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Alexandria, VA

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The Light Horse

3.8 (448 reviews)
Open • 4:00 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)

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THE LIGHT HORSE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Live music
Loud
Casual
Happy hour specials

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Recommended Reviews - The Light Horse

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Reviews With Photos

Salmon with broccolini and fingerling potatoes
Melissa H.

How did I not find this place sooner?! From brunch to dinner, the Light Horse does everything in a perfectly cozy neighborhood way. In one week, I came here three times because it's really just THAT good. On my first visit, a friend and I sat at the bar and enjoyed specialty cocktails and dinner. On my second trip for weekend brunch, two couples enjoyed cocktails, baked brie with pecans and cranberries, and delicious breakfast favorites. And on the most recent visit, my girlfriends and I checked out the upstairs, which is huge and warm, perfect for enjoying truffle-fry appetizers and dinner. Did I mention that the service here is great? Between Cassie, who's literally working both upstairs and downstairs, to Justin who's single-handedly juggling the brunch crowd as host, bartender, and server, everyone is working their tushies off. Can't say enough good things about this place. Oh, and military discount Mondays?? Say no more. Apparently, they also host karaoke nights, so I'll definitely be a regular going into 2026.

Cheesecake
Jessica A.

Great spot in old town Alexandria! A friend and I visited during restaurant week. It was a nice day, so we sat outside. I sipped on my sparkling rose as I enjoyed the nice views of king street. My friend ended up ordering from the regular menu but I wanted to take advantage of the restaurant week full course option! The 3-course meal came with an appetizer, main entree, and dessert. For my appetizer I ordered the Cajun crab dip, which was good! It was very creamy, but I can't say it's distinct from other crab dips. For my entree I ordered the rigatoni pasta. I guess I was just in a creamy mode that day, but I loved the shrimp and chicken inside. It definitely added more flavor to the dish. And of course I went with the cheesecake for my dessert. It was very good, but again, not really distinct from any NY style cheesecake. We had a great waiter; she was very friendly. Service was good overall!

Arra L.

Great food and excellent service! Everything we ordered was flavorful and came out quickly, and the staff was friendly and attentive. The ambiance was warm and inviting, making it a comfortable place to enjoy a meal. The only downside is that street parking can be quite challenging on weekends, so give yourself a little extra time if you're driving. Overall, definitely worth a visit!

Char P.

We stopped by on a Friday night and had a great time! I think our bartender was Chris, and he was really great! I didn't have any particular drinks in mind that I wanted, so the great bartender that he is, he asked me a couple questions and made me a drink that he thought I might like! He was right; I did enjoy my drink! A friend and I also ordered sweet potato fries to share; this was absolutely the move! The drinks and the snacks are fire! The vibes were quite chill! The staff were actually quite vigilant about spotting red flag behaviors without feeling so overbearing; I really appreciated that, especially as the night went on and patrons are drinking more and more. There are two floors where you can hang out. The upstairs has a handful of games with live entertainment and a bar. The downstairs is a bit more chill, and that's where we were pretty much the whole night. It was more our vibe for that night. We definitely enjoyed our time!

Tuesday - Prime Rib special
Jay F.

Excellent food and service in a great section of Old Town Alexandria. Tuesday night prime rib special for $20 is unbeatable!

Super neat
LoriLynn R.

The Prime Rib is awesome on Tuesdays! Monday is Military and Karaoke. We had the fish and chips over cooked a LOT, but the fries were good! The service is hit and miss, but don't be in a hurry... it's a great place to people watch and relax and enjoy life and good food.

Byron S.

A nice restaurant and bar that sometimes have karaoke upstairs. They also do themes. Bar service was great and the food was fantastic. That banana old fashioned was amazing.

Chris S.

The Light Horse has the best cocktails on King Street. I recommend getting there early on a Saturday evening (7 or 8) because there is a live band and you gotta see the band up close! The service was super fast even though it was very busy. Shoutout to Reyan, Chris and John downstairs.

Upstairs dining room
Bibiana R.

I really loved stopping by here ! I came for trivia night with a party of 6 people total ; they have trivia every Wednesday upstairs. I ordered the crab cake sandwich with jalapeños and tomato added. It came with the option of French fries , sweet potato fries, or a salad. With the option of adding a soup as a side for an additional $2. I opted for the regular fries. When I got my crab cake it was so tasty!! I devoured it IMMEDIATELY because it was 9 pm and I haven't eaten in the last 9 hours lol. Besides the taste, it was certainly 70% filler . But honestly not mad because I paid $20, so, you get what you pay for. It's no jumbo lump crab cake but it's still tasty ! The fries were crispy and delicious. Just wish they added another ketchup for me. I would totally come back because our server was really nice and this place is very historical and cozy looking. Maybe for a date night next time!! Tip: keep in mind that they charge auto gratuity to large parties !

