The Passenger

I’m kicking myself for not checking out The Passenger sooner. Now, the doors are closed at their 7^th St location and we all have to wait for the new space somewhere in Shaw. Sigh. I like everything about the place from the exposed brick and hidden nook toward the back to the straightforward drinks.
Cocktails are delicious and not absurdly expensive. Beer selection? Nice mix of domestic craft beers and some lesser known international selections without a hefty price tag. Four hours and multiple beers and cocktails later, the check arrived at $ 70 for two people. Not dirt cheap but affordable in DC terms. I wish we tried some of the food– it was their final night and the place was packed. Despite the full bar, service was fast and our server had drinks ready for us before we even asked.
In the meantime, I’ll try to wait patiently until the new spot opens its doors to the thirsty crowd.

I was selfish enough to not share one of my already-​crowded favorite watering holes, but here I am with a loving eulogy in the intermission before it gets resurrected elsewhere in Shaw… hopefully with the cubano.
Columbia Room concoctions were available at the Passenger bar for CR prices. Julia was my favorite bartender, even if aggressive hovering was necessary for decent service with anyone else most nights. Craft beers, a rotating list of special cocktails, and all the hipster bar food one could’ve hoped for: pork cheek chili nachos to be devoured while hot, a gimmicky kimchi hot dog that was still more interesting than the slaw dog, and a chili half smoke on par with BCB. Duck confit tacos for the win if you disregarded the weak tortillas, and honorary mention went to the reasonably flavorful chicken hoagie. Even the cocktails I didn’t care for were at least reasonably balanced. You came here because they knew how to mix a proper drink for typical-​to-​upper DC prices, and were willing to accept that grabbing a seat was a pipedream on the weekend.

More than enough people have waxed poetic about the Passenger, and I just wanted to add my bit of sentiment on their last day before they close and move locations. The Passenger is the quintessential cocktail lover’s bar. It’s intimate, with fancy liquors but not too fancy surroundings, and you better know what you like to order. A typical Passenger customer is the person who makes cocktails at homes, knows how they like their martinis (stirred, wet, with a lemon twist for me), has a favorite bitter or vermouth, and probably has tried to infuse a liquor with some aromatic at some point. Besides the semi-​know-​it-​all clientele (as Chandana K points out), the bartenders are very knowledgeable and if they aren’t too busy (which they usually are), they’re happy to debate the merits of using a more rye whiskey versus bourbon in an Old Fashioned. Bonus that their food is delicious, if a bit pricey.
Unfortunately, the sale of the building (the whole block really), is the cause behind the Passenger closing. However, the Passenger allegedly will be reopening in another location, and I’m sure that the Unilocal hordes will have another spot soon enough to show off to their New York City friends that DC knows cocktails.
The Passenger is more than one of the first local spots to feature fancy cocktails. I got the chance to see the last performance in the Warehouse Theater in the back a week or so ago, and imbibed a last hurrah drink at the Passenger prior to the show. A brief history: The building has been in the Ruppert family for over 100 years, and has served as a hardware store, a real estate practice, a family owned restaurant, a independent Fringe theater, in addition to the modern cocktail bar (s). For the love of all that is holy, please don’t let the current building turn into another soulless condo complex. Or if it does (since we do have a shortage of housing in DC) at least keep the H. Rupper 1890 plaque out front. This city owes a debt to the Ruppert family, and I hope the next iteration of the Passenger keeps its beloved qualities and is the beginning of a great new chapter for this family in DC.

A cool bar, with good drinks. I personally liked the whiskey sour, and the cherries was a nice garnish on the drinks. Minus a star because the wait time to order and receive a drink was so long. Only two bartenders was not enough to cover the bar and the drink orders from the waiters.

The Passenger is hands down one of my favorite spots in DC. As it nears it’s last month, I’m trying to go there as often as possible for their signature cocktails, pork cheek nachos, and low key atmosphere.
Perfect for meeting friends, dates, anyone really! I will really miss this place.

Mediocre bar with a mediocre drink selection and somewhat high prices. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the Passenger, but there’s also nothing to really make me want to come back. Epitome of «meh.»

I totally did not understand what another reviewer meant by «pretentious/​not pretentious» until I went here– and now I know it’s so on point.
I really only had a beer and a glass of wine here (though frankly I don’t appreciate having to specify «good house wine» instead of «better house wine» or whatever– I might as well say «the cheapest wine you have, cheaper than cheap! I’m broke!») but anyway, it was pretty cool. The service was alright, the drinks were good, the location was convenient. I had a good time on a date here, though we probably got a little lucky with our table.

