The Tastiest Beer, Wine & Spirits in Washington

The Portofino Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (626) • $$

"Probably the best Italian food I've ever had (granted I've never been to Italy)- such a sweet staff and amazing service, very quaint and authentic setting perfect for a group dinner or dates"

INCA Social

★★★★☆ 3.9 (400) • $$

"We came here for a group dinner last Wednesday. The restaurant was partly filled around 6pm. It was my first time trying Peruvian food so I was excited. I was not familiar with many of the options on the menu. The staff was very helpful with providing great advice. We started with a round of drinks. The Chicha Rum was delicious. The Latin Ice was bitter and did not have much flavor. The Inca Kolada was very strong and had an interesting mix. The rest of our group decided to stick with beers. For food I decided to try the Peruvian Sushi. I ordered the Acevichado Roll and the Tumi Roll. They were the top favorites on the menu. The presentation for the sushi was awesome. They were very similar but had very distinct tastes. They were packed with fried shrimp and topped with cream cheese and avocado. I ordered two rolls of five pieces each and it was enough to fill me up for dinner. For dessert we ordered the Sweet Sampler. This gave us a variety of items to try instead of ordering one piece of cake. It came with alfajores, churros, tres leches, suspiro, and flan. I love flan and tres leches so those were amazing. It was my first time trying alfajores and churros. They were very sweet and delicious. You can't go wrong with any of the options. Inca Social was a cool place to try. If I am in the mood for Peruvian food I will stop by here again."

Inca Social

★★★★☆ 4.1 (303) • $$

"This place is phenomenal! I am an out of town guest, visiting a college friend who speaks really highly about this place. I usually am extra skeptical when somebody speaks too highly of a restaurant. This place lived up the hype. The restaurant was super accommodating to every request we had. To start the service was amazing-- quick, attentive and knowledgeable. They knew what I could and couldn't eat with my shrimp allergy. Everything we ordered was delicious. I would def recommend the sushi (mangos and plantains ). I will say the restaurant is very lively -- especially since Copa America was on tv. It was a little difficult to hear especially with my friends mom. Overall, I would gladly eat here again! Amazing job!!"

Brew Belly

★★★★☆ 4.1 (279) • $$

"Stopped by during St. Patrick's Day weekend for some of their specials and the Cajun Coast food truck. All menus are inside including the one for Cajun Coast food truck. The place is kept clean and all the staff members are friendly. Lots of families and young children are always here on the weekends. The wait for food was short and Irish music was playing as we enjoyed the specials. Everything was delicious. The corned beef and brussel sprout cheesesteak was stuffed with meat; would've liked a bit more of the sprouts as my child really liked them. The Cajun catfish was po boy was well seasoned and flavorful. Both po boy and cheesesteak weren't very heavy. The Irish stout stew poutine was good. The fries were not soggy despite being smothered in beef stew and cheese. There were plenty of beef chunks and soft carrots and onions. The Irish Old Fashioned Cocktail was also delicious: Irish whiskey, green tea, peach nectar, and cardamom bitters. If I had more stomach space, I would've liked to order all the specials."

Bammy's Modern Caribbean

★★★★☆ 4 (254) • $$

"The view of the river is so beautiful but the food was even better!We got the jerk wings, Plantains and spicy beef patties. Everything was really delicious, with fantastic flavors and just the right amount of spice. I got a strawberry Long Island ice tea which was great and not too sweet. During happy hour it's on sale for $8. Even though I paid full price it was worth it. The server was very helpful and attentive especially Dre who kept coming back to make sure everything was good. I can't say enough good about this place. Great food! Good drinks! Beautiful location! Great service!"

