Hank’s Oyster Bar

Hank’s is a good neighborhood place. The happy drinks are decent. I come back for the $ 1 oysters, but I have to admit that it’s nothing to write home about.
I love the vibe at Hank’s and I think it’s a good time, but it’s not my favorite place for the quality for food and drinks.

I and my boyfriend ate here for the first time today.
The weather was lovely, the food was fresh and the service was pretty good.
I liked trying the local brews!
Recommend!

Positives! Open late night for the best oysters! I didn’t want shitty pizza. We came here… Oysters were AMAZING! The deviled eggs were soooo yummy in my tummy! Drinks sucked. Had to ask for double shots in my Moscow mule. After 5 I’m barely getting a buzz. Drink up before you come here. The oysters are really really worth it. Drinks really sucked. Watered down. If your not a drinker :) your great!

Great happy hour specials, including a variety of oysters! They have some pretty tasty sangria as well. Nice wait staff.

Came here for brunch on a Saturday. Great ambiance — high ceilings, lots of light. Ordered Oyster Po, Lobster Roll and Crab Cake. Oyster Po was definitely my favorite — the combination of fried oysters and coleslaw was yummy. Lobster Roll was also delicious but wasn’t that great. Crab Cake was the only disappointment — it was slightly burned outside and was quite small for the price $ 14.

have always wanted to try this place
here is what we got:
fried oysters: good, bit too much batter
clam chowder: good
salad: fine, its impossible to mess this up
service: no issues
ambiance: we sat outside which was nice
overall: good, nothing amazing, i would be willing to try it again though

Ambience: well duh. Look where it is. Great spot, really good atmosphere. Easy walk from DuPont metro
Food: awesome. Wish the oysters weren’t fried. Can’t recall if they had them steamed but still good. Also had a lobster bisque. Just about melted my face off. Holy crap.
Service: big one. Server. Was. Awesome. She even recommended an after-​dinner drink which I don’t usually trust servers to do (I got burned by too many who brought me too-​sweet stuff). But she recommended something, let me try it… and we had another score.
Just an awesome spot.

Nice atmosphere and fresh food. Went on a weeknight evening and was seated right away at a table in the covered outdoor seating area. The menu is not huge but includes raw offerings, such as local oysters and other seafood specials. The cocktail menu was creative and service was good.

Was walking by Hanks on a Saturday evening with perfect weather. My dad and I just couldn’t resist the lovely patio, covered in lights and umbrellas, so we stopped in. A little bit of a tight squeeze between tables, but otherwise we had a pretty good experience. The service was attentive, but not overbearing.
We ordered some sort of clam and kimchee thing to start, which was pretty good, although the two pieces of grilled white bread (common, step up the bread game) were insufficient to sop up all the sauce. Then I got a fish cake (delicious) and my dad got some white fish which he also really enjoyed. Decent beer and wine selection too. Can you get better for the price? Yes. But, it’s still a nice experience, and seafood tends to come at a cost.

Hank’s Oyster Bar is overpriced and doesn’t even offer good food. For example, they pass out Goldfish crackers, the same ones you can buy in bulk at Costco. If I’m paying for my dining experience, I shouldn’t have to experience prepackaged food I can buy at dirt cheap prices from a wholesale store. The clam chowder didn’t impress me either; it was disgusting and bland, so bland that I couldn’t even taste any clams. Instead of flavorful clams, the chowder tasted of butter.
In terms of service, it’s pretty slow. My friend and I waited quite some time before our orders were even taken.

Hanks is a DC institution. Prior to coming to Hanks for the first time, I did not like raw oysters. I was just joining someone for company while *they* ate oysters. However, I was convinced to try a couple varieties and after coming back several times, I actually enjoy oysters now :)
Hanks has a great happy hour deal too where you can get oysters for $ 2. Besides the oysters, Hanks has delicious sides. You can also get a veggie sides sampler platter– 5 side dishes for only $ 22. It ends up being a HUGE amount of food. For the veggie sides, the options often change, but the ones that have been good are the grilled aspargus, the kale, brussels sprouts, fries, and mac and cheese. I might actually like the sides even more than the oysters.
Aside from that, Hanks also makes a pretty delicious lobster roll. Yes, it is pretty small for the price, but it’s pretty on par with what you will find in DC.
I particularly love the Dupont location– it’s tucked away on 17^th and seems like it is more frequented by locals rather than tourists. There is a main dining room and patio for a sit down dinner, as well as three bar areas— two brighter bar areas and one low-​lit basement lounge. The main dining room for sit down dinner can be a bit loud (fair warning) !

