Decided to stop in randomly one day for lunch. When I used to go to Jody's before they closed…read more(RIP), I would see this place across the street and I always wondered about it. I always assumed it was just a club/lounge experience, but when I drove by I always saw their signs about having the best suya in the area. I randomly decided to drop by while in the area making my PetCo run (while they were still around). Spectrum is deceptively large. In the middle of the day, it was also quite empty -- some fans were running (it was summer) but the music was still cranking! As a first timer, I honestly didn't know where to go, so I just wandered a bit. I made my way to the back area where it definitely had the party vibes -- lights, couches, bars, all of it. I went up to the register to order food... that was a seamless process. Despite the sign about suya, I got the Passion Chicken... sorry, I wasn't in a suya mood XD. It took about 15-20 minutes to prepare, so I just hung out in one of the fancy lounge seats waiting. My chicken was ready, with plantain and jollof rice... and I sat there, in a lounge, eating it. Not gonna lie, that felt kinda weird LOL! Especially given that I was all by myself in a party room. But you know what? It was a nice vibe! I finished my meal satisfied. There was no low to the meal -- though jollof is never spicy enough for me XD. I hear there have been renovations since I was there, so I need to return some time! Looking forward to it.

I came on a Tuesday by myself and it was a vibe! Good suya nice flavor and fries was bomb! I had a…read morestrawberry margarita with don repo and they not stingy! Waitress was super nice and attentive and trust me I'm funny about customer service they pass for me. DJ came over and greeted me made me feel welcome! I'll be back!

THIS PLACE IS TOTAL TRASH! DO NOT GO! My friend Mario G was performing here on a Friday. We get…read morethere around 9pm to set up. First off, they did not have an adequate sound board so they only had one channel. Which means that they operated the whole show on one microphone. (Not only being super unprofessional) this was a problem because Mario G was supposed to be featuring another artist. When it is Mario G time to go and perform (which was at 1am) they didn't properly cue him and started playing his backing track before he was ready. Then, finally they allow him on stage and he starts rapping and 20 seconds into it a woman jumps on stage and physically PULLS him to the side. She STOPS the show and tells him he's not on "her list of performers". The crowd BOOS!!! They did not allow him to play his set. After we spent FOUR hours waiting there, hour drive to get there, $20 ticket to get in, over priced drinks, half shots, and shitty service and music production. This place is not a real music venue, IT'S MORE LIKE A BACKYARD CONCERT YOUR DRUNK CREEPY UNCLE PUT ON. But I guess a strip mall club will always be a strip mall club: dastardly pitiful at its best. (0 stars if I could)

It is a good place for dancing since it's dance floor is pretty large. However, you have to know…read morewhat nights you go since the music changes from day to day.

The bar looks very nice! I arrived for a gathering for alumni, and I was pretty early. It wasn't…read morecrowded yet, but it still took quite a while to get attended to. I didn't order a drink yet, but I just wanted water. I didn't realize until later that there was a water machine on the other side of the bar, so I could've just been chilling. Fast forward to later when it got crowded (really REALLY crowded), I waited with a friend who was trying to order for someone else, and I was going to order too. It was literally 30 minutes before it even happened, and by then I was ready to go because the crowd kept increasing. Needless to say, I think they might've been understaffed for the capacity, but it looks like this isn't the first time. I'll have to come during happy hour (if that exists still, I didn't see anything for it) on an off-peak day for a better experience. I do appreciate that the staff are nice, though!

Conveniently located inside of the lobby at the Hotel at the University of Maryland…read more A very spacious cocktail bar and lounge. I can see it getting much more crowded during Alumni events or around major events/sports at the university. Our bartender was friendly enough and poured a pretty stiff drink. Even made a couple of mocktails for the kids. Oddly the kids were told that they could not sit at the bar. Just more legal lunacy, I suppose. Kids can sit at a dinner table in a restaurant alongside beer, wine, cocktails, etc, however to do so at a bar is illegal and unthinkable... Prices are a touch high, but not unexpected given that it's in the middle of a hotel. You'd think they'd have more food options given they are right next to a steakhouse, but they have very limited options including wings and pizza. They did provide a bowl of trailmix--m&ms, peanuts and raisins. A nice place to grab a drink for those staying at the hotel, but by no means a destination for any other purpose.

