EatBar

Two and a half stars. Pricing was a little high for outside of DC, and after sampling around their happy hour it felt like the cost poured into the intimate date night décor beyond the doorway curtain. Brussels sprouts were tasty, though the lardons had been aggressively dehydrated for a jerky texture. The fries in the braised beef short rib poutine lacked basic seasoning, and the chive garnish and cheddar whiz couldn’t save the meat from its ground up dog food texture. Baby burger was underwhelming as far as glorified sliders go, a bit heavy on truffle aioli. Arroz con pato was the winner at our table– clean protein, flavor for days, and grapefruit segments for light acidity. I regret not trying the kimchi grilled cheese and steak tartare, and I shouldn’t have let the waitress talk me out of the Shaddock Hound when there was the Commonwealth, Rye of the Tiger, and Gnomes Water to be had. RIP, nice tap list.

How I heard of this place: When we first moved to Arlington, I was looking up some of the area’s favorites online, and came across a restaurant called Eat Bar, that not only served food, but also had black and white cartoons playing on a big screen during Sunday brunch. Who wouldn’t want to experience that?
Type of cuisine: «An American Gastropub» says it all! Everything from pork sliders to hot dogs, oysters to chicken & waffles, salads to fettuccine, mushroom fritters, skillet cornbread and an ice cream sandwich. You want one of your American favorites, go to Eat Bar for a delicious, slightly new spin.
Ambiance: The large, neon signs outside, say it all, «EAT». Enter the single-​story brick building with storefront windows leading into a dark space, and you have found yourself in an amazingly detailed and ecclectic setting, a treat for the eyes and the stomach. The golden chiffon drapes at the windows, romantically set half-​way up the windows, similar to the red, velvet curtains at a movie theater. Above the windows, colorful bottles make for thestained glass look in the small, rectangular windows leading up to the intricately tiled, plum ceiling. The walls are dazzling, deep purple with a uniform pattern of lavendar flowers painted atop. Gold-​framed holes in the wall, in varying rectangular and square shapes and sizes, Mediterranean blue-​tiled interiors are lined with goblet-​style glasses holding candles. The metal ducts overhead are hardly noticable with the detailed Mideval style lights overhead, resembling candle chandeliers. Gold-​framed chalkboards surround two wall-​mounted, framed flat screen television sets over the large beach pebbled-​wall at the bar, where specials are listed (by way of beverages, free Sunday movie nights and Eat Bar apparel). Overhead, towards the back of the establishment, an even larger screen plays old Loony Toons cartoons, complete with classical music to create a sense of ease and nostalgia, from our yellow-​green, valour couch-​seats. A grand booth is stuck inside the walls directly underneath the screen, while others enjoy their meals from the barquette and tall, backed bar chairs (both at the bar and creating the center line of the establishment), or tables and chairs lining the wall farthest from the bar.
What I ordered: To start, cranberry juice ($ 2.75) and drip coffee ($ 4 each). Tallula’s Benedict ($ 12), house biscuit topped with a thick, breaded and fried shredded pork patty, topped with a poached egg ball, bright yellow, tangy hollandaise, pickled jalapeño, and served alongside fresh home fries, and Tallula’s Omelette ($ 11 each), a perfectly smooth and round egg pancake stuffed with spinach, caramelized onions, mushrooms, roasted peppers, and plenty of melted goat cheese, served with home fries and a side of applewood smoked bacon ($ 4 for a generous helping of thin, crispy, salty strips) and breakfast sausage fix ($ 4 for three large). A final order in our party for the Chicken & Waffles ($ 12), half a Belgian waffle (maple syrup on the side), topped with boneless, buttermilk soaked, breaded and fried chicken thigh, gravy and a side of braised kale. For dessert we selected two of the Ice Cream Sandwiches ($ 6 each). My choice for the two mini ice cream stuffed chocolate chip cookies was the way it was intended: with peanut butter ice cream, and oatmeal ice cream.
On a return visit, Sunday, July 15, 2012: We returned for Sunday Night Movies at Eat Bar to see «Blazing Saddles» and partake of snacks. We downed the small containers of popcorn (free concessions) and then sampled two Baby Burgers ($ 4 each) with truffle mayo and balsamic onions, as well as one order of the Fries ($ 4), regular with an abundance of salt, served with the house malt vinegar dip (tartar sauce).
What I loved: The ice cream sandwich with peanut butter won my heart. But the food was tasty. I really enjoyed the perfectly poached eggs and the home fries. The fresh, thick cut vegetables in the omelette and the coffee.
Why I loved it: A fun atmosphere, excellent for families with small children and adults wishing to relieve their childhood through watching old Loony Toons cartoons on the gold-​framed big screen. What a clever idea to serve good food while watching cartoons in a public establishment!
Cost: Average ($ 9-​$ 15 per brunch entrée)