Schneider's Of Capitol Hill

★★★★★ 4.5 (200) • $$

"How dare I walk 31 minutes one way in sweltering heat to go here! I did bring a bottle of water and stopped at a nearby pho place for another drink. Too cheap to take a Lyft. But not too cheap to want to buy pecan rum if they had it lol. They are thinking that pecan is discontinued but since Outer Banks Distillery just renovated their distillery by increasing the size almost a month ago, hopefully they produce more so that more people can have that taste they so desire. The visual vibes I get as a non-DCer, mind you, is that this place is slightly out of the way from the city, but I still feel safe and they even have a free small parking lot. It is one of DC's gems for finding harder to find bottles. I was tempted to say for alcohol snobs but there is no pretentiousness or superficiality here. They truly make alcohol an art form and not just "there." Alcohol being "there" is synonymous to a meme of a chess knight playing piece worried about being asked to walk a straight line by a police officer!"

Dupont Market

★★★★☆ 3.8 (212) • $

"Don't think size here think quality. They nailed it! Their muffuletta tastes like the ones at Central Grocery or Katie's in New Orleans with 2 minor exceptions. The olive salad is chunkier but love that I can see and crunch on all that spicy veggie goodness. And yes it's much smaller y'all cause that's just the way it is outside of NOLA. But for my money this is a solid muff with the fresh sesame seed bread and the meats and cheese piled high. Ate one half room temp and heated the other in a pan recommended by a guy at Central Grocery (my fav). So what if you don't get to make several meals out of this littler version. Get it and be happy!"

Old City Market and Oven

★★★★★ 4.5 (121) • $

"This place is more than just a neighborhood market, it's also a super great restaurant! Can't go wrong with any of their prepared to go options but also their made to order pizza is to die for! I was walking my dog and passed someone with a box of pizza that smelled so good. I had to stop them to ask where it came from and that's how I found this place and the pizza did not disappoint.Show up at 8 AM for fresh breakfast burritos as well! The day I discovered this gem I went three times because that's how good it is!They also always give my dog treats so 10 out of 10!"

Tap99

★★★★☆ 4.4 (112) • $$

"It's always a pleasure to hit up Tapp99. It's something about being able to pour your own beer. Indulging in beers from IPA's to domestics and foreign lagers. I'm always looking to see up dates and lately I have. They have a better option on ounces and also it stop at just that pour and doesn't go over like it used to do. I still haven't ate any of the foods here due to the simple fact I come to throw some beers and spirits back."

Potomac Wines and Spirits

★★★★★ 4.7 (91) • $$

"These guys know their stuff and are my go to for hard to find liquors. They carry wine also although that isn't my thing so won't go into it here. On separate occasions I've needed Underberg (a German aperitif) and Unicum (a Hungarian staple). Both time I came by to ask if they carried these, I was met with "pretty sure we do, let me get it from downstairs" and they did. Their basement is a magical place of every liquor known to man apparently. In the case of the Unicum, they said that they were working on getting some of the original formula which is no longer exported to the United States. I was looking for the newer formula anyway so it worked out, but I'm impressed that they were going through the effort to stock a liquor with a limited customer base.To top it all off, they are very affordable. They could charge an arm and a leg given their location and the variety of liquors stocked. Another star for them if I could give them 6 stars. Affordable anything in DC, particularly M St in Georgetown is a a rarity."

Wine & Butter Cafe & Market

★★★★☆ 4.2 (89)

"Corner cafe with great pastries and good coffee. Great customer service. Good place for breakfast."

GRAPE + BEAN Rosemont

★★★★☆ 4 (73) • $$

"Close to our home, we pass this establishment frequently and decided to drop by on as a second venue stop since the offer small plates and a great assortment of wine and a few selections of beer on tap. We started with a Portuguese wine and a draft beer and a beer paired with a delicious beer crostini, ricotta, topped with pistachios . Mostly outdoor seating we chose indoor due to the smoke that we brought from California (smoke from Canada fires). The service was spectacular checking on us and explaining that they feature a different wine of the day every week and free wine tasting on Friday 4-7. It's also a small market with fresh brewed coffee, a nice selection of wine and other small products. We loved it as it was very relaxing as we wound down our Friday night."