East side or die.
Forreal though, this place is pretty dope. Friendly ass staff greeted us and seated us promptly. Gave us some gold fish to munch on while we decided on what we decided to order. When’s the last time y’all ate a gold fish? Yes, I am talkin’ about the cheese crackers homie.
We got 2 of each oyster they had available. 3 east coast, 3 west coast. I was ready to see where I aligned, Biggie or Tupac. It’s safe to say, I am proud to be East Side. Them West Coast joints were so nasty, oh my lord.
That’s all I wanted to say.

This was the original Hank’s location, and even though it has expanded since when it first opened, I prefer Capitol Hill location more. This location does seem to be busy still, though.
Because this is primarily seafood location, the experience here always depends on if they have fresh food or not. I definitely had some so-​so oyster poorboy’s at this location, whereas I haven’t had a problem at the Capitol Hill location. What this location has with sheer size and the amount of tables, the capital Hill location has with better food, even though it’s basically the same offerings. Lots of room for groups here.
I generally feel Hank’s is a better happy hour venue than dinner venue, especially considering that there is much for competition for great food here near 14^th Street. The half-​price raw bar til midnight is the best deal here.

One of my favorite DuPont restaurant/​bars! There are a few things about Hank’s that keep me coming back. The oyster selection is why you came here in the first place, well, they always keep the best Virginia selections in stock. I’ve had oysters from all up and down the VA coast and some from MA as well, they’ve been perfection each time and that raspberry vinaigrette that they’re served with is amazing.
Did I mention you get free goldfish the entire meal? That’s pretty important because who doesn’t like goldfish? So much better than your standard oyster crackers which are actually available as well.
I’ve tried a few things here but the pre-​show dinner is probably the most impressive deal here if you have the time. You get a couple of courses for a decent price and everything on the preselected menu is excellent. For example, I had never had fried oysters before, got them with the pre-​show dinner and now I’m a fan for the rest of my days!
I highly recommend their calamari and fried shrimp, they make for superb snacking. I’ll have to stress again to try the Virginia oysters, you won’t be disappointed.
Hank’s has a cozy ambience and a friendly staff. We’ve felt welcomed here ever since we went on our second date quite awhile ago. If you’re in DuPont it’s a must try but it’s also very walkable from Foggy Bottom/​GW!

Went to Hank’s for a late lunch. Arrived at 2:30 on a Monday and there was only one table seated. Came here for one reason and one reason only, THE LOBSTER ROLL. It did not disappoint. For $ 25 the lobster roll and fries is worth it. The lobster was fresh and not overly dressed and came on a nice traditional buttered hotdog bun like served in the northeast where I am originally from. Portion was not what I would call large but plenty enough to satisfy. Only ordered a beer from a nice selection.
I can’t comment on oysters since we did not order any. Dinner entrée selections seemed interesting and it seems they have won some awards. Décor was done very nicely for that trendy part of town. I will definitely return next time in DC. Hanks without a doubt satisfied my craving for a lobster roll.

My significant other and I have always enjoyed Hank’s oysters– they tend to have delicious ones. And this is also a place where you can get a table/​reservation on nights that are usually booked (NYE’s, Valentine’s Day, etc.) They also try to make those days special; gave out roses to guests on vday and free chanoagne on nye. Their happy hour is a good deal if you are die-​hard about oysters ($ 1 oysters).
However, after going several times, I have concluded confidently that this place could use some improvements. Well first, their happy hour is only good for the oysters – they won’t let you sit at an actual table or outside. Instead you are forced to sit in this little room with truly the most uncomfortable seats. As a result we have not gone back to the happy hour.
Recently, we decided to try their dinner plates and were pretty disappointed. I had the bouillabaise, which was delicious! Yes, it was $ 30 but I think a lot of places would charge that for how much delicious fish it contained. However, it was a bit gross to have shrimp unpeeled and undeveined– could see the shrimp intestines as I ate it.
My partner’s dish (rainbow trout in a citrus glaze) was sadly pretty terrible. It was flavorless and underseasoned. Not what you’d expect when eating out fish.
The ambiance, too, is not on par for how expensive it is. Tables are too small to hold your food, and they are more like cafeteria or low quality diner tables. The service is good, but the table scenario is not comfortable. It was also FREEZING inside the restaurant.
Good for oysters and their drinks are ok. I wouldn’t bet on their dinner plates.