A bit dated and the door fee is excessive. They make money on their food and drinks so a $20 entry…read morefee is too much! Especially, for an older crowd.

Its ok. Its the same old people from thirty years ago there. The D.j. might as well go on 5 hour…read morelunch break. They have some major unprofessional thuggush security " that sit around Getting the women's phone numbers all night and scrutiizing all the NEW MEN that come in there. I Can see it being a big issue with security and a MALE BLACK Patriot sooner or later by security.

JCK has been on my list for a while to try; glad I finally stopped through for happy hour on a…read moreFriday. Their HH runs Mon-Fri from 5-7 and include 5-7 cocktails, beer, and wine that they offer at $2ish off the regular price. We stuck with the cocktails and had their Blue Lagoons (which are essentially electric blue vodka lemonades) for $8ish. They were tasty and after 2 of them, we were definitely ready to party. Next time, I want to try the rum punch for $10 - though I noticed the rum punch was premade (vs being made fresh per order). Unfortunately, there are no food offers on the happy hour. The spot was very empty when we arrived, maybe around 5.30p - there was one other couple enjoying time at the bar. Outside of the 8-10 bar seats, they have some lounge level seating, as well as more standard 4-top tables. At the very front of the area, is a small stage where DJ's and karaoke specialists set up. The food was really good; I had the curry chicken plate for $16ish and my girlfriend had the shrimp rasta pasta for $19ish. The food was very flavorful and came out piping hot from the kitchen. I'd get the curry again, for sure. The environment and vibe was the most enjoyable part of my visit; the hip hop and top40's music gave the place a great energy (but wasn't so loud that you couldn't chat. The bartenders were energetic, lively, and friendly. There seemed to be alot of regular patrons who knew each other and the bartenders - that's a really good sign. The star of the show was karaoke which started around 8 (when the bar was getting much more crowded). The karaoke host was great; she kept the group energized and led some karaoke style games and activities that I hadn't seen before. We ended up stay out way longer than expected because we were having such a nice time. I look forward to my next happy hour at JCK. Pro tip: It looks like they have coordinated, promoted parties twice a month on Fridays. And on the other Fridays, they have the 'standard' karaoke nights. Check their IG for the official, promoted parties.

This one slipped under my radar! If you know you know -- JCK is short for Jamaican Country Kitchen,…read morewhich happens to be right next door. I am no stranger to them, having seen their truck at Savor Bowie almost every single time I've gone. And I've driven by their brick-and-mortar multiple times, but never stopped. This one crossed my radar when my friend invited me to a soca party, and I was like "JCK Bar & Lounge? In Hyattsville? How have I never heard of that?" And now it all makes sense -- some time last year, Jamaican Country Kitchen expanded, and now they've got this place, DJ booth, dance floor, bar, lounge, restaurant, all in one. And I gotta say, it was a vibe. The staff was nice and I loved the decor and feel of the place. Bar was cozy and it was nice to be somewhere this late at night that still served authentic Caribbean food. They have happy hour, so I am going to have to return and get a deep dive on how they feel on a regular weekday after work. And I gotta see how their food compares to my other favorites nowadays!

