Chadwick's, Alexandria

Chadwick's sits a bit reclusively on South Strand Street, right by the waterfront. The hidden locale matches the restaurant/bar's dressed-down, local watering hole personality. This is not the bar that Washington heavyweights ordinarily choose to frequent. It's more the kind of 'round the corner establishment that  has a hell of a champagne brunch menu. So definitely throw on an old pair of jeans and ball cap before arrival, as there's no need to dress to impress. Just unwind and let that beltway blood pressure drop a little...

With kiddie items included on the menu, you might think that the bar selection would be pretty tame. But beyond the typical fare of Michelob and Budlight, Chadwick's has a collection of fourteen microbrews, as well as two feature beers every month. enough to give even the most ill-tempered nine-to-fiver something to look forward to. The bar itself is just a simple slice of Americana. When the swampy DC summers hit kill-yer-granny highs, seek out the hunter green umbrellas on the patio, and enjoy the breeze off the water.  Capitol Hill will be still be waiting for you on Monday.