Cubano
Will M.

The first floor bar had cool vibes on a Saturday afternoon. Two big TVs and an extensive drink menu. Upstairs was closed for a private event but I recall it being on the louder side when it's open. Cuban sandwich had a nice kick to it and the bread was super soft. Side salad was bigger than expected. Burger was solid . Bartender was very attentive.

Roasted Beet Salad / mushrooms/ Hand Cut French Fries / Smoked Chicken Wings/ steak and soup
Dona P.

Continues to be my favorite wings. I love that they're smoked then grilled / not fried. They make their own Buffalo sauce and I always ask for extra on the side. Fries are always crispy and fresh. And they made me a fabulous French 75 with tequila. Service is always friendly and the decorations this spring are SPECTACULAR! Literally a must see insta-worthy set up! Just dinging a star because my blackened salmon wasn't quite blackened and felt too underdone / slightly fishy. Next time I'll ask for it to be well done.

Smoked Chicken Wings** Truffle Parmesan Fries**
Becky D.

Get the truffle fries!! Stumbled upon Light Horse looking for beer and a patio in old town, and have already been back within a week because of the food and the vibes! Food: TRUFFLE FRIES ! Will not disappoint! I ordered both times. Also the smoked wings are great, but the ranch and blue cheese steal the show! Homemade in house!! I could drink it! Enjoyed the chicken sandwich and surf and turf kabobs as well! Vibe: Outdoor patio is perfect for the summer weather! Second time I went it was raining so I sat at the bar and still enjoyed the atmosphere. Not too loud, laid back! Service: shoutout to Sean and Kirk! Great service both at the bar and outside! See you guys soon!

Crème brulee
Trang H.

We went to Light Horse for restaurant week and was pleasantly surprised with the food! The stuffed mushrooms were filled with crab and the hush puppies had a yummy sauce on top. My fiancé got the steak which was cooked perfectly. I got the crab cake which came with mashed potatoes and broccoli. For dessert, we enjoyed the cheesecake and crème brulee. Our wait to get a table on a Friday evening was quite long but the front desk kept giving us updates which we appreciated.

Cubano n fries

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6 months ago

Very friendly and professional bartenders at the bar. Best crab cake sandwich that I've ever had.

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1 year ago

5 stars across the board; food and service. Cannot say enough about both. Everyone who works there genuinely concerned about you.

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The Light Horse Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - The Light Horse

Where is the best place to park on a Saturday night?

You could part anywhere on the street and take the free local buss. They come almost every ten minutes and you hop on and off.

Are you able to get the happy hour specials throughout the entire downstairs area or do you have to sit at the actual bar?

Oh are able to get the happy hour specials anywhere. In fact, the waiter asked and informed us about happy hour choices after we ordered something, he offered a cheaper alternative and explained that the difference, for example, was that the happy… 

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

Review Highlights - The Light Horse

“I really like their beer selection and the grilled chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries and bacon mayonnaise.”

Mentioned in 43 reviews

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Junction Bakery & Bistro - French Toast w/ side of potatoes

Junction Bakery & Bistro

3.7(492 reviews)
1.2 mi•Del Ray
•$$

I've been coming back recently in the evenings to meet up with friends for game night. It's also…read moregiving me the opportunity to try the dinner menu. So many good options! Burgers, chicken sandwiches but the wings and mac and cheese are my favorite. I love that you can get just protein options if you just want a grilled chicken breast or a couple of slices of bacon. The service is always great. I really wish they would bring back the ribs that were on the restaurant week specials, I'm still dreaming about them. One of the special things they do is make their own syrups for their coffee drinks, I'm pretty sure they make their own sauces and dressings too because the house dressing is amazing. One suggestion is to get better ventilation, I smell like a fast food restaurant when I leave however they do have an outdoor patio that is really nice.

This was a cute bistro that had a variety of baked goods and light brunch selections. By late…read moreafternoon most of their bakery items were sold out but they still had their brunch selection. I went with the breakfast chicken chorizo burrito and kale salad with the lavender latte. The burrito was good and very large, could easily be split between two people. However, I would recommend getting some hot sauce on the side if you want a little spice. The kale salad was very refreshing, it balanced out the burrito well. I wasn't a huge fan lavender latte, the lavender flavor wasn't that strong. Overall it was a decent place for a quick bite.

