Incredibly, I never ended up reviewing Arlington Drafthouse. I used to go there all the time when…read moreI lived in Arlington from 2014-2017. A lot of good memories here. Last time I was here was in March 2023. Representing February in this series, I went back to February 2016 without a Yelp review. I saw my old credit card bill had charges on Feb '16. When I lived in Arlington at this time, I paid for a year movie pass, & sometimes I would eat at Arlington Cinema & sometimes eat beforehand. Sadly, they were having financial problems in the later part of 2010's with 2nd run movie model as people were either watching movies new in the theater or waiting to stream. At some point, Drafthouse sent an email saying they weren't doing the movies anymore & just shows, special events, & the occasional themed movie night like a classic Christmas Story (at Christmastime) or whatever. I went for a couple of comedy shows & special events, but the vast majority of the times was for movies. Service was a bit of hit or miss. Sometimes the food took a while to get served, but the food was usually good. I got a variety of items over the years like the burger, sandwiches, wraps, wings, pizza, etc. Nothing was top notch, but nothing was bad either. It was on average pretty good. Servers were sometimes friendly, but not always. They are called Drafthouse because they serve Beer & alcohol, & I remember I put a few down back in the day! But in all honesty, I'm not sure I ever had more than one in a sitting; otherwise, I'd be drunk, broke, & even more broke needing to Uber home & Uber back to my car the next morning. So, I'd never do such a thing. There was one time when I lived on Columbia Pike in Arlington near the Fairfax County (Bailey's Crossroads) border, my car was in repair, & I was determined to see a movie that I want to say a Monday night & wanted to use my annual movie pass. So, I took the bus! The Columbia Pike line bus was very efficient, not much difference in timing as if I drove myself there. I continued with the 2nd run movies into 2017, but I moved from Arlington to MD in Fall 2017, so I generally stopped going here. However, I did continue to come on a few occasions for comedy shows. In 2019-2020, I was on INWEGO, which was an event based app, you paid $19 for one event in the month, $39 for 3, or $59 for 5. I generally did the $39 for 3, but sometimes did $19 depending on what they had for the month. It was cool things like concerts, plays, comedy shows, & sporting events. I took advantage of all of the above. My girlfriend at that time & her friend/other friend husband traveled from Wheaton, MD to Arlington on Friday, February 22, 2020 for a good comedy show. That was the only time I used INWEGO to go to Arlington Drafthouse. I joined INWEGO in mid-April 2019, & we know what happened in mid-March 2020. INWEGO sadly went defunct in September 2020 as they couldn't operate under the Covid environment. I joked the INWEGO era was the best 11 months of my life. I went on a couple of dates here over the years in the 2010's for movies. Prior to October 2014, I lived in Alexandria & sometimes went to Arlington Drafthouse. One time in January 2013, I had a first date at Lost Dog Cafe across the street & saw [deep breath] Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying & Love the Bomb. We kissed at the end. So, that was a good example of a date. A funny example of a date was shortly after from February 2013 (see my November 2013 Bangkok 54 Yelp review), where we went for dinner & then a free comedy show. Here's that experience: "My experience was on Saturday, February 9 (2013). It was a date with an awesome black chick I met a couple of weeks earlier. We had a nice time & walked next door to the Arlington Drafthouse Cinema for a free comedy show in the Green Room. Check it out if you are over at Bangkok 54 or other area restaurants on a Friday or Saturday. During the comedy show, I had my arm around her, & one of the comedians pointed out to me in the audience & said 'you are a lucky guy to be with her. I never have any luck with black chicks. This guy is doing something right. We need to talk after the show.'. This made me feel great since it was only a first date. This was confirmation that the date went extremely well. However, we could never schedule a 2nd date. She later told me that she didn't feel the chemistry...at least she was honest, but after all that, I thought for sure it was an excellent date." Also, went here on another date in June 2016 & saw Zootopia here. My dating life was bad in 2016, & she was no exception. In January 2023, I went to a comedy show with a friend I hadn't seen in a while. I was bold talking to one of the female comedians who was local to the DC area, got one of the comedians Instagram & asked her on a date; not surprisingly no reply. Last time I went was March 2023 for Oscar party. Won a DVD in contest. Not a bad time.

Okay this particular location is very old. AC doesn't work well, very old seating, and some parts…read moreof the building are just dilapidated and closed off. If you're fine with an atmosphere of ancient times, then you'll actually be fine here. The screen and sound quality is top tier, and the staff can make and bring pretty much any appetizer fresh to your seat. Staff is kind and works hard. Came for a Nova Book Babes showing of Twilight and it was so worth it. (But there isn't much I won't put up with for Edward Cullen.)

My wife invited me and my teenage son to watch a work colleague perform in a fun community theater…read moreversion of Shakespeake's "Much Ado about Nothing". The 2-hour show (with intermission) was entertaining with the setting in New Orleans. This little theater had several pluses. First, the interior space is cozy and provides a fun vibe of live theater in which audience engagement is part of the experience. Second, it's only a few blocks away from restaurants on King Street. Street parking is not difficult to find if you arrive early. Third, the overall quality of individual theatrical performances was quite good. All the performers seemed to have regular day-jobs, but love theater for its own sake (perhaps from college). The only minus is the theater seats are very close to each other (think ballpark). Thus, if you happen to sit behind someone who is really tall, it may require a bit of peeking around to see parts of the stage. Hopefully, the folks in front of you will not be tall. Would definitely return for a future performance.

