Hogo

Had to try this place before they close. Rum drinks are excellent with service to match. Wish them luck with their new venture.

What at great bar. They weren’t serving food, so they let bring food or you can order pizza! My friends and I came here after a run and we were pleasantly surprised how busy it was as we heard it was closing down. Apparently it was always to be a short term venture as the building is getting sold. The drinks were good and the service was good as well. As stated in previous posts, very unpretentious. I would love to have it open longer!

I wish this place wasn’t closing — it has amazing volcano bowls, the atmosphere is super fun, great selection of rum and tequila, and the bartenders were always those silly, hilarious, unpretentious, laid back kinds that cracked jokes and made insane garnishes and real suggestions on liquor. The latter especially can be hard to find in DC.

I came, I saw, I conquered. I told you I’d be back before my 30^th birthday to try their Caribbean bowl and by golly I did. This amazing masterpiece was completely Instagram worthy, with citrus smiles and a flaming nose.
The menu mentions that this punch bowl serves 2 — 4 people but to that I say: What is this a center for ants!!! My sister and I (each being under 5’2 and Asian) happily slurped up our delicious bowl without a flinch. A nice, happy, calming buzz followed us through the rest of our night. And get this, NO HANGOVER the next day!
Hogo, you must be magic. Five stars in my book.
PS: If you are going to share a bowl with somebody make sure it is somebody you trust. I can only imagine the type of backwash that goes into those things.

Can you believe I’ve lived this long without ever having a pupusa before? The shame, I know! Believe me, nobody is more upset about this fact than I, especially after finally having tried these things. They’re like… tiny stuffed pancakes filled with flavorful deliciousness. I tried both the crawfish and the potato pupusa, and they were absolutely delightful — light but surprisingly filling, with a tangy slaw and spicy sauce on the side.
I also ordered an incredible (and huge!) pork cubano-​type sandwich (of which I was only able to finish half!) and a basket of fries. It all went perfectly with my «Mermaids are Real» cocktail which was strong and delicious — the only sad part was that it was supposed to come with a plastic mermaid on the side, but they ran out so I got a plastic monkey instead. Still good (and STRONG) and still adorable though, so all is well.
Hogo is known for being a «tiki bar» but while I was envisioning thatched roofs and mai tais with my feet in the sand, this is much less tiki and much more hipster — which I am totally on board with! There is some classy, seaworthy and ocean-​esque decoration around, but otherwise this tiny spot is clearly home to some really great drinks and a short-​and-​sweet menu.
Our waitress was great — super friendly, kept our water glasses full, and so fashionable! She was rocking a headscarf a la Rosie the Riveter and these amazing polka dot capris and I was totally coveting her style. Which I’m sure she would NOT say the same about me, as Kimberly S and I had just come straight from Awesome Con and were still in costume. They gave us 10% off of our meal for coming in costume though, so it was totally #worthit!
I admit I don’t frequent this part of DC all too often, but I look forward to having a chance to revisit Hogo again!

As a fairly regular Passenger customer, we went there two Fridays ago, and prepared to settle in for our drinks and food (pork cheek nachos FTW!) but it was kind of especially loud, and Colonel Klink (not to be confused with The Colonel) suggested we go next door to Hogo. Apparently the food is done in a rotation on a pop-​up basis, and this night was a strong Caribbean/​North Brazilian/​Peruvian vibe.
The drinks were good — though I a less of a fan of the rum and tequila drinks than are the two Colonels. The Colonel ordered two flights, one of each, which we all tasted and educated ourselves. That was fun and at 12 bucks for a flight of rum, a seemingly good value for the entertainment it provided.
I had a cold coming on and only ordered one drink, the Call of Cthulhu, which came in an appropriately Zombie-​esque ceramic tankard. It was rum and Ting, a Jamaican grapefruit soda (which I had to ask server about, as not explained on menu). It was good, could be it was amazing, but again, stuffed up nose.
Food was quite good, we got a Pollo a brasa with fries, delicious. A chicken and rice and hardboiled egg thing-​y, also yummy, and several pupusas, which were prolly good, I happen not to be a big fan of pupusas (the starch to filling ratio is too low, imho).
Place was as loud as Passenger, and for a more regular stop I think I am a Passenger loyalist, but I would totally go to Hogo again if Colonel Klink demands it.

Good if you like rum and a fun tiki atmosphere — its right next to Passenger so has an equally hip crowd. Chicken wings are stellar.
Asked the bartender for something good, sweet and no hipster bitters — they delivered. recommend!

