The 10 P.M. Crawl: How to Eat and Drink Your Way Through Old Town After the Crowds Go Home

Why Old Town After Dark Hits Different

There's a version of Old Town Alexandria you've probably seen: cobblestones, colonial brick, day-trippers photographing the spire of Christ Church at noon. And then there's the other version — the one that starts when the Waterfront crowds drain off and the neighborhood remembers it's been a drinking town for 275 years. George Washington's contemporaries were carousing around King Street long before anyone thought to open a tasting room. We like to think we're carrying on a tradition.

What follows is the crawl we'd send a friend on. It starts at our own bar (yes, we're biased — but we're also honest about where to go after) and covers roughly a mile of flat walking, which after a few beers is exactly the right amount.

Stop One: Dinner at 10, Because We're Still Firing (10:00–11:00 p.m.)

Our kitchen runs until midnight most nights, and the late menu is where the fun stuff hides. Order the fried chicken and a pour of whatever Virginia IPA is freshest on the board. The dining room thins out around now, the bartenders have time to talk, and the food comes out fast. If you're coming from a show at the waterfront or a late Metro ride in from DC, this is your soft landing.

Stop Two: A Nightcap With 18th-Century Bones (11:00–11:45 p.m.)

Walk west on King Street — about eight minutes — and you'll hit the historic tavern district, where Alexandria's drinking heritage isn't a theme, it's the actual building. Several of the old taverns along the corridor keep their bars open past 11 on weekends, and there's nothing like a whiskey or a bottle-conditioned ale under low beams that predate the Republic. Check hours before you go; some close earlier on weeknights. What to order: whatever barrel-aged they're pouring. These rooms were made for brown spirits.

Stop Three: The Bottle Shop Detour (Midnight-ish)

If the night is still young and you're not ready for it to end, a handful of Alexandria's bottle shops and beer-focused bars keep later hours, especially Thursday through Saturday. This is the stop for the nerd moment: snag a limited Virginia release or a saison you've never heard of, or grab something to-go for the walk home. Pro tip: anything from a Richmond or Charlottesville brewery is going to taste better at street level than it ever would in a bottle shop up north.

Stop Four: The Last Bite

Every great crawl needs a finale, and Old Town's late-night options are fewer than DC's but better than their reputation. Late-night pizza and shawarma spots around King and Patrick keep irregular hours, and on weekends you'll find the post-bar crowd converging on whatever slice window is still lit. Our honest recommendation: circle back to us if it's before midnight, because nothing ends a night like a bowl of the chili mac the kitchen makes when it's slow. Ask for it. You'll know.

Practical Notes for the Crawl

• Total walking: about one mile, all flat, all well-lit. Comfortable shoes, not cobblestone-hostile heels.
• Getting home: the King Street–Old Town Metro station runs until around midnight on weekends, and rideshares are plentiful even at closing time.
• Timing: Friday and Saturday are the full experience. Sundays, most kitchens close early — plan accordingly.
• Pacing: eat first, drink second. The crawl works better when stop one is an actual meal.

Old Town has been a place where people eat late, drink well, and argue amiably about history for longer than almost anywhere in America. The buildings haven't changed much. Neither has the impulse. Come see us at 10 — we'll be here.