Every city in the US can boast it’s hidden gems, and often times, we go in search of the hole-in-the-wall wonder – the place nobody knows about and you hope it stays that way. That way, your seat is never taken and the bartender always knows your name. 

For those of you in the DC/NOVA area, have you ever wondered what was at the bottom of the staircase next to the 219 Restaurant, along King Street in Old Town Alexandria? Well, stop wondering and check it out!

photo IMG_20131013_190223_462_zpsc2b6e056.jpgWhenever Al and I go out to dinner on Friday nights we always find a place to have a drink beforehand.  A couple weeks ago, the Bayou Room caught our eye. It was one of those places that I vaguely remember from a couple years ago, but after checking on Yelp for reviews it was all over the place. The one that caught our eye the most was the friendly bartenders, which is exactly the attraction that we needed.

We walked down the staircase toward a neon lit sign for the Bayou Room around 5pm, having both been able to get out of work early, and headed into a dimly lit bar. We immediately found a seat at the bar where we were both greeted with a handshake; call me old fashioned but the the handshake should occur all the time. Another review I had read was regarding happy hour prices and that it was one of the least expensive in Old Town, an obvious attraction for us all.  The reviews were definitely accurate, and with the low prices and a well made gin and tonic, I immediately thought I was back in upstate NY.

The Bayou Room is a great place to stop before dinner or when you’re looking for a place to watch the game with some buddies away from the regular crowd. The only downfall I could think of is that smoking is allowed in the bar, but as I said we got there at 5pm and it was hardly noticeable, so they clearly do a good job with the ventilation.

We will definitely be back to this bar for a happy hour soon!

-Scott