Cute, little quaint theatre! I was staying in the area and looking for something to do. I came upon…read moreA CHRISTMAS CAROL that was playing here on a tuesday evening. I reserved my seat online (got to choose my seat!) which was for E1 Street parking in the local neighborhood. I ended up parking and walking almost a block or so. not bad When I got in , there were ppl standing around waiting to be let in the auditorium. I checked in with a woman who had a printed list of ticket holder names. The seats were very close to one another and infront and back of you. I could see the stage very well It was hard to understand what the actors were saying at times, there is a speaker but in genera I couldn't understand some of the words (plus im deaf in my right ear, so theres that) Production was for an hour. Cute little theatre!

A true treasure. Their "The Immigrant" is so unbelievably timely. My family have been following…read morethem for years.

Just saw "Antony & Cleopatra." Fantastic! No dialog, only music and movement, but the stories are…read moreclear (we've also seen "Romeo & Juliet," years ago - also great!).

Encore does amazing performances, with good sets and props. They also have good classes, teaching…read moreeverything from singing to dancing to stage combat to character development. My only complaint is that when casting their productions, they mainly pick kids that they know well, and after seeing two productions with almost the same cast, it can be a little boring. Other than that, they are a great and friendly company with awesome instructors.

Have been enjoying Encore shows for 10 years! Always a joy to see the magic of theater come alive…read morein so many young people! I'm loving the new shoes they are putting out (world premiers and lesser known titles); they are always very well written for all ages.

great fun show. they have some cool tricks and lors of laughs. We went for date night and had a…read moregreat time.

Amazing experience! Both magicians were entertaining and perfectly merged comedy with magic tricks…read more They were very interactive with the audience and frequently picked members of the audience to participate in different acts. It was fantastic overall; we look forward to returning to Pinstripes to see Mark Phillips and Meadow Perry again or to check out other shows at the venue!

I take classes from Born 2 Dance here and it is a fantastic location! I don't have a car and live…read morein Shirlington so it's very nice to walk to my dance classes. The studios are spacious and have great sound systems for dance classes. Definitely check it out if you want to add some dance to your fitness routine!

97 minutes of wonderful dialogue by Langford Wilson and delivered by actor Louis Lavoie. It was an…read moreentertaining and enjoyable evening, hearing "Talley's Folley".

Very beautiful space; free admission and free concert at Eisenhower Theater lobby . Resteraunt and…read morecafe at upper floor and wrap around outdoor balcony patio with panoramic views

Washington, DC - there's is only a small handful of performing arts presenters & venues in this…read morecountry that's on par with the Kennedy Center in significance and scope of programming, among them Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in NYC, the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, and Walt Disney Hall & Hollywood Bowl in LA. On any given day, you can find a diverse slate of performances and events, ranging from classical & opera, to jazz, dance. broadway & musicals, theater, country & bluegrass, comedy, popular programming, kids/family shows, films, variety, and special themed events...always an abundant lineup! I've been to the KC a fair share over the years and have attended all sorts of events here: orchestra performances by the National Symphony Orchestra, productions by the Washington National Opera, chamber music concerts on the Fortas Series, galas, festivals, indie shows, and community programs at the REACH. And each time I'm awed being at this cultural center in the Capitol city, which exhibits the highest caliber of artistic excellence in the nation and on the world stage. The building itself is huge and imposing, but there are helpful staff everywhere to answer questions and direct you where you go. Because the footprint is so big, if it's your first time visiting, definitely leave plenty of extra time to walk up to the building and find the right hall/entrance, pick up tickets, and get settled in your seats. For pre-concert dining, there are a couple of options on premises: the more formal Roof Terrace Restaurant, or the casual KC Café which has hot food as well as grab-n-go sandwiches and snacks. Both are located on the Terrace level above the Hall of Nations. Otherwise, there aren't many options super close by without venturing into Foggy Bottom. Tazza, and Kingbird at the Watergate Hotel or its lobby bar/restaurant Next Whisky Bar are the only outside options within a 10-minute walk. The only thing I don't love is, if you're taking a taxi/Uber, it's pretty crazy at the end of the night when everyone is leaving and you're all waiting for your car on the long and chaotic line in the taxi stand area. The Foggy Bottom-GWU metro station is about a 10-minute walk. (There are free shuttles between the metro stop and KC.) Oh and check out the back of the building which has a lovely promenade where you can stroll along the Potomac River! It's peaceful and scenic. Too bad the recent politicization of KC is casting a shadow over the institution, but it is not going anywhere, and my review speaks only to the many wonderful performances that have been put on there and the hard working staff who continue to produce the best season possible. To quote conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya's thoughtful and passionate op-ed in the Washington Post (which you ought to read in its entirety): "Art is no mere commodity, like a boycotted product sold by an exploitative corporation or an aggressor in a war. Art has the capacity to change minds, shift cultures, challenge assumptions. Choosing not to perform deprives artists and art of power, and it aids regimes that fear being culturally challenged. Choosing not to attend performances of content we support will only ensure that this content is not presented in the future." Wurd!