Had brunch there recently and realized I should have researched more on Unilocal.First off, their website is quite outdated. There was no classic cartoon being played during their Sunday Brunch hours, as indicated on the webpage. The brunch menu has also changed and we were informed that they have now a new chef.
We had kimchi scrambled eggs and cheesy biscuits and sausages. While the rest of the party seem to be ok, if not some enjoyed, their meal, My husband and I were disenchanted with our food.
Kimchi scrambled eggs… normally this would evoke eggs-​focused dish with chopped kimchi into it. But it seems like my expectations of something similar to kimchi omelet was my own downfall. It came out more of reheated kimchi fried rice (which contains a small amount of scrambled egg/​s) with a side of home fries and salad. Why was there rice in this? Why is this fried rice lukewarm? And with regards to the cheesy biscuits and sausages, the portion is generous but the dish was not memorable and plain boring.
Service: 3.5
Food: 2

One of our local go-​tos. Seasonal menu doesn’t disappoint — something new every time we come. Lovely cocktails.

This place was so much fun! We only had cocktails but it has great atmosphere, a mixed crowd and lively. We plan to go back to eat and expect it to be equally fantastic! The cocktail menu had something for everyone. The staff were fantastic, especially the bartender, «T» good service, friendly and personable.

3.5 Stars. Better than average, if unexceptional.
Had drinks with friends here the other night. Generally had a good experience and will return.
Highs:
–A nice selection of hors d’oeuvres and light dinner options. We especially enjoyed their steak tartare on crispy lavash: the beef was exceptionally rich and savory, with just a little bit of rosemary coming through the yogurt.
–Prices were reasonable across the menu.
–A lengthy selection of wines and draft beers (no one in our party had a cocktail).
–It was easy to carry on a conversation, the place wasn’t very loud.
Lows:
–Service was slow and there were a couple of hiccups in our order. They got us our order and fixed the errors, but there were some awkward efforts to flag the waitstaff.
–Portions for some dishes (the tartare for one) are rather small. Not a deal-​breaker, but worth knowing.

Apparently this place used to be really good, but they’ve had a switch or two in management, and the menu is drastically different, and not in a good way. For starters, I thought the menu was pretty small– not a deal breaker as long as there’s some good, solid choices, however, when reading over the entire menu there wasn’t a single thing I really wanted. I don’t think I’ve ever had this happen in my life! And to be clear, I’m not a picky eater. In fact, I’m a pretty adventurous eater, and I love trying new things, especially the restaurant’s «specialty.» In this case, I have no idea what their specialty is– and the menu was sort of all over the place from kimchi carbonara to foie gras.
We ordered the kimchi carbonara (I was not a fan), some charcuterie and cheese (pretty standard), the wings with the «Korean bbq» sauce (this was the most disappointing thing – it wasn’t terrible but not good either, and definitely NOT Korean BBQ). The fries were decent, but hey, how hard is it to make fries? We also ordered the bone marrow, which was maybe the only really good thing we ordered, which comes with bread, caramelized onions, and a sweet/​sour cherry sauce.
Overall, I’m not too enthused to come back. I’ll take my $ 80 somewhere with a more exciting menu.