Drinks were good put pricy. Food was fancy looking but lacked flavor and was very expensive. I ended up with 6 oysters, a few beers, and a small plate for $ 85. Really not all that good.

Awesome oysters and other fresh seafood
Great service ! Book early and save your appetite

This appears to be a local chain in DC. I got into DC on Thursday night around 10 PM and desperately needed to eat something around Du Pont circle. Queued up the good old Unilocal app and found this.
As with most places open late, you have a limited menu at night, mostly oysters, clams, and shrimp cocktail. I ordered the oysters, shrimp cocktail, and chips with onion dip. The chips with onion dip were WAY too spicy, and I wish there were options here. Found the oysters and shrimp cocktail perfectly good but nothing particularly exceptional, either, when it comes to taste.
Décor of the place is super cool. Multiple floors and a little alcove you can sit in.

We arrived for happy hour and got two punches each, as well as the old bay chips. The punch was delicious, as were the old bay chips. The chips were a huge serving that came with a creamy onion dip, which we really enjoyed. Our bartenders (there were two) were seriously great — friendly and not too pushy.
We then moved into the dining area for a full dinner. First of all, I’m pretty sure our waiter was drunk. He continually slurred his words, rambled on, and acted altogether weird. That was kind of strange. I ordered a lobster roll with a side of old bay fries and my friend got the small plate of scallops and the side of carrots. I was altogether kind of unimpressed with this food. I know everyone seems to love the lobster roll, but I thought it was overly mayonaised with not enough other spices added. Old Bay helped! The bun was alright, but not very toasty. The fries were supposed to be Old Bay fries, but I think they were just regular? So I continually added Old Bay to them, easy fix. My friend really enjoyed her scallops, but I thought they were a bit too sweet and definitely overcooked. The carrots, conversely, were undercooked. The flavor was good but they were too oily and very hard.
I also tried the Getaway cocktail, which I thought was boring. It just tasted like grapefruit juice + a bit of alcohol. There was supposed to be some kind of spiced simple syrup in there, but I couldn’t taste it at all.
I really enjoyed the Happy Hour/​time at the bar, which is why I’m giving Hank’s 3 stars. Dinner, though, was just alright.

Finally made it to the final Hank’s location, and it definitely lived up to the reputation of the locations in Eastern Market and Alexandria.
We started off with half a dozen oysters, sourced from DC and Virginia. As always, the oysters were fresh and definitely whet my appetite for the main entrée.
My friend ordered the fish and chips while I ordered the grilled swordfish. I highly recommend the grilled swordfish if you are looking for non-​sandwich options that also showcases Hank’s fresh ingredients. The arugula was lightly dressed and served with roasted grapes that tasted like cranberries, so sweet and a great contrast to the slightly bitter arugula. The swordfish was perfectly cooked and achieved that beautiful tender-​meatiness that I love in swordfish. The dish was also served up with pan-​fried potatoes, which not only satiated the carb-​lover in me but also balanced out the dish with the slightly crispy and browned baby potatoes.
I tried my friend’s fish and chips and I think Hank’s fried fish is definitely the lighter-​fry variety. The haddock (or cod?) was tender and the fry just fell right off when I cut into it without the extra greasiness. The tartar sauce was also on point.
The service was quite attentive and warm. I just love Hank’s!

Admittedly, I didn’t come here to experience the oysters. I came with co-​workers during lunch, and really wanted something filling. This place is getting 3 stars only because of the food my co workers had, and their reactions to it.
As far as service, our server was hard to find and took awhile coming. We sat out on the patio in December because the weather was unseasonably warm. That was a nice perk. The service was just average for me.
Everybody but me loved what they ordered. They ordered the burger, a salmon salad, and a crab cake sandwich. They all raved about their food. I, however, did not have a great experience. I decided to order the fish and chips because, why not? It’s a seafood restaurant, right? They’ll get this right. Wrong. Although my fish was a plentiful portion, had a nice color, and thick breading, it was gummy on the inside (see pics). This made it inedible because the cook took it out of the fryer too early. I didn’t bother asking them to put it back in or remake it. I just left it alone because there was no way to guarantee that the same thing wouldn’t happen again and we had limited time for lunch.
I ordered fries with my entrée, which were supposed to be Old Bay. Not enough Old Bay, unfortunately.
Overall, I’m not invested in coming back unless I’m in the mood for oysters.

