Hank’s Oyster Bar

Best oysters I have found in DC, so far. And our server instilled confidence. Almost thought if I ate enough of these oysters, I could fly home. Good thing I didn’t try or I might have gotten a ticket. Try the fried oysters, and the Washington State oysters raw.

Great brunch options for a seafood spot. I’ll definitely go back to try the dinner menu. The smoked trout hash was delicious. Bottomless mimosas, bloody Mary’s or Rose $ 15…live a little

I had the soft shell crab. It. Was. AMAZING. Southern fried crisp and juicy with a basil sauce drizzled on top. The two delicious soft shell crabs sat atop the most delicious sweet potato mash and spicy greens. I would have kicked the plate but my gracious waiter rescued me before I made a fool of myself.

The food and atmosphere was great. Worth the venture away from the Mall. The oysters and scallops were fresh. The house cocktails were delicious.

4.5 stars. Oyster shooters may have been the BEST I’ve ever had. Chilled and cut to perfection. No fishyness or bits of shells. Best in DC, out of the three places I’ve tried so far. The lobster roll was good, but not perfect, thus the minus of a star. Happy hours deals are great, with half price shooters and some foo-​foo drink specials. They did have an old fashion on the list, which was tasty. Great selection of scotch, whiskey, and bourbon. Definitely my kind of place. Bartender was very attentive and friendly. She takes shots with guests. The shot of choice here is Jamison, which I’m not a huge fan of, but heck, when in Rome… I’ll be back. Many times.

All the food is good and they make great drinks. I really do have a new found love for this place, but I hate going because I know that I will over order. lol I would give them 5 stars, but I seem to have received slack service the three times I’ve visited. It has to be a coincidence, both times at the bar and outside. I always sit at the end of the bar, maybe people forget about me :-(

Hank’s is pretty awesome. Any spot whose complimentary starter is cheddar goldfish is automatically a winner in my book. Add in some complimentary chocolate to end the meal and it’s even more of a done deal. Oh and having a great lox omelette didn’t hurt either. Next time, I’ll have to come a bit later in the day because the seafood looked pretty darn good.
The omelette of the day was lox with cheddar and swiss cheese, and it came with breakfast potatoes. A bargain at only $ 13. The omelette was light and really well balanced. Not too cheesy, not lacking lox by any means, and just the right amount of crisp. Plus, the lox were clearly fresh and not very salty. The breakfast potatoes were really good too, a savory mixture of onions and potato chunks.
The only somewhat disappointing part was the French fries. Not that they were bad, but the were oily and lacked substance. Plus, the old bay seasoning didn’t shine through as much as I thought it would. Super crispy, which was nice, but in the end, somewhat underwhelming.

I’ve come here for lunch once or twice. Great food, excellent waitstaff. I have no complaints. I am sure that I will continue to return.
I had the crabcake sandwich. Delicious

I’ve been to this Hank’s and the one in Alexandria. Always a great dining experience. The food is always delicious. Seafood is always fresh. The happy hour menu has a decent variety of items.
It is a bit pricey of a restaurant. The quality is worth it, but just be prepared to pay more than your average casual seafood restaurant

Having lived four years in DC and two in Eastern Market, I can’t believe it has taken me this long to get to Hank’s. We had an awesome meal– oysters, peel ‘n’ eat shrimp, hushpuppies, crab cakes, lobster mac, and fries. The key lime pie is to die for. The beer list is amazing and the service was great.
Inside tip: drizzle the leftover sauce from the lobster mac on your fries. It will blow your mind.
They don’t take reservations, but they will call you and give you a 10 minute grace period to get to your table. There are plenty of cool places nearby to grab a cocktail while you wait!

3.5
Visited a while back with a child, teenager and myself. Upbeat atmosphere, menu looked decent and they had what I came for: the delectable, huge, golden fried oysters!
The oysters were beautiful. Unfortunately, I learned that I have a complete aversion to oysters even though I eat shell fish and other variations of mollusks.
A star and a half is taken off because, I felt the couple next to us was given special treatment to make sure their date night was special, it seemed. We didn’t have completely, horrible, bad service, but there was no interest or attention given to us (flagging the waitress for straws, refills, napkins and the like.) She checked on the couple multiple times.
I haven’t been back to check out anything else since.

Was here on business back in November and decided to go here one night. I ordered the lobster roll (my first ever) and it did not disappoint! Great experience, and loved the environment of the restaurant. If I ever get a chance to go back to DC, I will be stopping by this spot again.

Delicious lamb chops were the best I’ve ever had & the spaghetti squash was sweet and so yummy too! Topped it off with the chocolate brownie a la mode with candied pecans on top! Even the coffee was tasty!
We sat at the bar which was delightful… The bartender was extremely helpful, knowledgeable & pleasant.
I will definitely be back on my next trip!