Photos
Junction Bakery & Bistro - Inside seating area

Inside seating area

Junction Bakery & Bistro
Junction Bakery & Bistro - Iced green tea latte

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Iced green tea latte

Continues Arcade - Sheet Tray Nachos

Continues Arcade

4.4(95 reviews)
0.8 mi•Braddock Road Metro

Continues Arade is a classic video arcade, bar and restaurant that opened in Alexandria, Virginia…read morein July 2025. It was founded by business partners Allen Brookes and Doug Bauer. An Alexandria native, Brookes grew up playing a variety of games on Super Nintendo and other various consoles throughout the 1990s. Bauer is originally from Pittsburgh and spent many days playing "NHL Hockey" on his Sega Genesis. Fast forward to the 2020s: Brookes' friend Jeff Yates Jr. asked if him he had any ideas for an empty warehouse space that he owned. Brookes envisioned turning the space into an arcade and restaurant, and reflected back on his childhood when arcades offered an escape for children seeking community, friends, and family through games. Brookes partnered with Bauer to make the dream a reality. Chefs Brian Lacayo and Spike Mendelsohn were hired to handle the kitchen duties. Continues features more than 60 vintage arcade games and the kitchen offers menus for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. My family and I recently had brunch at the Continues while we were on an East Coast Road Trip. We met up with some family friends of ours that live in the Alexandria area. We absolutely loved the vibe at Continues. In addition to classic arcade cabinets, pinball machines, racing games, skee-ball, and rail shooter games, they also have TVs that are hooked up to gaming consoles. We first grabbed a table and looked over the brunch menu. For drinks, I had the "Espresso Tonic" (espresso, tonic water, lemon bitters) and my wife had a "Pineapple Commodore-Mosa". For food, I had the "Saturday Morning" (2 eggs, 2 strips of crispy bacon, chicken sausage, rye toast), my wife had the "Waffles of Warcraft" (w/ house whipped cream, cream garnish, & fresh berries), our older son had the "Bowser's Benedicts" (poached eggs on salty ham atop a fluffy and crusty croissant, covered in house-made hollandaise, served w/ tater tots), and our younger son had the "Chicken Tenders" (served w/ fries) and a "Butter Croissant". Everything was perfectly plated and delicious! After our meal, we bought some tokens and set out to play some games. We had so much fun sampling all of the various games but we probably had the most fun playing together on "Pac-Man Battle Royale", which is always a blast for our family of four. Overall, we had a memorable experience at Continues Arcade and highly recommend it to anyone visiting the Alexandria area.

The food at Continues Arcade is punching well above it's weight class, and I'm here for it…read more Reservations are a must if you plan on dining in on a Friday night or weekend evening. The bar is fairly small and that can fill up too during peak hours, so making a reservation a few days beforehand is the best. I like to order their veggie burger, buffalo chicken wings, chicken tenders, or steak frites. The salad that comes with the steak frites has an amazing, lite dressing that I wish I knew how to make. The food has always been great and the service is extremely attentive. Within the last couple of months they've added mocktails to their bar menu which is great if you're sober or under 21 and want something more than water, lemonade (which is good there!), or a non-alcoholic beer. A pro move is to order the arcade tokens with your meal so you can close out your tab all at once. I love playing their pinball machines after the meal as a fun way to end the night. They've also got two skee ball lanes, two racing games, and a few shooters. A lot of it is nostalgic and great for kids and adults alike. It should be noted they have some "adult swim" nights where customers under 21 are not allowed. However, those typically don't start until 8 PM. They'll post these nights ahead of time on their website, social media, and front door. I've never had a bad meal, bad service, bad drink, or bad time in the arcade area. The only negative experience to note was the TV sound volume during the World Cup third place match. It was almost deafeningly loud, and pretty safe to say everyone knew it including the staff due to how everyone had to almost yell to be heard. I guess it was so kitchen and backroom staff could hear. The TV volume or music has never been that loud on any other visit, so I write it off as a one-off.

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Continues Arcade - The Game Room

The Game Room

Continues Arcade - "Neo-Geo Pocket" Gochujang Chicken Sandwich

"Neo-Geo Pocket" Gochujang Chicken Sandwich

Continues Arcade - Our draft Root Beer from Lost Rhino

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Our draft Root Beer from Lost Rhino

The Light Horse - tradamerican - Updated October 2026

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