McClellan's Retreat — Restaurant in Washington

You are better off going to other whiskey bars (Root Cellar, Crimson, Barrel, Jack Rose, Black Whiskey are my favorites!). Although I love the dim cellar vibe, I wasn't impressed by the overpriced and poor quality of food, cocktails, or service.

I always look forward to buttery pipping hot popcorn, too bad the popcorn was served stone cold with a bucket of salt. It was honestly saltier than movie theater popcorn.

I wish there was a wider selection of hard cheese to choose from (pepper jack, monterey). Although I enjoyed the sharp cheddar as it was the only hard cheese to choose from. It would have been nice if there were more pieces of fruit, crudites, and nuts. There definitely weren't enough baguette pieces or honey. 3 tiny slabs of piece + few spoonfuls of honey and mustard + 2 pieces of pear did NOT quite add up to $15.

Although I enjoy foo foo citrus cocktails that aren't sugary sweet, I wasn't a fan of the Pele 13 with pineapple and whiskey. It failed to tickle my tastebuds and missed the mark. I liked the daily house-made punch better with spiced rum, lemon, pineapple, and a couple of other ingredients.

Although my husband enjoyed the McClellan's Manhattan, it wasn't worth the steep price of $25.

The service was the worst part. The waiter looked like he stepped in dog poo. He was short with us and only cracked a smile when he delivered the check. McClellan's is one and done for me. There are much better whiskey bars in the district with higher quality of food, more balanced cocktails, nicer staff at...

Stopped by as a solo drinker and I can't wait till the next time I come back to show my friends this hidden jem. It has a dive bar vibe: dim lighting, wooden furniture, antique decor, a rustic wooden bar. Pay a little more attention to the setup (bowls filled with fresh citrus fruits, fresh herbs being watered in 16oz glasses, bar spoons, most importantly their impressive yet modest liquor dislpay), and you'll know you're in a quality whiskey bar. Sure there are plenty of bars closer to the circle, but I enjoy my cocktails strong and made well. What stops me from ordering Old Fashioneds from just anywhere is when it's served with a muddy orange/cherry carcass on the bottom.

The Belmont, McClellan's rendition of the Old Fashioned. Bourbon based (duh), so we're off to a good start. It had a deep chocolate undertone (not sweet) that...

Classic DC failure. The bartender is a complete jerk, styling his behavior in an aloof, chastising manner. He has no particular instinct for what you want or need. No particular ability to mix a decent cocktail. You don't get overtly ignored - that would be too much of an intentional decision - you get inept service punctuated by bewilderingly pointed remarks about how you're not allowed to stand up. They care about all the wrong stuff. There's no manager looming over them. There's no "vibe" they're protecting. It's just a bar in a basement. You end up with an unremarkable drink in a hostile atmosphere where you have to work at getting any kind of service. There's nothing special about this place, they appear to be trading on conference visitors who they don't expect to be repeat customers. You're better off at a lot of other...