In January 2007, the bar and back lounge at Tallula was refashioned into EatBar, a separate casual eatery and watering hole. The relaxing atmosphere and cool vibe of EatBar lends itself to being a local haunt any night of the week. Build your meal from a selection of snacks or larger entrées listed on chalkboards hung above the bar, and pair it with any of our 70+ wines by the glass, microbrews, or classic cocktails.
With EatBar, we've taken our cue from what, until recently, was an unlikely international culinary hotspot - Great Britain. For as long as they've been around, pubs have been central to British life & culture, and historically, while one could usually count on a comfortable, casual atmosphere and great beer, food was an afterthought. That started to change about 15 years ago, when two friends opened The Eagle in London, and began serving simple, honest, hand-made food largely culled from local farmers and artisan food producers. The "gastropub" was born, and hundreds of establishments have followed suit in the years since.
EatBar is in the same vein, but with a decidedly American accent. Practically everything we serve - from the hot dog to the mustard we put on it, is made by hand, in-house, from only the best ingredients, locally produced and organic whenever possible. Our cheeses and meats (many of which are house-aged and cured) are among the finest available, and the entire menu will change from week to week, and even from day to day, in order to take advantage of the best products available from the farmers we work with. You'll also notice that your food comes when it is ready, instead of in courses, which ensures that it does not suffer from sitting under a heat lamp.
And we're paying just as much attention to the "bar" as to the "eat" with more than 70 wines by the glass, lots of craft-brewed beers in bottles and on draft, and a collection of cocktails that are fun & innovative while paying homage to the classics.
Seating at EatBar is available on a first come, first serve basis. We don't take reservations for tables in the bar. Our menu changes often - CLICK HERE for the current offerings.
About the Chef — Andrew Markert brings more than 10 years of culinary expertise to his new position (July, 2008)at Tallula and EatBar. Most recently, Markert served as the Chef de Cuisine under Chef Anthony Chittum at Vermilion, Neighborhood Restaurant Group's contemporary American restaurant in Old Town, Alexandria. During his tenure, Vermilion has been featured in The Washington Post's 2008 'Dining Guide' and Washingtonian's '100 Best Restaurants' for 2008, and was nominated for 'Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year' at this year’s RAMMY awards.
Prior to his work at Vermilion, Markert served as the sous-chef at Dish and prep cook at Notti Bianche, where he perfected the fine art of making fresh pastas while also prepping for lunch and dinner services at the two restaurants. Markert has also served as Chef de Partie under the James Beard award-winning chef Michel Richard at Citronelle, where he worked at all the stations on a rotating basis and trained new employees on station knowledge.
A graduate of Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island, Markert also studied at the German Wine School in Koblenz, Germany and completed classes in European cuisine taught by German master chefs.
Interview with Stu Ellis, Jr. - one of our Bartenders:
Stu Ellis - Bartender Extraordinaire, EatBar
60 Second Sound Bites - LOCAL POINT TV
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