Hank’s Happy Hour!
$ 3 fish taco Tuesday. Not fried, but filet’d and grill’d in a fresh shell which avocado slices, lettuce, pico, and a nice aioli-​type layer.
I guess Leap Day was a doozy because our server noted that HH beers were not available but I got their special punch for $ 5. My wife got a round of oysters at $ 1.25per and a bottle of Rose to split with our friend for $ 40.
Ambience is nice. We’ve sat at the bar with friends for an evening before but opted for a table this time. Service was great, my water was filled, and chocolate pieces came out with the check.

Hank’s is definitely one of my favorite places to go to when craving fresh seafood! I’ve been here a couple of times — for both happy hour and for dinner. HH runs both at the bar and at the booths along the back wall. Not going to lie — I was scared to try their sake oyster shooters but there was no need to be alarmed! It actually isn’t as bad as you think and by the end of hh — you’ll ask for another!
Don’t be afraid to ask whoever is helping you about the specials of the day — especially when it comes to oysters. The last time I ate there, our server was really helpful in describing the day’s oysters and because of him, I now have another favorite type of oyster (Pickering)! For apps, their popcorn shrimp/​calamari is a generous portion, with each piece of seafood fried to perfection. I also ordered their mussels which are pretty dang delicious, though a bit too salty in its heavy-​on-​bacon cream sauce! If you don’t mind spending a little bit extra on dinner/​drinks, make sure to check Hank’s out.

Great service, amazing oysters. The shrimp taco was a little bland but overall loved this location!

Hank’s on the Hill has a pretty good happy hour, which I would recommend over the regular dinner service. I’ve been here more than a few times, but the best value for the product is definitely the daily happy hour.
They have a bunch of five dollar wines, and also appetizer deals. The location itself is not very large, so the bar runs the length of the restaurant. The happy hours only at the bar, so it can get a bit crowded as the night progresses.
For me, the calamari is always very well-​executed, not too chewy and very tender. And as a general rule, I always go for the soft-​shelled crab if they have it.
I like the dinner food here as well, and it’s a great place for date night because the room is not large so we can be somewhat intimate. But overall, I would go for the happy hour.

We had a really great meal here. Easily one of the best meals I’ve had in DC.
First of all, goldfish at the bar & dark chocolate shavings after the meal! Did they know me? Did they hear I was on my way? How else would you know that these are two things I love?
This place is obviously known for their oysters, and the group I was with was really into that. (I didn’t like oysters, so I didn’t have any. I’m missing out — I know!) They started with a variety of styles, and they seemed to be pretty happy about all of them. I think they enjoyed comparing the different tastes & textures of each one.
I started with some Lobster Bisque, which is one of the only soups I like — and one of the hardest to get right! With that said, this one was a bit on the spicy, peppery side. The fresh lobster was delicious though! Not quite my perfect Lobster Bisque, but it was good nonetheless. I’m glad I tried it.
When I was there, Ribs was on the menu, and Ribs is what I had. I ordered them with a side of potatoes and vegetables, both of which were delicious. The ribs had a bit of a peppery kick to them, which I wasn’t expecting, but I kinda appreciated (considering my tolerance of spicy food is very low). I do wonder if they’re heavy on the pepper here, or it’s just a coincidence that I ordered two peppery things?
I’d love to come back, as I know their menu changes seasonally (daily?) and I may have developed a mild appreciation for oysters in the time since I’ve dined here. I’d love to try some next time, and perhaps leave enough room for their renowned Key Lime Pie?!

Bi-​valves and alchy have been two of my favorite pairings since Aunt Becky and Uncle Jesse so it’s not secret that Hank’s has been one of my favorite summer happy hour spots since I’ve been of legal drinking age.
That being said, I’ve actually never stopped in for a full meal until last Monday afternoon and I’m kicking myself for not making it in sooner! The patio was the perfect backdrop for enjoying a languid lunch with two of my favorite people in the world.
Beer List and Oysters– Already established this was awesome so I’ll move on.
Fish of the Day — Pan fried trout wrapped in bacon drizzled with a lemon butter sauce, mashed potatoes and green beans. It was campfire perfect! The skin was crisp, fish flaky, the bacon fatty and flavorful, and of course you can’t go wrong with mashed potatoes. It was homey and filling — if I was actually at a camp instead of in the middle of Capitol Hill I would have licked my plate clean. At $ 16 it was a steal.
My table decided to split the key lime pie for dessert which was the perfect palette cleanser. It was not too tart like some other versions I have tried.
The real star of the show was our knowledgeable server John who very patiently walked us through the entire menu with recommendations. He was attentive without being overbearing and was really one of the reasons why our meal was so enjoyable. Seriously huge kudos to him!

We came here on a weekday for happy hour and overall enjoyed our experience. My BF who is the oyster fan really enjoyed the oysters and pork belly sandwich. I loved the mussels and the sauce and could eat another bowl of just the sauce! My only complaint would be their fries– I liked the old bay seasoning but not a fan of super skinny crispy over cooked fries. :/
Drinks were good including the happy hour punch so we definitely plan to come back when we are in the area. Our bartender, Donovan was super friendly as well!