mynintendobroke

It’s a place I’ve only been to a few times before, but not for a few years. This past weekend, I ventured back to Continental Bar and Billiards , a pool hall / lounge located in the Rosslyn section of Arlington, VA, and just across the Key Bridge from Georgetown. It’s pretty convenient to get to; if you’re the type that doesn’t like to do much walking, it’s a block from the Rosslyn Metro. If that’s still too far, well… just stay home.

The first thing that struck me when I walked in was the revamped look the place had. Having always had a modern feel, it looks even more glitzy and posh now than it did before, with an entirely new decor, brand-new flat-screen TVs, and in addition to the pool tables, Continental now features shuffleboard tables as well. Personally, I’m a huge fan of shuffleboard, so this is definitely a place I’ll come back to.

As for the beer and food: beer selection is nothing special; your typical run-of-the-mill imports and domestics are on tap and for the most part, relatively average in terms of price. As for the food, I’ve had the fries, chicken fingers, and calamari during prior visits (all good), but this time I ordered wings and some chips and hummus. If the hummus was store-bought, they fooled me because it was damn good. Wings were OK, but nothing special. They have a ton of happy hour and late night specials, so if you’re into relatively cheap eats and drinks in the DC area, this can be a place where you’ll find some value. Lastly, the service was pretty solid; the bartenders were friendly and our orders were filled correctly and promptly.

The crowd there was generally sparse, which was unusual for a Saturday night. I’ve definitely seen the place more crowded than it was this past weekend, but for those of you who hate wading through a sea of people to get a drink at the bar, you’ll like the fact there’s virtually no wait to get a drink here. There was a solid mix of younger and older people there, and it looked like everyone was enjoying the music (a little too loud) provided by the live DJ, who was spinning a mix of hip-hop and electronica (sometimes at the same time, which was kind of cool).

Overall, I’d go back in a heartbeat. It’s local for me (15 minute walk), and since I’m a big fan of pool halls and shuffleboard, it’s definitely my type of place (not to mention the laid-back vibe). I’d definitely recommend it to anyone living in the DC area.

Rating: 8 out of 10

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