I hate to write this update with two stars off.
It truly really saddens me to see a place that I visited often and that was conveniently close by take a turn for the worse.
I used to love their cocktail menu but sadly, everything on there kind of just tastes bad. The Thai coconut cocktail that I had tasted like Lysol. I could barely drink it. The other cocktails don’t even really taste like cocktails as they are overpowered by whatever booze is in there. I’m sure it’s still great for wine and beer but seeing as their cocktail menu used to be amazing and had very delicious drinks, I still lament the changes.
I still love their skillet cornbread, but am disappointed with the red pepper jelly as it tastes like something out of a jar rather than the jalapeño jelly they used to serve with it that wasn’t as sickeningly sweet. The first time I had the beet reuben it was served hot and delicious and this time, it was cold! In addition, the fries weren’t even thoroughly cooked through.
I did really enjoy the kimchi grilled cheese and the service was great and our waitress friendly so I’m not taking too many stars off but I am just really disappointed that the boy and I now have to find a new go-​to date night place when this one was our favorite.

Overall this is solid gastropub. Pretty good charcuterie. Cornbread is good. Nice location kind of away from the bustle of downtown Clarendon. I support the more local pubs and this one seems to fit a more neighborhood feel. Service is slow at times. The experience always seems to be better on weekends around dinner time. If I reviewed this place 2 years ago it would have been a 4 or 5. Somehow it has lost some of it’s consistency regarding food. Grits are inconsistent. sometimes great sometimes grainy. We went during the Sunday Childs matinée once and it just wasnt the same. Service was slow that morning and kids couldn’t really hear the cartoons. I think even considering a kids live band or some kid music vids wouldn’t be a bad idea. Maybe with a little work and advertising, it could be good.
I recommend going on a weeknight for a more lively atmosphere. Try the small plates/​charcuterie with the beers/​wine. Needs more tweaking regarding the menu. A few more options wouldn’t hurt especially on the small plates side or even charcuterie inspired sandwiches. This always seems to work for places. I really want to give 4 – 5 stars since it is a local place. I will keep checking back in as the atmosphere is my style.

I haven’t been to Tallulah yet but Eat Bar is a go-​to favorite for me. Whether it’s date night or a night out with the girls Eat Bar has a great beer selection and great food.
The menu may not be hugely extensive but whatever the chef prepares is always exquisite and sure to please. The small plates make sharing and tasting different things tapas-​style easy.
The menu also seems to rotate periodically and instead of bemoaning changes to the menu I’m always excited to see what new things the chef has prepared.
Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a casual atmosphere where you can hear yourself thinking and have an actual conversation while still enjoying fun décor and lighting.
The only downside is parking can be tough and the lot they have is very small

I’ve never had a bad experience at EatBar. They have a good selection of beer & wine and their menu is constantly changing so it’s never boring. I really like the casual atmosphere and how the music is actually soft enough to have conversations. It’s a cozy little spot.
What i had yesterday:
–Charcuterie (5 items): Fennel salami, Surryano ham, head cheese, Kunik cheese, and Bellwether San Andreas cheese — The surryano ham was excellent. It basically tasted like bacon.
–Skillet cornbread with chorizo — The saltiness of the chorizo goes well with the sweet cornbread
–Brussels sprouts — Good flavor and went well with my beer.
–Pig ear chicharrones — I liked how light and crispy it was as well as the flavor. Small portion, though.
–Kimchi grilled cheese — It was just whatever.
I’m a fan of EatBar.

Decided to check out Eatbar on a random Tuesday night. The space is very casual, (sorta like your neighborhood bar) and comfortable. I like how the location is still centrally located in Clarendon, but tucked away from the crowds of people. I was excited to check this place out after reading the reviews, however I found myself kinda dissatisfied after looking at the menu. Most of the plates are tapas style, and quite honestly, they don’t offer a wide selection, and what they do offer, is meh at best.
I ordered the Poutine (french fries with cheese and pulled pork). This was my favorite dish I tried that night. I also ordered the frisee salad with a half cooked egg on it with bacon. The egg was so undercooked that I personally did not think it went well with the salad at all. The salad would have been much better had the egg been fully cooked. My friend ordered the duck, and although I don’t eat duck, she commented the duck was dry, and I agreed after looking at it. Last but not least I for dessert I ordered the ice cream sandwich, and it was so frozen it was hard to even get the outer cookie part to break. I was literally at war with it trying to break of bite size pieces that were small enough for me to eat.
While this place offers a cool location and a chill laid back atmosphere, the menu and the food leave much to be desired. Not sure I’d waste my time to go back again for dinner, however if I was only looking for drinks, this place would seem pretty cool and comfy.