We made reservations here for 4 people for Mother's Day. We were able to come in a few minutes…read morebefore our time and were seated right away. The waiter was nice but the service was very hit/miss because sometimes we had to wait for him or try to find him but it usually didn't take long. He also had a difficult time figuring out how to split the 4-person tab into 2 couples. Hopefully he was new and this helped him learn. The music was very loud, more like closer to club level than restaurant level, which made it difficult for me to hear most of the time. I am not a true seafood lover as there are very few seafood items I eat but needless to say my husband couldn't say enough positive things about the catfish and grits and the other couple we were with absolutely loved that they got their calypso sauce on the side because then they got to enjoy the flavor and crispiness of the fish. The one crabcake on the Chesapeake Crabcake meal was very flavorful and I enjoyed it. Their food was very good. The prices weren't too bad but you also got a lot of food for the price. We had leftovers which was nice!

This is the first time I have been since the change to a seafood spot, and I was pleasantly…read moresurprised. The ambiance was comforting, but I will stay that they were understaffed. We had a large party, so I had the anticipation that the service might be delayed, however it wasn't too bad. The seafood and grits were DELICIOUS! We ordered all of the favorites, and high were flavorful however the lamb chops were a disappointment. I ordered it to be served medium but even with a reorder, it was still well done. Drinks were as expected, nothing to write home about however I would visit again. Maybe for a happy hour timeframe.

An intimate and cozy venue with some of the best chicken wings I've had in a long time. I think the…read moreflavor was peach heat. The drinks were worth the money even though they did not have much of what we wanted (they seemed to be out of everything). There is bar seating as well as a few tables next to the bar. The back area is more spacious with high tables and booths and a bunch of TVs. This is a cute spot of date night. The bar tender was also our server and I think she may have also been the chef. We dined on a random Wednesday night after Happy Hour but the prices were still really reasonable.

I came here for a friend's birthday brunch - we had a large group and coincidentally, we had the…read morerestaurant to ourselves for a good chunk of our time there. The service was EXTREMELY slow. While our server/bartender was nice, I really wish they hadn't been so understaffed. We were a group of 15 and it took so long to get all of our orders taken and drinks made because she was the only one doing everything. Aside from that, the food was very good. I highly recommend the jerk chicken. Due to the slow service I wouldn't go out of my way to come back, but I would stop by for a quick drink and the jerk chicken wings if I happened to be in the area

Ah ah...this one pained me small. I'm honestly disappointed to hear this place has closed. I went…read morethere about five times and the food was always good. Those wings? Delicious every single time. Now the music, hmm, it could be hit or miss, I will not lie. But when they got it right, especially with Afrobeats, ahh it was my vibe completely. The space itself was big, plenty seating, nice lounge feel. I even went once for a football watch party and the energy was there. But let me not pretend like everything was perfect. The service? Very, very slow. You can grow gray hair waiting. One time I even had a heated argument with the owner because it was just too much. But shhhh, we will not go into that matter today. Still, I found myself going back a few more times and enjoying the atmosphere for what it was. That is why it's even more sad to see them close. I just hope it is temporary because this place definitely had potential.

This place is around the corner from my house, and I have never been. It kind of tricky to see from…read morethe main road, being almost directly behind another good sized building. It's been around for years and apparently changed management. I went in with no expectations, because reviews have been pretty mixed. University of Maryland Black Alumni were having an after party there to kick off homecoming weekend, and I decided to go since it's so close to home! I showed my ticket and ID at the door, and I was able to go right in. Unsurprisingly, it was packed when I got there! The bar is big, and the dance floor is pretty spacious. From what I could tell, the staff are doing a wonderful job tending to the crowd. They do not have a drink menu, but there is a food menu. It was a mixture of bar food and some more unique dishes, like jerk salmon and jollof rice. $15 is a good price! That's what I ended up getting for myself. It didn't take long for it to arrive, and it was honestly more food than I expected. The jerk seasoning was a little salty, but not enough to take away from the meal overall -- still quite enjoyable! The jollof did not disappoint with the kick it had, whew! Based on this evening, I would come back on another occasion. Staff were friendly accommodating, and the things I got did not disappoint. The DJ was incredible too, but I think UMBA brought him. Great job Balkonie!