Maybe I am just old, or fob-​by or God knows what, but my experience here was just very very meh! I sat at the bar with a girlfriend and had such high hopes of their cocktails. So, unlike usual bars this place did not carry crown or Cap’n Morgan or JD or Malibu. Umm, I just pretty much exhausted my average Joe bar dictionary. Pray, tell me Sir, WHAT do you carry?!!
Anyways, the sucker I am for rum, I ordered one of their 2 options with rum in it (everything else had Gin from what I recall). First off, I saw the bartender use his bare hands to pull out an extra block of ice from my glass, which was annoying but I let it slide because really he just picked the ice, thats all. Now, don’t get me wrong, i love me my rum, AND i can hold my liquor — I will match you shot for shot till you are out on the floor and I will be the one putting you in a cab back home. The taste of rum in my drink probably equaled an entire shot of neat rum (whatever kind he used) — which meant that there was MUCH more than a single shot in that tumbler. Now, I could have my drink the way it was, pretending i was sipping on a shot — but let’s be clear, I asked for a COCKTAIL and not a shot of alcohol to me get me drunk! So I was stuck with my drink unable to enjoy it and feeling foolish about telling the bartender about it.
Now, WHY you may ask was I hesitant to ask the bartender, because both my friend and I felt he was a little short with us, questioning our alcohol choices and smirking when we asked about any main stream alcohol or beer. So when the other bartender rolled in my direction, I asked her add a splash of coke in my drink so I could make it drinkable — which she did, at the expense of making the original bartender kinda mad. i did understand that, and I will take the blame for it, but to be honest, he did not make himself pleasant and available for me, so he lost me there.
We had the sharable hummus plate, which was actually yummy, so that was a plus. Anyways, my personal experience here was not good — not saying other people shouldn’t come here and see for themselves, though. Am I likely to recommend this place to others — no! Am I likely to come here again — Nope!

As the DC scene of master cocktail mixologists is getting saturated, the Passenger is able to keep up with the rest of them. They go for really interesting combinations with random fresh ingredients thrown in there, but neither of the cocktails I had were stunners, or anything that I would write home about (or I guess facebook my mom about these days).
I came here for the Battered Fried Bacon wrapped Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, but found out they no longer have those (change in Chefs or something). So, they suggested that their Beignets are the best. I’d say they’re no trip back to New Orleans, but a fine dessert option if you’re in the mood for a fried dessert while having cocktails (?? — I’m not sure anyone is ever in that mood, but I put it out there as some people might like it).

The Passenger is a gem of Mt. Vernon Square that will be sorely missed if they wind up having to close.
Each member of staff that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting has been incredibly friendly even when the bar is super busy and has only standing room left.
Even with an awesome staff, the cocktails are my favorite part of The Passenger (obviously, right?). Their inventive selection of cocktail specials change every single day and are usually cleverly themed. The drink list may seem pretentious, but the quality of each cocktail totally justifies it. Oh, and there’s always a nice schlitz + rye to make sure things aren’t too serious.
The food is not to be missed, either. I’m a huge fan of the burger and house-​made chips. Delicious meat cooked perfectly to your liking combined with the village cheddar creates a perfect burger experience that’s worth the $ 12. My girlfriend is a huge fan of the duck carnitas, and her brother’s jam is the fried chicken sandwich. They both look great and are absolutely worth a try.
I, ridiculously, can’t get enough of the chips. Sometimes literally. I’ll order different baskets of the different flavors and just keep going. The sour cream and chive option is a great first basket.
If their landlord really does not renew the lease and tears down the building, I’m not really sure what I’ll do. I consider The Passenger to be a huge benefit to living in the Mt. Vernon Square area.

I have a thing for gastropub that serve unique, gourmet food. Beignets? Pork cheek nachos? Duck tacos? I am there! My husband and I stopped in for a quick grub early Saturday night. First impression — awful music choice + barely functional speakers = we were in for a headache. Turned off by the ambiance, we debated for a bit if we wanted to stay. But after being warmly greeted by our sweet waitress, we decided to stick around and give it a try.
I went with their most popular dish, duck carnitas, while my husband went with their slaw dog with crab chips. Although duck carnitas were recommended again and again, I thought they were just okay. The duck flavor was one dimensional (straight salt) and the corn tortillas were only lukewarm/​soggy. My husband’s slaw dog was good but not as unique as we thought it would be. Perhaps, the BBQ sauce flavor was too overpowering. Lastly, the crab chips were just stale Ritz chips — waste of stomach space.
The place got ridiculously loud as our dinner progressed. Although we were still pretty hungry after our two dishes — we decided to skip on ordering more dishes + desserts and look for a second dinner elsewhere. Overall — underwhelmed, perhaps the glowing reviews were geared towards/​combined with their cocktails.

This is a great place for a cocktail. Its designed like an updated dive bar with classic cocktails and what looks like an interesting menu of bar food. We didn’t eat but it was nice to sit and have a well crafted bourbon cocktail while listening to some great music. We were there super early so we didn’t get a read on the clientele. I’m sure it gets crazy busy in here! This is sort of an every-man’s joint. You can get a fancy cocktail or a hipster can of beer.

I love The Passenger!
The space has a great feel, and the cocktails are always delicious. Most recently I had Weekend at Bernie’s (green hat, green chartreuse, oleo-​saccharum and green tea!) which was (almost too) easy to drink, and the District, a rye cocktail that arrived with a lovely chill. I enjoyed it so much I had another.
For dinner, the fried chicken sandwich is to die for, pork cheek nachos melt in your mouth, and the hot dog is a DC experience. The only thing is that it’s a little too pricey for me to come by too often since I can’t stop at one cocktail here!