EatBar is Arlington’s hidden treasure. After driving by so many times, the BF and I decided to finally get some grub. Luckily, we came right at the cusp of Happy Hour, which I believe is from 4 to 7pm. We got all the HH specials — a glass of wine, 2 beers, $ 3 mini burgers and ½ price chicken wings.
The mini burgers packed a punch! I was not expecting so much flavor from tiny sliders. We got one truffle and one traditional. The truffle burger was amazing! I like some shaved truffles on my polenta as much as the next girl, but sometimes it can too overwhelming. This burger had the perfect amount of truffle essence. We also opted for the honey mustard wings which came perfectly crispy, but not oily, covered in a coarse grain mustard sauce. Yum! Last but not least, I have to get some charcuterie! We got a few of their cheeses, including goat, blue, and manchego, and the cardamom salami. The waitress really knew her cheeses, so ask for recommendations! I was not a big fan of the cardamom salami because I wanted more meat for my cheese!
Overall, EatBar is a great place — modern, trendy, yet intimate enough for date night.

A bartender friends told me if I liked gastropubs, that this place in Arlington would satisfy my craft beer + artisanal food craving. He was right, this place was fun and filling.
First off, the beer selection is great. I love a good brew — especially if I can get some SoCal hops for less than $ 8. Wine and cocktails looks great as well, but I stuck to the beer.
Food wasn’t as great as I’d hoped, but if you gnosh on the cornbread or sliders you won’t be disappointed.
Service was fair, restroom was clean and interior was pleasant. Would certainly return to this cute spot!

Overrated.
I used to live only 3 blocks away from EatBar and had a few opportunities to try majority of items on the menu.
1. the cow’s balls item: (pardon me as I don’t remember the name) was vile. I would eat almost everything but BLEEDING (undercooked) BALLS /​TESTICLES are not something I am willing to eat. Those balls came extremely undercooked and some liquid kept on juicing out of it. Maybe they had gotten rid of this item… god I hope so.
2. Wine: Yes, they have fabulous selections of wine, but they are hauntingly expensive selections.
3. Service: It’s always been so unwelcoming here. Maybe it’s just me.
4. Food overall: With several options in arlington/​clarendon scene (though, not good options), this isn’t a place I would go back for food. Menu itself is certainly enticing for true foodies, very unique and not traditional at all, but EatBar has not been able to deliver the expectation that comes with delicious sounding menu.

Met some people in the cocktail room in the back of this establishment for some drinks and ended up staying for a bit so I got hungry and ordered some food. Before I get into the food let me just tell you the atmosphere here is very trendy and colorful. Combined with dim lighting and a barren bar it was a little vexing.
We ordered a Pork Slider, Skillet Cornbread, Bacon Popcorn Balls, fries, and Marinated Olives.
The slider came out first. Now, where I’m from (and everywhere else in the world) a slider is a miniature burger or sandwich that comes in multiples so you can share, how an appetizer is designed to work. The sliders at EatBar are in between the size of a normal burger and a traditional slider, and you only get one of them. The Pork Slider wasn’t particularly good and was rather dry. In addition the fact that I was with a party and ordering for a group the single serving made it an annoyance to share.
The Bacon Popcorn Balls were just a mess of flavors. The caramel and minimal amount of bacon did not accent each other well and the the overall taste of the dish was bland to unsatisfying.
The Skillet Cornbread wasn’t as poorly devised as the previous two dishes and was a moist, dark cornbread, and the jelly covering it was decent.
The Marinated Olives were just a petri dish of olives; for the same amount of money you could get a jar of these.
The fries were the best thing we had ordered. And they were alright, I guess.

