With inaugural weekend activities ranging from traditional events to protests, there’s a lot to do, so you’ll need to find somewhere to refuel. Here are some of the best inauguration food and drink specials around the District.
If you’re looking for a boozy brunch
Attending the swearing-in ceremony early on a January morning means your fingers and toes will likely be numb by the time it’s over. For a place to warm up afterwards, head to Teddy & the Bully Bar, a Theodore Roosevelt-inspired restaurant that’s just a quick 15-minute walk from GW’s campus.
Starting at 11 a.m., the restaurant will offer a $45 inauguration special that features unlimited glasses of prosecco, American Mule cocktails and picks from its late night bar bites menu that includes fries, quesadillas, sliders and tacos.
Teddy & The Bully Bar
1200 19th St. NW
If you’re looking for an after party
GW’s inaugural ball ends at midnight, but if that doesn’t tire you out, check out Compass Rose. The restaurant is one of 44 D.C. spots that received approval to serve alcohol late and stay open for 24 hours. You’ll be able to sip on the restaurant’s namesake cocktail — a concoction of sparkling wine, pomegranate liqueur and rose water — until 4 a.m.
If you’re one of the Americans who tried to flee the country after Election Day, Compass Rose’s international cuisine will at least give you a culinary escape. Sampling their small dishes inspired by cuisine from Greece, India, Spain and Peru, to name just a few countries, is easier than trying to get a visa.
Compass Rose
1346 T St. NW
If you want to try something new
As part of Bar Pilar’s campaign cocktail competition sponsored by political magazine The Weekly Standard, readers submitted their own Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton-themed cocktails for the election season. This inaugural weekend, you’ll be able to order the winner’s drink. The restaurant will also be hosting a Thanks Obama send-off party with special dishes and drinks inspired by the president’s native Hawaii and Chicago.
The “Trump Tangerine Tantrum” — an $11 combination of vodka, clementine soda, lemon, simple syrup and orange bitters with a sugar and cayenne rim — may bear some resemblance to the president-elect, whose tan has been the subject of jokes from comedians and political rivals alike.
Bar Pilar
1833 14th St. NW
If you want to drink for a cause
Like Teddy & The Bully Bar and Bar Pilar, Bourbon is one of 17 D.C. bars donating a portion of their inaugural weekend profits to charity. Part of Bourbon’s proceeds will go to Planned Parenthood and Martha’s Table, a D.C.-based organization that provides food and clothing to families in need.
Most of their cocktails are — you guessed it — bourbon-based. But for those of us who prefer not to drink like Mad Men characters, it’s possible to skip the old fashioned ($12) and order from the extensive list of craft beers and wines, instead. On Thursdays and Fridays, Bourbon’s happy hour lasts from 5 to 7 p.m. and features a $5 bourbon of the night, a $4 discount on craft cocktails and a $2 on draft pints.
Bourbon
2321 18th St. NW
