. It took me 20 minutes just to get my tab at the end of the night. Spider Kelly's management, if you're reading this: PLEASE hire more bartenders and have at least eight on the bar at a time--three on each long side and one on each short side. read more