Hogo: One of DC’s best hidden gems!
First stumbling upon Hogo when The Passenger (next door) was packed, I had no expectations. Wow, was I pleasantly surprised! This rum tiki bar has a fantastic cocktail menu ranging from dangerously delicious rum drinks, to tiki punch bowls that will knock you out cold. There always seems to be new and exciting drinks on their specials menu.
My favorite part of Hogo is their rotating chefs. Every couple weeks a new chef takes over the kitchen and completely redesigns the menu. Its like visiting a new restaurant every couple weeks. I’ve been a couple times now and tried food ranging in influence from 1960s Hawaiian diner fair to Spanish street food. Its a new adventure every time I go. An added bonus — the food is cheap/​affordable!
With tables and booths good for parties of 4 to 6, my favorite place to sit is in the back-​room bar where you get to watch the guest chef in his element.
My recommendation: Go into Hogo with an open mind and ready for an adventure. You are sure to have a great time.

So, I’ve been here a bunch of times, but I’ve never gotten around to reviewing it.
Flat out, this is the best rum/​tiki bar in DC. It has cool tropical hipster décor. There is a rum selection from Captain Morgan to $ 50 a shot vintage Royal Navy Black Tot. The food is provided by semi-​monthly guest chefs that redo the menu. The bartenders know their bottles and how to mix, and they create new specials almost daily. One of my favorites is actually a tequila drink named «The Call of Cthulhu» but they also put out the best Painkiller and Dark n Stormy in DC.
So come be a hipster pirate and swill some grog here!

I’m not generally a fan of fruity cocktails, but after sharing 4 bowls of punch here tonight with 3 friends, I can say I am a fan of that fruity shit at Hogo at least. It will do you right. Not too bad either for $ 30 (or less than $ 8/​person).
Definitely plan to come back here. Better than super packed Passenger a couple doors down IMO.

I am not a rum person. It is usually the last alcohol that I will choose. But my friends really wanted to check Hogo out, and I obliged. That being said, I really enjoyed Hogo. Surprisingly, 6 of us were able to snag a table on a Saturday night. That is not an easy feat.
The drinks were imaginative and delicious. I started with a dark and stormy because, well, how could I not? Don’t remember what my friends ordered (sign of a good time perhaps?) but everyone agreed that all drinks were delicious. And easy to suck down. Quickly.
Our server was only okay. Not super friendly and not too attentive, but she got the job done. Plus it was a Saturday night, so my expectations are a little lower. Overall, Hogo is a great place to grab a specialty cocktail and gab with friends in a laid back environment.

You put the boom-​boom into my heart
You send my soul sky high when the drinkin’ starts
The long week has fried my brain
Goes a bang-​bang-​bang ’til I just go insane
But something’s bugging you
Something ain’t right
My best friend told me what you did last night
Left me sleepin’ in my bed
I was dreaming, but I should have been with you instead!
Wake me up before you Hogo!
Don’t leave me hanging on like a yo-​yo
Wake me up before you Hogo!
I don’t want to miss it when you hit that high
Wake me up before you Hogo!
‘Cause I’m not plannin’ on going solo
Wake me up before you Hogo!
Take me drinking tonight
I wanna hit that high (yeah, yeah)
We get the late night drinks on Friday
Get a volcano bowl, there’s no other way
Drinking from a bowl’s why we came
Me and my friends won’t leave feelin’ the same
Order some apps, don’t be a fool
Spam musubi or two, that would be cool
Tacos are great, any night
We’ll keep drinking, everything will be alright
Wake me up before you Hogo!
Don’t leave me hanging on like a yo-​yo
Wake me up before you Hogo!
I don’t want to miss it when you hit that high
Wake me up before you Hogo!
‘Cause I’m not plannin’ on going solo
Wake me up before you Hogo!
Take me drinking tonight
I wanna hit that high (yeah, yeah, baby)
We’ll keep drinking, all through the night
Another volcano, that’s right
It’s cold out there, but it’s warm inside
After tonight, we’ll need a ride
Wake me up before you Hogo!
Don’t leave me hanging on like a yo-​yo
Wake me up before you Hogo!
I don’t want to miss it when you hit that high
Wake me up before you Hogo!
‘Cause I’m not plannin’ on going solo
Wake me up before you Hogo!
Take me drinking tonight
Wake me up before you Hogo, don’t you dare to leave me hanging on like a
yo-​yo
Take me drinking
(Boom-​boom-​boom)

Came here for dinner, which was just ok, but the drinks were great! I’m not usually a rum drinker, and got the blackheart’s punch, which was light and sweet. My companions got fruitier drinks, and everyone was pretty satisfied with their selections.
For dinner, I got the loco moco, and the burger was way overcooked. The gravy was good, but the mac was the best part. I wish I had just ordered a huge bowl of this. It’s a cold pasta dish that’s savory and acidic, but still very light. My friend had the Hawaiian burger, which was cooked well, but a little too pineapple heavy. The dip for the fries, which seemed like a pineapple chili sauce, was pretty good. Absolutely get the spam musubi if you’re eating here.
I’d definitely be back for drinks, since I love the Passenger and they did a good job making this place have a similar vibe. I’d recommend trying the food if it’s on your list, but I don’t know if it’s worth coming here just for the food.