Sherry's Wine & Spirits

★★★★☆ 3.9 (73) • $$

"Great, surprisingly large liquor store I found near my hotel.From first glance it looks tiny, but it keeps going and going and going. Beer, wine, spirits, oh my. You name it, it's here.I fell in love with this place because they introduced me to wine in a can. That's right people, boxed wine? So pedestrian. All the cool kids drink their wine out of a can. Knowing I'm a connoisseur, he said, "we have chilled wine in the cooler". Lets just say I was in heaven. The best $7.99 I've ever spent.To the good people at Sherry's Wine & Spirits I say thank you. Thank you for introducing me to wine in a can and for your great customer service."

Bradley Food & Beverage

★★★★☆ 3.9 (72) • $

"This is a cute neighborhood shop with a robust and tasty sandwich counter that, as a sandwich lover, I wish I could find more of in Northern VA. The staff is super friendly and there is a great selection of products and brands to choose from.I also love that it's near downtown Bethesda, but just on the edge so that you don't have to get mixed up in the chaotic downtown traffic."

Odd Provisions

★★★★★ 4.8 (46) • $$

"I love snacks and anyplace in the Columbia Heights area that isn't always packed, is right up my alley. But and there are always buts, Odd Provisions is very much a hipster spot. Though usage of the term is waning, supplanted by millenials, Odd Provisions is one of those markets.Now, I like Odd Provisions, because the set-up is cool, everyone working there that I've interacted with is nice and there are cool snacks, I like the chip and drink selection a lot. Yes the prices, can be a little more than other places but I'm not mad at that. Rent's high for everyone and chains make it hard out here for variety--the stuff of life.Now the hipster element that I found off putting is I personally, hate when products, produced by non-native speakers use AAVE on the label or for the brand name. It just comes off, in a word, "wack" to me. Maybe I was just in sad mode that day but I doubt it. I feel like that's something that tends to happen most with smaller companies and brands, and a hook is necessary but don't be being egregious with it.*On a side note. They Odd Provisions has a really nice selection of local products. I bought some tea cubes because they looked cute and I love tea and come to find out, they were made on Bladensburg Road NE. So, do check out Odd Provisions. Get some sauces for that stir-fry you are cooking tonight to save money or fresh onigiri for the road.*I am well aware that "be" alone would suffice in Standard American English. In African American Vernacular English, I used the uncommon yet grammatically correct "be being" to add emphasis."

Mac Market

★★★★★ 4.6 (34) • $$

"Good selection of alcohol at a reasonable price. Also loved that it's almost all chilled, so no need to worry about warm beer!Good find on MacArthur which lacks liquor stores."

Central Liquors

★★★★☆ 3.8 (43) • $$

"Stopped in because they had a sign out front saying "Complimentary Wine Tasting." There were people who were walking right by it! Maybe they were illiterate?Anyway, not only was there free wine, there also free beer! I didn't buy any because I was in a rush (too much of a rush to buy beer, not too much of a rush to drink it), but this place has totally earned my business next time I'm in the area."

Earp's Ordinary

★★★★☆ 4.4 (28)

"Had drinks and dinner at the awesome pop up on a Wednesday evening. Live music. Packed house. Super friendly staff. Enjoyed more than a few manhattans and whiskey smashes over amazinggggg Brussels sprouts (roasted and sweetened with pomegranate and orange), shrimp, and pretzels. Finished up with tacos (all 3 kind) and falafel burger. Everything came with fries and all the entree portions were extremely generous... and delicious. These type of dining experiences make going out truly worthwhile!"

Eye Street Cellars

★★★★☆ 4 (29) • $$

"I am not a fan of liquor stores because they tend to feel grimy, and I was spoiled by living in California, where liquor was sold almost everywhere. No need to make a special trip, you could buy it at a drugstore, grocery store, even Big Lots! With that being said this liquor store is fabulous! I felt safe walking in and out of the store. The store is clean and there is a large selection of items to choose from. The prices seemed reasonable to me as well. This will be my go to from here on out. Thanks for taking the liquor store feeling out of shopping for liquor! Two thumbs up!"