EatBar. I finally had the privilege of dining at your fine establishment. Though you had great service, I was not blown away with your food. I hate to be the bearer of bad news.
I came here on a blind date this past weekend. My company was great! We had a nice conversation and all went well, and he will be a great friend to have. He took the liberty of ordering for us. I just let him do his thing and I dined accordingly.
We started out with some mussels. They were alright. I haven’t had a bad experience with having mussels yet in the DMV so far which is great. After that she brought us out some Chicken Wings with chipotle-​honey glaze on them. After that, we got the tempura asparagus which I did love. You can’t go wrong with deep fried veggies.
All sounds so good on the menu, but I don’t know what it was that just didn’t strike a solid note on there for me. The chicken seemed dry, and the broth and seasoning the mussels came in didn’t have much flavor to them. I’ve had some amazing mussels before — these just didn’t compare.
We both had a glass of wine a piece. I enjoyed the Rose option that I had. As far as I am concerned, he enjoyed his too.
EatBar is worth visiting again. It is a cute place next to Tallula that does have a perfect product in there somewhere, I didn’t have the privilege of tasting it this night. The asparagus doesn’t count…

Although we only came here for drinks to celebrate Samantha W.‘s graduation, (Congrats again! XOXO) EatBar is a nicely decorated bar tucked away outside of Clarendon. The ambiance is trendy and the furnishings are sleek and modern, and there’s a good amount of space in the backroom for a large party. The overall atmosphere was relaxed and easygoing, and it was easy to hold a conversation without the loudness of a crowd surrounding you or music blasting over speakers.
Next time, we’ll come back for food and more drinks! For now, I’ll bookmark this place to try again.

My friends and I went to Eat Bar on a Saturday night before going to a concert.
The Pros:
The service was good to better than average. I also liked the fact our waitress was very knowledgeable about the menu. I was the only vegetarian at the table. She had some great drink and food suggestions for me (as well as my meatetarian friends). She also explained how some menu selections had larger portions than others.
I enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant; and, appreciated although, it is a bar; it felt more like a restaurant. The TV (which, was playing college football when we arrived) was not the focus of the bar. It was easy to hear the people I was dining with. I never felt rushed. I could see myself hanging out here for a little while with my friends.
The Cons:
I am not sure what Eat Bar is trying to be. It is a bar that serves tapas in a traditional bar food style (e.g. onion rings in a smaller portion, small hot dogs, mini hamburgers). I guess. I would prefer, if it is going to be a bar to serve bar food.
They’re limited with their tapas selections. I am used to going to tapas restaurants with a lot of options (which, makes the experience of sharing more fun). I can think of a number of other tapas restaurants I suggest before EATBar (as a place to go for tapas).
I also hated the parking lot at this restaurant. EATBar is located in an area you would expect people to drive to. The parking lot is extremely small and fills up fast. I discovered after having dinner that I had been blocked in by another customer. It took my friends (one which had to get out of the car and direct me) and I several minutes to get out parking lot. It does not appear there is a lot of public parking outside of the lot either.
In conclusion:
If you’re looking to grab a drink or snack in the Arlington, VA area this is a good option. If you’re looking for a tapas bar experience, I can recommend some better options.
If you’re looking to reacquaint yourself with an old friend (or get to know someone better) in the area this is a good option. It is relaxed (and you could leave in 20 mins. or stay for a couple of hours). However, I would recommend you walk to the restaurant to meet them and not plan on parking.

Eat Bar is a beautiful space tucked away on the outskirts of Clarendon.
I’ve gone here on two occasions, for dinner/​happy hour and to attend a private party in their back room for a friend’s engagement.
The space is trendy and beautifully decorated, and the back room is the perfect spot for a private party.
I ordered a cheeseburger for dinner, and got to sample an array of different appetizers at the engagement party… and all of them were the BOMB DIGGITY.
Drinks were good as far as I remember, I dont recall breaking my bank and walking out with a nice buzz
I also hear the food at Tallulah (the adjacent restaurant) is amazing… make a night out of it and have dinner at Tallulah and walk on over to eatbar and get drizzy!