*Review based on the cocktails*
Hogo is definitely much calmer than what you would find next door at the Passenger. I’d almost say much more a «hipster» vibe. What is notable is that Hogo primarily serves «tiki» style drinks, although at a much higher level. For one, Hogo is primarily a rum bar. I typically don’t drink rum much at all, however the bartenders here are more than willing to explain all the different types and craft a drink to your tastes. For one, I do enjoy their rum Manhattans and Old Fashioned’s!
I’ve also sampled a few of their other drinks. I came here as part of a bar crawl for Freddy Jr R’s birthday a while back and tried the Tom’s Rum Punch, which was delicious. I’m a sucker for tiki style drinks. The volcano bowl is also an interesting way to entertain a group if you have a lot of people with you.
I have yet to try the food, but once I do this review might be bumped up to a five. Sure, the décor is lacking, but it works. Hogo is a great spot to pregame at to if you plan on bar hopping around the area. As far as DC goes, Hogo is one of my favorite low key bars.

Arrived for happy hour on a Tuesday afternoon but there weren’t any specials. Cocktails were $ 9-​$ 11. My drink the Queen’s Royale was delicious and our server was excellent but the bar was half empty and the menu was so limited you didn’t feel like lingering here.
This place isn’t appealing enough to return.

Dropped in here on the way back from my hotel after checking out Passenger a door or two up. Exterior is a bit deceiving, as they chose to retain the old real estate office signage. Since cool places have no sign (Barmini), then places with unrelated signs are even more cool, ya see. :) Initial impression was that this was the love child of Trader Vic’s and your local dive bar. Laid back, almost sleepy on a Wednesday night.
Ever since I started paying a mortgage, I never really had a budget for «hand-​crafted, artisanal cocktails.» Nevertheless, I tried the Hula Girl, which was on «special» for $ 11. It was quite good. Obviously, a dude like me in his mid-​40s isn’t really the target market, but I struggle to see the value in any cocktail that’s more than say, $ 7. They also have some nice beers, including one of the local Chocolate City beers. Service was very friendly, and that goes a long way. Chatted with a couple of friendly local dudes as well.

I came with two friends to Hogo on a low-​key Saturday night. My friend had heard great things and wanted to try it out. Plus what better way to beat the heat by enjoying some islandy summer cocktails safe inside. All the summer fun without the sweat.
It’s right next door to the passenger and also has very understated décor. The bar itself is very beautiful but the walls are pretty bare. The front portion of the bar is dim and has tables and chairs scattered throughout. The back portion has a completely different vibe and looks like a retro lunch counter/​Bens chili bowl vibe. We just took a peak inside but it looked like there was a bar back there too and they were serving the same very delicious looking bar snacks.
I happen to love rum, tequila and tiki inspired drinks so this is the place for me. We split the «They’re all Bastards» bowl which comes in a tiki inspired bowl with a flame in the middle. Awesome! They also give you extremely long straws so that you don’t have to get in everyone’s personal space. The drink was interesting and delicious. Yum Ginger beer!
The food smelled great but we had already had a huge dinner. This is a great place for a casual night out for people who love their cocktails.

As a fan of the Brown brothers, I was really looking forward to trying out Tom Brown’s new baby with a rum-​focus. Hogo has some 60 varieties of rum, including Thomas Tew from Rhode Island (named after the infamous pirate), and Koloa from Hawaii. In addition to the rums, they also have an assortment of tequilas, mezcals, and piscos, plus four beers on tap, which included Chocolate City Mothership, a weizenbock clocking in at a whopping 8.5% alcohol by volume, and Three Stars Southern Bell. Being a gin man, I started with a DC Dram, which included not only gin, but St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram, an allspice flavored rum liqueur. Not a combination that sounds all that appealing, but never doubt the ability of Tom Brown to surprise you with disparate flavors combined to create something uniquely delicious.
The bar seats nine and there are three booths in addition to a few tables and a diner counter in the back. But Hogo is not just a bar, it serves food too (much more ambitious, in fact, than Passenger). It operates as sort of a pop-​up operation, with menus designed by different chefs rotating through for a about a month at a time. On my visit, the menu was by R.J. Cooper, of Rogue 24 fame, although this menu showcased Gypsy Soul, his soon-​to-​open restaurant in Merrifield’s Mosaic District. I started with a fava beans and tomato hearts on toasted rye followed by sea urchin on ink bread, a kind of uni sandwich (my personal favorite). For a main, I had the chicken-​fried quail with morel gravy and green beans. The quail was boned (except for wings and legs), and the morel gravy was fantastic, but it was a kind of small main course for the price.
It’s unclear how long Hogo will be around. The building is owned by the Rupperts (same as Passenger), and word is they have a deal with Doug Jemal to redevelop the whole block, but the staff was either unwilling or didn’t know if and when that would happen (perhaps they’re in denial?). It’s a great addition to the Mt. Vernon Square neighborhood; here’s to hoping it sticks around for a while.