Friendship Gourmet Market

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (36) • $

"Homely, neighborhood deli spot!Friendly lady behind the counter who made the Chevy Chase Sandwich $7.99Flavorful sauce, good coleslaw and crispy bacon.One star review for dumb parking infractions shouldn't detract from this place.Has a wine section and a mini-mart to buy cigarettes/lotto."

Union Sandwich

★★★★☆ 4.4 (20)

"tldr: Basic but high quality sandwiches worth a stop for lunch. Sitting area seats 8 at a counter. Also inside is a few fridges for drinks and shelves for dry goods.I highly recommend stopping here for a quick and affordable lunch near the Alexandria waterfront. They have a robust menu of different deli sandwiches. They also have soup and shelves and fridges full of snacks and drinks. I ordered the Riverside Picnic sandwich ($12) and a cup of chowder ($6). The sandwich was toasted and made with fresh ingredients. The chowder was homemade and came with a piece of baguette. For the price and location, I'd highly recommend this restaurant."

Sohal Wine and Spirit

★★★★★ 4.9 (14) • $$

"This is as good as it gets in the District! Before I discovered Sunset Spirits, I would go to the sketchy bodegas or those inflated liquor stores to get the good stuff, but I always come out feeling robbed - either in quality or money! I thought to myself life isn't fair! Then I came across Sunset Wine & Spirit. This is hands down the best liquor store in the district - better than Barrel House on 14th. You can get hard liquor imported from India, the Caribbean, etc. - I'm not talking about the Bacardis and the Captain Morgans, I'm taking about the unheard of stuff that goes down extra smooth. Plus . . . (drumroll) . . . it's at a great price! Also, the guys that run the place are extra nice."

World Wine and Spirits

★★★★☆ 4.2 (14) • $$

"Great liquor store. The staff are all incredibly friendly and helpful. With a combination of a great selection in ciders, beers, liquor, a very clean shop, and growler refills it's the best place to shop in the area. They run pricey at times, but it's worth it."

Stray Cat Bar & Grill

★★★★★ 4.8 (10)

"We enjoyed ourselves here! Once we found it based on the navigation of one of my brother-in-laws (insert eye roll). Enjoyed the fun ambiance and creative artwork and the meal we shared. Thanks Stray Cat for serving us not only great food and service but a lasting memory!"

Angel's Share Wine & Liquors

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (17) • $$

"Never thought I'd review a liquor store, but this one really impressed me.Spacious, well lit, great selection, and awesome service! The guy at the front was so cool and helpful. Love this liquor store!"

Aurora Market

★★★★★ 4.6 (9)

"A lovely local grocery store with everything one could want from fresh produce, frozen food, sandwiches to order, wine, coffee, yummy pastries, various selection of snacks, desserts, and so much more.We were so pleased to find this gem with high quality natural food with excellent service by owners who care about the community. You should absolutely visit and enjoy just like we did every day of our stay in the local area.The concept of a local Modern Mom and Pop grocery store is unique and every community should be so lucky!"

Best One Liquor

★★★★★ 5 (5)

"What a cool store and a great owner. Lots of options both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. It is great to see new businesses coming into the neighborhood! Danny is always at the store and is happy to strike up a conversation anytime I go in, he is interested in getting to know about the folks in the neighborhood and making sure he is providing a service that benefits the community."

Exotic Wine and Spirits

★★★★★ 5 (5)

"Popped in Sunday morning for an emergency bottle of port. We were making hot mold wine and a good port is not so easy to find at Safeway. Anyhow, the place just opened before Thanksgiving; it's clean, bright, spacious and easy to find things. The guy who runs it is friendly and helpful. I'll be happy to go back there again."