It’s an great oyster bar. We tried all variety and decided to go for another dozon british Columbia. Great fresh oysters and yummy crab cakes.

Not certain that a review of the food is essential when you’ve experience the worst waitress in Washington, DC. Arrival at lunch time with 3 other occupied tables– waitress took our order with what seemed to be an attitude and a complete non interest of being there– No drink request, no special statement. She walked up and said are you ready. Stated that they sell no «side salad” — $ 6.00. When questioned what was the listing on the menu– «side salad– $ 6.00″ — she said, Oh, they must have added that– it’s never been there before. We placed our order and she NEVER, that’s right, NEVER returned.
Food was delivered by the bus girl (who was nice and kind), no followed up, no (water) refill… zero. Bus girl removed plates. Asked said bus girl for our check. «Waitress» returned, laid (overcharged) check on table, «here you go» with a bowl of chocolate’s and left.
Check: No one ordered a Fruit Bowl for $ 7.00 it was a side salad for $ 6.00. Asked said bus girl for the waitress, she returned and said, it was a computer glitch. That’s fine– semantics in regard to description isn’t important– the price is. The menu says $ 6.00. She reduced the check $ 1.00 and stood there waiting for payment. Handed over cash (+.20), complained to the very nice hostess… and will never return.
If your waitress is having THAT kind of day send her home… better yet, fire her.

Hank’s is consistently delicious! I’ve had most of their oysters (happy hour) and LOVE their brunch! My favorite brunch plates: shrimp & grits, crab cake sandwich and French toast. The wait is never ridiculous and the service I great.

I just came for a quick drink before heading over to Little Serow. The cocktails are nice and it’s a good selection. Love the outdoor space — patio seating!
And it’s nice to have a little salty snack for your alcohol. Will be back to get some oysters!!!

While living in DC about 2 years, I would frequent this place almost every Sunday for a strong bloody mary, french toast, and dare I mix some oysters. This place is great for groups and the patio seating is nice in the warmer seasons. The wait can be longer for weekend brunches.
Overall, great food, vibe, and staff.
Minus –1 for the wait times sometimes being outrageous, but nonetheless a fun brunch place.

Yum, oysters.
Any reader of my reviews will know I’m a bivalve girl.
I have had a huge selection of oysters here, as well as a huge selection of drinks, as well as clams, ceviche, and the little goldfish dish they give you when you sit down.
Everything about this place makes me happy, especially during happy hour.
Clean, friendly, spacious and cozy simultaneously, and a big enough bivalve selection to make even a sea-​head like me happy.
Always fresh. Always Tim Hortons… Jk. always Hank’s Oyster bar.
(Canadian Joke)

We went to the Hank’s oyster bar for a Sunday brunch and were happy with the quality of food and service. The prices are ok, around $ 25 per person.

Hank’s is pretty great! I’ve been 3 – 4 times since I’ve lived in DC (3 years), most recently my first time for a full dinner. We went with my hubby’s parents on a lovely end-​of-​summer Thursday night. We were sat inside, although we preferred outside, but there was a wait and we just decided to do inside. The space is nice and welcoming, the outdoor patio is great on a nice day, so if you can, sit there when it’s nice out, but if not, inside is cool too.
I was seriously craving a lobster roll, so that’s what I ordered! SO GOOD! not too big (lobster rolls never seem to be wahhhhhhhhh) but delicious! We had oysters and the lobster deviled eggs for appetizers, delish. Some others had fried oysters, which they said were very good. The others times I’ve been have been for happy hour, which is always very fun! We always get the fish dip, which is great, and of course, cocktails! Overall, a great choice for dinner or drinks, and in a great neighborhood.

