Plan B Burger Bar

My boyfriend, Joe, and I came here for dinner last Saturday before we went to see Howie Day live at the Hamilton. The host told us we could sit in the bar area if we saw anything we liked, but there were no seats available when we went to check it out. So instead, we got placed at a tiny table directly up against the stand that a computer/​register was on. The table was rickety and we felt a bit squeezed in, so it was less than ideal but we made it work. We started with the American Nachos. Now, I am a die-​hard nacho fan, so I was skeptical when I read that these nachos were made with potato chips instead of the traditional tortilla chips. Much to my surprise, however, the potato chips worked! The nachos were delicious and I would recommend ordering them when coming here. Clever idea swapping out the chips, and the flavor was unique and interesting.
For our meals, Joe and I both got a bacon cheeseburger with fries/​tots. The burgers were decent: cooked exactly how ordered, but the bun definitely got a little soggy due to all of the toppings and juice of the burger itself. The bacon on the burger wasn’t as crispy as I prefer it, but I suppose I could have asked to have it well done and will do that next time. The fries and tater tots were good — tots were just your basic tots but the menu did have a decent selection of fries to choose from (parmesan, truffle, steak, fancy, etc.). I had the parmesan fries and was satisfied with them. However, I would have liked to see a side dipping sauce — similar to what is served at Zinburger with the truffle fries. I was originally going to get the truffle fries, but saw photos on Unilocal that there did not appear to be a sprinkle of cheese on top (again, like the ones I get at Zinburger, which is my go-​to burger place back home), which is why I opted for the parmesan fries, being the cheese addict that I am.
The highlight of the night was 100% the dessert. It took a while for it to come out and we ended up being a little late to the concert because of it, but it was to die for. I ordered their seasonal pie with the seasonal flavor being… COOKIE DOUGH! I thought I had died and gone to heaven. The «pie» was shaped like a calzone, with flaky crust and an inside stuffed with melted, warm, chocolate chip cookie dough goodness. To top it off — literally — was a scoop of vanilla ice cream (French vanilla, I believe). Overall our check came to around $ 70 which is pretty up there for a burger place, but in all fairness, Joe did have a few beers and I had a hard cider. I would go back, but would hope to get a better table next time and not have to rush out of there at the end of the meal.

We chose Plan B for their great reviews on gluten free sites. We were not disappointed! Located near the Navy memorial in the heart of most of what you’d go to DC to see and do, it’s convenient for a quick bite or a destination meal. Sadly, we were there for an early lunch so I wasn’t able to explore what looks like a legit cocktail bar. Seriously, the foyer is decorated with books about cocktails. They better have their stuff together if they’re going to make a statement like that. Next time…
The burger and fries we split was excellent. Fresh, perfectly prepared, and gluten free! Boy, I’d love to try their regular bun, but the g-​fee bun was up there with the best we’ve ever had. The fries were fresh and hot and delicious.
If you’re looking for a $ 15 burger that is good enough to make that seem like a decent value, give Plan B a try. If you need that burger to be g-​free, look no further.

One of the better happy hours downtown and an interesting menu. They have a pretty good selection of local/​craft beers and many are on happy hour special. They also have a rotating bourbon from their fairly extensive selection on special. As for appetizers, the disco fries (gravy/​cheese tater tots) are interesting and the pulled pork sliders with fries are quite tasty and can be a meal alone.
Aside from the HH specials, the Cuban burger (ground pork, bacon, cheese, mustard on grilled bread) is a must try if you enjoy Cuban style food or just a tasty and unique burger. They could step up their game on the fries though, the plain fries aren’t anything special are the Parmesan fries and just the plain fries with a little dried cheese and spices sprinkled over them. Not really worth the effort.
This location has been a Bermuda Triangle of failed restaurants for awhile and hopefully this place sticks around for quite a long time!

I heard Plan B was going to change their name to b. Despite the references to being a second choice or the Morning After Pill, I hope they don’t. The name and all it’s strangeness has grown on me.
My wife and I have been to Plan B a few times and loved almost everything they have (I wish the Pickles & Peppers had pickle spears instead of rounds, however). Today, with my wife gone for the night, I decided to get carry-​out from Plan B. I ordered wings (hot) and a bacon cheese burger. While the burger was cooler than I would have liked by the time I got to it, it wasn’t any cooler than I would have expected. Otherwise, the burger, wings, and fries were all good.

So first of all, can we discuss the name of this place? I get it, burger, beer, and bourbon all start with a B, but really? I can’t help but think of another very unpleasant item with the same name.
But I digress… I came here with a friend while doing touristy things nearby. I have been to the city many times and generally enjoy the restaurants during happy hour/​after work times. This was definitely one of those places. The bar was filled with a nice combo of tourists and people coming off work in suits.
We had a great waiter. I wish I could remember his name to give him a shout but I cannot, but he was very entertaining. However, the hostesses seemed to have some sort of belief that they were better than everyone. When we asked to be seated, they sat us at a very small table directly next to a very large party. Now, if that was the only table available I wouldn’t have minded. But since more than half the restaurant was empty, I don’t see why we should be squished next to a big party like that. And worst of all, when we asked to switch tables, you could tell they felt like we were such a burden and trying to cause a problem. So that was a rough start to the meal. Now on the the food…
The burger I got was great! Delicious, moist, perfect seasoning, and delicious. Exactly what I needed after walking quite a while. My friend got the special (a New Orleans themed burger with fried shrimp) which she loved. The fries were just ok, but my friend got tater tots which were the winner and are worth whatever the cost to upgrade. We also had lobster hush puppies which were spot on. We were very full at the end of this meal and needed another walk! The drinks were also great and were flowing throughout the meal. They were pricey ($ 11 – 13 each) but this was normal for the area.
Overall, the food here gets four stars, but minus one for the so-​so service.