Like a true fatty, I’m not even going to talk about the drinks.
1) Duck carnitas — I die for these, especially for the surprising crunchy bits.
2) Pork Cheek Nachos — As I mentioned before, tender, smokey and flavorful… You will not want to share these (unless you’re angling in for some of those duck carnitas).
3) Beignets — Not as airy or light as I would have preferred but the drizzle of condensed milk and pork belly dust makes me want to dance on air.
Love how low key this place is, it has been officially solidified as a Kristina V and Kimberly S favorite.

I’ve been a couple times. This place is quite hipster which can be a bit annoying, but since I’ve been called one myself, I’ll move on…
The duck tacos win sooooo bad and I hate duck. Also the Bloody Mary is one of the best I’ve had in the city but you can only get them on Sunday, as they make a special batch. The shrimp and grits need a little help, and the nachos are either really good or I was starving that day.
There’s a speakeasy in the back but it’s only certain days and I believe it’s moderately priced for DC, but I can’t really judge until I’ve experienced it.

Stopped in here the other evening, the day that Harold Ramis died, and they had a drink special called the «Dr. Egon».
Massive respect.

The service and drinks here are excellent! As other Unilocalers have mentioned, you can just let your friendly bartender know what you like in a cocktail and they’ll whip you up something special. The last time I was there, the (extremely patient) bartender was terrific about answering questions too.
The drinks here tend to be stronger than they taste, so you’re certainly getting your money’s worth in that regard. Being a complete lightweight, each time I’m here — the pressure is intense, because I know I’ll only be having one drink. And yet — I’ve never been disappointed with my choice.
This may go without saying, but if you want the more personalized treatment, your best bet is a weeknight or earlier on the weekend. During peak time, when the bar is 5 deep — it’s not the ideal time to discuss the nuances of your bourbon preferences.
Also, if you’ve been looking for an outstanding mint julep in DC, look no further!

Excellent cocktails!
The Drinks:
Jeff Bridges ($ 11): A+
This guy is perfectly balanced with unique flavors and served in a classic martini glass.
Burning Bridges ($ 13): A+
Straight scotch.
It can get pretty busy at the passenger though, and the bar staff ends up ignoring a lot of people. Recommend going before dinner instead of late night.

We were on a whirlwind tour of downtown DC– one afternoon to see as much as we could before hopping on a plane back to Boston. My boyfriend’s roommate recommended the place to us and insisted we stopped by. We saved the best for last. It’d been a grueling weekend of family, an engagement party, and more family, along with a really shitty GPS. By the time we settled into a booth at The Passenger, our nerves were frayed.
We were greeted by Molly who was an absolute peach and a fan of Boston. In fact, didn’t even realize that her Sox shirt might be a little out of place in DC because I’m so used to seeing everyone wear them ²⁴⁄₇. She got us our first round (their cocktail specials were all X-​Men themed!!) and we contemplated what to snack. Decided on the pork cheek chili nachos. I like nachos, but these I loved. The depth of flavor, the creative combination with a bar food standby– perfect for sharing. I guess if you don’t like pork cheeks or gastropub food you won’t like these. But since we love interesting food, we really loved these. Our second plate to share was the duck confit carnitas which were also simply divine.
The Passenger was the balm that our poor nerves needed after a stressful weekend. I only wish we were in DC more often so as to come more frequently! Great service and friendly staff, and mostly importantly delicious food and drink.

I’m not sure that this review can express my level of love for this bar. It’s a down to earth, divey leaning, not pretentious, amazingly awesome kick ass cocktail bar.
First up, the layout. It’s sort of like three bars in one. The first area when you walk in is your traditional bar area. Handful of booths/​stools/​tables. Small bar area (that’s maybe my only complaint). And an awesome vibe. If you continue towards the back through the hallway, on the left hand side there’s a couple of little hidden tables. If you’re looking for a private area for you and your friends, or you and your «friend», this is the perfect spot. And then all the way back it’s a bit more mellow with more traditional tables.
Second, the vibe. They had a great music mix playing. Maybe a bit loud, but that’s mostly just because I’m 40. (Get off my lawn!) But I totally dug the music selection. And the overall atmosphere was one of just fun. Everyone from the staff to the patrons were a blast.
Third, the service and drinks. I’m not sure who the bartender was but by the time I was done I must admit I had a slight crush on her. Maybe it was just the cocktails. In any event, she was extremely friendly and seemed to truly love her job. And the cocktails she made up were fantastic. I just gave her the flavor profile I wanted, and within minutes I had this amazing concoction in front of me which was exactly what I was looking for.
As with anything that’s this amazing expect a crowd. I was there on a Wednesday early evening (about 7p) and I had to fight for space at the bar. But it’s well worth the fight and visit.
If you’re a cocktail nut in DC you owe it to yourself to stop by The Passenger.