Three stars only for the service and interior. The food is INCREDIBLE. My husband’s favorite restaurant in DC. However, we’ll stick with the Capitol Hill location from now on. We chose DuPont because of its close
proximity to 14^th and we’re hosting another couple for the weekend. Unfortunately, we regretted it. We called ahead, but still had to wait and then were seated right by the oysters/​kitchen. While patio is nice, the interior is loud, and not as chic as the cap hill location. The waitress didn’t speak very good English, seemed annoyed, and preoccupied. We each ordered a specialty cocktail and they took forever for us to receive. Our food was arriving as our drink was. We hoped to drink them with our appetizer. The waitress also seemed clueless about the menu and the drinks when we asked questions. And annoyed.
We raved about the restaurant before taking our friends from out of town so it was embarrassing for the poor experience.

The oysters were really good. They tasted fresh and I enjoyed them a lot. I combined them with the local beer and it complimented the oysters very well.
Place was clean and had a good atmosphere. Outside seating appears to be very cozy. Good place to take a date.

Amazing food, stick to appetizers and drinks and oysters to have a fun splurge night!
Pros:
1. Great menu, lobster roll is amazing (they should add a side of drawn butter though!), oysters are always good, fried oysters are so tender and fresh
2. Ambiance is fun and exciting and loud, good party environment, lots of levels and hidden rooms to have your own good time
3. Good area with other places around to hop to
Cons:
1. Parking is rough, there’s lots and street parking but it isn’t easy
2. Gets crowded, so definitely make a reservation
3. Pricey, but worth it for a fun night out

My friends and I devoured two dozen oysters here like we’d never had seen food before. I’m salivating as I’m typing up this review and wish Hanks Oysters could be a part of every meal I have.
Taste bud crack is the best descriptor I can come up with to explain of how addicting their oysters are, and for $ 1.25 a piece during happy hour you can order many dozens.
Drink selection here is very good too and there is an extensive beer menu. My friend from Hawaii found a Lilikoi beer on it, which was very refreshing and their $ 5 Daily Punch (off the happy hour menu) is almost like an herb garden infused sangria. Calamari is also a must to order off of the Happy Hour menu and I will definitely be back when I’m in DC for these happy hour oysters.
I’d recommend getting here at the beginning of happy hour which runs from 5p-​7p, by the end of it, there was standing room only around the bar. Reverse happy hour from 10p to midnight has ½ off their raw bar!

I had a craving for oysters and Hank’s satisfied that craving well, plus I got some great-​quality seafood dishes along with those oysters.
The oysters were delicious. They were fresh and had a nice «sea-​taste». The west-​coast ones were bigger and meatier, but I actually preferred the east-​coast ones more. I’m not an expert on describing oyster tastes, but they went down more smoothly (?).
The lobster deviled eggs were a very pleasant surprise — I think they were my favorite. The filling was surprisingly light and delicious. The scallops were served with pieces of honeydew, cherries, and a jalapeño sauce — and it meshed together so well. They had the perfect amount of flavor, and the textures worked well. We also had the fried oysters, which were tasty and crispy for the first few bits. But after maybe 2 of them, they seemed to be a little overwhelming and heavy — the oyster texture and taste was lost in the breading. Lastly, the seasonal salad was fresh and complemented the other dishes.

Oh. Em. Gee.
Hanks was spectacular and exceeded every expectation that I had. I’m in DC for the weekend; baseball and gals night out. After sitting in traffic for 7.5 hrs, I arrived with HANGER. Hanks was the first place that popped up in my Unilocal.I love fish and oysters, so why not?
Gluttony ensued.
1) Mussels. By far the best dish. The sauce they came with was flavorful, light and perfectly seasoned. The bread to dip made it perfect. I could have eaten an entire bowl of the broth and been done for the night.
2) popcorn shrimp and calamari. Fried but not oily. The aioli sauce that it came with was seasoned well and complimented the crustaceans.
3) Scallops —Agricola in Princeton ruined me for scallops. I probably should have eaten the tuna. But the butternut squash sauce was pretty great. 3 stars for this dish.
4) lobster roll. Probably the best I’ve eaten. The sauce wasn’t too creamy or overbearing. The lobster was tender and delicious. The bread was lightly buttered. This was the second best dish.
5) Mac & Cheese. This has set a new standard for Mac and cheese. It was very good.
Service was exceptional. Our waiter was super cool and took time to explain the menu. His recommendations were excellent.
A bit pricey, but VACATION. So splurge if you’re from out of town. I’d definitely return again and highly recommend.