Homemade veggie patty — huge plus!
Great customer service!
Fries were great!
Nice décor inside, pretty busy for lunch, and it was raining outside very heavily, so we stayed inside longer than expected and our server didn’t mind at all.
(Late Post — August 2015)

Plan B has been on my list for awhile so when we were craving burgers and in DC, I suggested we try this place. Perk for trying another place on my list. We came around 8:00 PM on a Saturday night and were seated immediately. They have an extensive beer and cocktail list. We each decided on a beer to sip while we looked at the menu. I decided on an Abita Christmas because it’s like it’s like Christmas in a glass. We then ordered our food: I chose the Baja burger with truffle fries and my husband ordered the Cuban burger with fancy fries. Note– they do have other options if you are not in the mood for a burger. Our server also brought out their house made pickles which were awesome. I loved how fresh they tasted, and the brine was not too overwhelming. Our food came out relatively quickly; being that we were both starving, we dived right in. My burger was delicious but definitely on the spicy side. They did not skimp on the jalepenos or their seeds. The burger was pretty big and yes I was concerned on how I would eat it. No worries, I powered through. The truffle fries were pretty good. All of their fries are shoe string fries which I like, with different toppings. Given the burger I chose, I probably should have chosen a different fry order but I didn’t mind. I wanted truffle fries and that is what I ordered. My husband enjoyed his Cuban burger– the empty plate is evidence.
Our server was friendly and attentive to our table. However we noticed that she didn’t seem to be in a rush clearing the other tables around us. Maybe it was because it was later in the evening but still. Just a thought. Overall a good place for a craft burger.

Ok so me really craving a burger may have played a role in this, but they really do have some great burgers. Apparently they grind their beef at the restaurant and do it several times a day to keep it fresh. They also have a large selection of burgers. The only thing is that their side of fries are underwhelming. They’re thin cut fries and just seem lacking in taste somehow. Maybe it was because they weren’t very hot or even warm when they came out. But it could be just a one time thing too.
The interior of the restaurant looks really nice, I thought it looked like a place you have to be casually dressed up for but don’t let that deter you, there were plenty of people who looked like they were touring DC, saw the restaurant, and decided to try it out.

I haven’t eaten a burger in months so when I was craving one last week and was too lazy to make dinner, I ordered take out.
The food was ready within 15 minutes, and I was excited to eat the bacon cheeseburger.
When I get home, I open the container filled with French fries and the burger itself and start to eat ravenously. Within a few bites of the burger and a few fries, I had to stop. While immensely satisfying and satiating my desire to bite into a delicious juicy burger, the meal was just too salty for me. I felt severe heart palpitations and had to catch my breath.
Service is good and food is A-​OK but if you don’t normally eat salty foods, you might experience the same reaction I did.

On a rainy Saturday our big group stopped in for lunch and were lucky to snag a table right for six before all of the museum crowds descended. They have a great selection of beers and burgers. Everyone was blown away by the burgers they ordered including the bacon burger and the 3 Shroom burger. The burgers were super juicy even though they only cook them «some pink» or «no pink». The «some pink» was somewhere between medium rare and medium. There are many choices for buns — the pretzel roll was good but fell apart so this became a knife and fork meal.
The Wisconsin deep fried cheese curds were very good and being that we are Wisconsin natives we were impressed on their execution of this staple. Their fancy fries, shoestring, were pretty good… they could have been a bit crispier.
We highly recommend Plan B!

Plan B… everyone should have one! They’re good for getting out of binds when plan A hasn’t worked out. They save the day when there is no plan A. They also come in handy on certain mornings after… well…*ahem ahem*…you know. In this case, Plan B Burger Bar joins the saturated burger centric restaurant market in DC.
The location is a little confusing as it’s one of a few businesses located on the bottom level of a multipurpose building that’s adjacent to the Archives Metro Station.
I tried the Tavern Classic Burger, Kentucky Bourbon BBQ wings and Garlic Parmesean Wings.
The Burger was just ok, a little on the dry side. In fact, I barely remember anything specific about it because it was unmemorable.
The wings were a mixed bag. The Kentucky Bourbon BBQ Wings were actually pretty good. A trio of flavors (spice, sugar, smoke), it was actually a little addicting. The Garlic Parmesean Wings were pretty bad. They were dry and the rub was very bland. Close to inedible.
On the plus side, the service was pretty good. The bartender doubled as the waitress and was generally attentive. The wait time for the food was a bit off, but she quickly apologized and comp’d a dish for us.
I can see a 2^nd trip possibly occurring one day, but with so many burger joints popping up around these parts, it ain’t gonna be anytime soon. For the time being, I’ll stick to CVS and Rite Aid for my «plan b» needs!