Summer vacation has certainly been a whirlwind and I can’t believe school starts on Monday (I may or may not be internally crying because of that). But I went to Israel, which will have a blog post eventually, I moved into a new apartment in DC, and my computer broke, which is also why I haven’t been able to write much lately.
The other things I’ve enjoyed this summer is food. Tons and tons of food. And one of those foods I enjoyed was a dining experience at The Capital Burger. Located in Mt. Vernon Square in D.C., this chic burger spot is great place to enjoy a juicy burger for dinner, happy hour, or if you ever just get a burger craving.
This summer, The Capital Burger is hosting something that they call “Short Fridays,” which is a kick started happy hour on Friday for those DC goers who are ready to start the weekend a smidge earlier. And the highlight of Short Fridays feature a signature drink or cocktail and each guest who dines at The Capital Burger gets one completely on the house! Both my brother who kindly came down to DC to help me move last weekend and I enjoyed the “Step Aside Moscow Mule,” a gintastic take on the Moscow Mule, using The Botanist Gin muddled with bunches of fresh mint. And these mules were potent and I loved that. The Botanist Gin is a masterful blend of 14 different botanics that really bring out a vibrant flavor of the gin itself.
But the complimentary Short Friday cocktail wasn’t the only thing I enjoyed. You can’t go to a burger joint without trying their burgers! I’ve been hunting for a solidly juicy burger. While I enjoy Shake Shack and fast food burgers, there’s nothing better than a meaty juicy patty stuffed between buns.
I want to say this before I actually start talking about the food. One word—PICKLES. Once seated at your table, the staff at The Capital Burger provides you with the cutest little pickling jar of house made pickles. And these pickles were the bomb. A combination of sweet and sour, we ate at least two jars.
Before indulging in the luxury burger creations of The Capital Burger, Mark and I tried out their calamari appetizer – we were both pretty hungry and Mark had just experienced another case of the DC metro blues. Unlike your traditional calamari appetizer that you’d enjoy at an Italian restaurant, this DC take on the classic featured spicy cherry peppers and a lightly pan-fried coating. Calamari can be greasy and chewy, but these were light, delicate, and tender. And you bet I squeezed fresh lemon juice on that – I’m not a heathen or something.
Next up—burger time! Mark ordered the signature Capital Burger with caramelized onions, Gruyere cheese, and a shallot aioli. He stepped up the game and added bacon to that bodacious burger and turns out the bacon is candied, which is bacon in its best form if you ask me (all of this with fries of course). I indulged in the Blue Cheese and Truffle Burger, with black truffle and blue cheese, and red-wine braised onions. I love me some funky flavors and if you don’t, you’re missing out (but also maybe more for me so never mind).
Both burgers were cooked a perfect medium rare and dripping with delicious juice, not grease. I loved the sharpness of the blue cheese, which contrasted beautifully with the sweet onions and let the burger shine. As delicious as it was though, the burger beat me. I had a case of eyes bigger than stomach and could not finish the burger as much as I wanted to.
I say this just as I’m about to tell you about the spiked milkshakes. There’s always room for dessert, right? Well spiked milkshakes are a gift from the heavens. The first person who decided to put alcohol in a milkshake deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. For dessert, we topped the meal off with the Bourbon Caramel, which is a mix of Maker’s Mark bourbon, vanilla ice cream, and smoked sea salt. I usually avoid caramel and salted caramel flavored things as I find them overbearingly sweet, but The Capital Burger expertly balanced the caramel flavor, blending the bourbon in masterfully. My favorite part though was the whipped cream. Not only because it was whipped cream and whipped cream is delicious, but because it was surprisingly salty. That’s right—salty whipped cream. It was unexpected and I found it to be the perfect topper to the caramel milkshake.
Overall, my experience at The Capital Burger was overwhelmingly pleasant. The delicious food, considerate service, and apex location makes this a DC must-try. Though next time I go I’ll make sure I’m a bit hungrier—that way I might actually finish the burger.
For a full list of all Short Friday drink specials, check out The Capital Burger.
*This a sponsored blog post but all opinions are my own.*