Ever since that one time in college, rum has not exactly been at the top of my drinking portfolio. So Hogo wasn’t super tempting to me. In fact, the idea of it scared me away.
But my first voyage took place after attempting to go to the Passenger, and having no space to sit, so the younger sibling bar just had to do.
And, I mean, I guess enough fruit juice and sweet things can disguise that evil-​flavored spirit that brings me back to long, unfortunate evenings.
The space itself is similar to the main stay next door at the Passenger, but it seems slightly larger. A similar dark space, and not quite as polished as the Passenger (because of their temporary status, I assume).
So on this first visit, I was lucky enough to snag one of the coveted window seats… err, maybe others don’t get as much joy as I do at people watching while downing cocktail after cocktail, but I surely do. So that window seat is really where it was at. Not knowing what version of this caribbean stuff would be my best first foray back into rum, I pointed to a random item and hoped for the best. After a brief wait, it arrived and I’ve gotta say, this wasn’t the bacardi-​laced gelatin crap that I was used to.
This stuff was actually good. Not quite as special and soul-​warming as my beloved bourbon, but really, I could get down with this. So of course, there is no better next choice than to share a tiki-​bowl for two. Let’s be clear, this thing is intended for four people. But, if I drink fast enough, it’s reasonable enough to intend it for two.
One of the biggest highlights, beyond the amazing cocktails is the food lineup. To keep you (and surely the staff) on their toes, the menu changes completely regularly, allowing up and coming, as well as seasoned chefs to design fun, different menus. The first visit was Hawaiian, another was Jewish street food and on my most recent (April) it is Gypsy Street food.
Now before I dive into the food, I have to let you in on a little secret. I hate giving things away that I personally enjoy, but the backroom is worthy of sharing. To me, this is exactly what I want sometimes. Affordable, high-​quality food, grill-​side, under fluorescent lights, pretension taken away (slightly). Not only all of that, but it’s also usually a bit less crowded. Plus, how cool is it to interact with your chefs and a bartender with a much small crowd to deal with?
The bar in the back doesn’t make all of the fancy cocktails as they do in the front, but can get them for you. Instead, they tend to make drinks based on your likes, which are even better than some of the pre-​fabbed guys.
Now about that food. This gypsy menu they have right now is crazy. I would expect no less from RJ Cooper, but really, nutty stuff. I mean, what even is gypsy street food?
I’ll tell you what it is, damn good.
We started with a sea urchin bruschetta sort of thing, which was oddly delicious. I dove into the fried oysters and chard over crostini, which was similarly mind-​blowing. My partner opted for the chicken fried steak with morel gravy. what made the experience even more exciting was being able to watch the food preparation from refrigerator, to grill, to plate, all while interacting with the lively chefs.
But that wasn’t all. How could I say no to the pb&j dessert? I couldn’t, that’s how. Basically a large, rectangular peanut butter cup, served chilled with a swash of jelly, this thing is all anyone ever needs in a dessert. So go and get it before the end of April when the menu changes again!

Hogo seems to take some of the crowd off of the Passenger.
That being said, the seating situation was a big problem since people tend to stay for a long amount of time and larger groups would take chairs and add them to booths, leaving many tables without chairs (rendering them useless).
I had 3 drinks here: The Singapore Sling, Tom’s Punch, and Queen’s Royale. They were all citrus-​y, fresh, and light without being too sweet. My favorite was Tom’s Punch because of the falernum. After only tiki drinks, I was a little rum/​citrus-​ed out *gasp!*
More importantly (and the main reason I went) was the Hawai’ian food. We got the kalua mix plate (kahlua pork, kalbi, mac salad rice) and the miso sai min. The kalbi was a bit gristly and hard to eat, but the pork was good — wish there was more of it. The sai min was small but satisfying. I would have wished for some char siu instead of pork belly, but the fat in the pork belly was rendered very well.