Hopvine Pub
Categories: Pubs, Sandwiches, American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill507 15th Ave E
Seattle, WA 98102 (206) 328-3120
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner, Late Night
- Music: Live
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
54 Reviews for Hopvine Pub
I like Hopvine a lot. Favorites include their beer on tap, their delicious pizza (takes a while to make.. order as soon as you sit down), and a salad to balance out the massive caloric intake inherent with eating and drinking the above items.
Nice servers, though they can be very overtaxed on certain nights.. I've liked lunch there on Sunday afternoon the best.
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Yah service is slow but here's a word of advice. As soon as you sit down review the menu and be ready to order as soon as the wait staff arrives. And last night they were out of burritos and grinders. What's up with that?
And charging $12.95 for a hummus plate is insane!!! Seriously is hummus a natural resource like oil? Does OPEC regulate the distribution of hummus as well? WTH???!???
But with all this their veggie 5.0 pizza is worth all the pain. Yes I said it!!! Hopvine is like that hot girlfriend that treats you badly but you keep coming back for more. Sad yet true!!!!
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Damn good food (pizzas, especially) but damn slow service.
Whatcha going to do? Have another beer while you're waiting (if you can get one).
HH is from 5-7 w/$3 pints. Helluva price considering the great beers they have on tap.
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Those of you who have not experienced the paaaainfullllyyyy
S L O W
and ambivalent service at Hopvine must be reviewing some other joint on 15th--like Jamjuree. Many times I've had to take my own order, fill my own water, write my own bill and bus my own dishes. I am just saying, there must be something really interesting going on in the backroom because sometimes you don't see any waitstaff for over an hour.
Open mike night on Wed. is a crap shoot. Sometimes you get a bunch of Amos Lee and Joni Mitchell wannabe's who want more than they can be... and other times it's so good that I consider approaching some of the open mikers to make a record deal--though that would be awkward as I am not a producer, don't have a recording studio and know nothing about making a record. Just a little fantasy.
Okay pizza, salads, sometimes good and sometimes burnt chocolate chip cookies.
It's a bar, for god sakes, what can you expect.
Would I go again? Sure. It's not a bad place, just don't be in a hurry.
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Pretty shitty service. Be warned that they have an open mic night. But they have the best soup I've ever had.
Wow this place has gotten expensive - although a good micro can still be had for a decent price at happy hour (before 7). Food is pretty good, salads and soups are the main draw. Generally nice people. Reading friendly but thankfully no wi-fi (yes, I'm a laptop hater) . All in all, great afternoon spot but less so later on
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I'm not a big drinker. I hate beer. Some wine is ok, but most of it sucks, in my opinion. That said, I actually like hopvine. Their riesling is pretty good and they fill the glasses all the way to the top. The staff is friendly and they know their beer (my boyfriend and his friends love beer, so that's the only reason I know this). The ambiance is nice. People there are friendly and nobody gets too rowdy.
The real reason I like hopvine is the food. It takes a long time to get your food, especially if it is a busy night, but they at least warn you that their kitchen is small and it will take a while. Their soups are really good. My boyfriend likes their grinders. My personal favorite is the veggie 5-0 pizza. It's got mushrooms, olives, red onion, artichoke hearts, and green peppers on it. It is my perfect pizza. My only issue with the pizza (and it's not really with the pizza) is that the shakers for the red pepper flakes kinda suck. The holes aren't big enough so you end up having to shake the crap out of it to get any out. This wouldn't be a problem except it makes for a lot of pepper dust, which then causes you to sneeze like crazy.
They have events sometimes (open mic night, trivia night, etc.), but I'm not really a fan. Aside from the pepper dust, I really like hopvine. It's relaxed and unpretentious. Perfect little neighborhood bar.
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I have lived near the Hopvine for about 4 years now. I have been going regularly to the Hopvine for 4 years now. I am hooked on it and I am not a dark beer drinker. I always end up getting a few lagers or pilsners but everybody else loves the IPA's.
The pizza's are excellent. Yes, the kitchen is tiny so do not expect anything too fast if it is busy unless you get the soups which are also excellent. The sandwiches are OK, but sometimes the bread is too hard after they bake it.
Friendly staff.
They have open mic every Wednesday if you are into that sort of thing but it gets really crowded. Not really my thing.
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At this point, everyone should know what to expect from the Hopvine. Like a few other Seattle staples that are well worth the wait, their service is s---------l----------o-----------w, especially when it's busy but only if you order food. I once waited nearly 3 hours for a turkey sandwich and a bowl of soup. Both were tasty, but dang, 3 hours? Seriously? I could have gone out, killed my own turkey, cooked it up, made leftover sandwiches, and my own soup in less than three hours.
If you're just coming here for drinks though, this place is great. They have a great selection of beers, ciders, and wines. Sorry, Mr. and Mrs. John Q Alcoholic, no hard stuff here. Every time I come here, the music is on point, there's always at least one song that makes me stop and say, "God, I fucking love this song."
Located on Capitol Hill's intimate 15th Ave E, I will always come back to the Hopvine, if not for the Strongbow cider, then for the amiable ambiance. And yes, I meant for that last line to rhyme.
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Hopvine rocks. i've read about the bad attitude of the servers (and I've experienced it from one) but overall, everyone is pretty nice. The soups are finger-lickin good, although you may get the occasional stare when you're downing your soup via sippy-cup-shaped hands. It's that good. Utensils optional. Same goes for the Hopvine salad and especially the garlic caper dressing. And the greek salad! Ok, I could go on, but really, you should just go. Mmmm. Maybe I should go.
I have a bike now.
You ask, how is this relevant? Well - now I can ride my bike down the street to this wonderful pub.
This pub is the perfect neighborhood spot. No weird smells, good beers, enough seating, and nice lighting. You can play games or just sit around shooting the breeze. Laid back. Very laid back.
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I left Capitol Hill for a short time and moved to Greenlake. The worst part of this move was the distance to the Hopvine, but now I'm back and can indulge my soup cravings in walking distance.
The soup. Really now. I even bought the book and have had excellent luck with every recipe I've tried. The soup CAN NOT be beat anywhere in this town. The salads? Great. The hummus? awesome. Nachos? YUM! Grinders? Just as amazing.
Sometimes the service is slow, but if you've every been in the industry you have a sympathy for slammed servers who are doing their best with the tiny kitchen. Don't go if you're in a hurry. Go if you simply want to meet some friends, kick back, have a few pints and enjoy some delicious comfort food. You wont be disappointed.
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Dear Hopvine,
Do you believe in love at first sight? I do, and I think I'm in love with you. The chill atmosphere, the great service, the awesome food (mmm best chicken nachos ever), great beers, and close to home. Oh yes, I'll be back soon to see you again. I just have to.
Some of the other reviews mentioned slow time to get the food. When I went you were packed, yet I got my food quickly. Does this mean you love me too? Are you just being a tease and the next time it'll be slow? I guess we will know soon enough.
xxoo
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Why does a non-beer-drinker go back to Hopvine again and again? Because the sandwiches and salads are terrific and reasonably priced. If I'm out and about on a Saturday afternoon, it's where I'm having lunch.
I have been coming here for 5 years now, and as far as the food is concerned, Hopvine never disappoints. The waiting-a-long-time-for-your-food thing, well, you just have to get used to it.
I remember one time we took some friends there, and I was regaling them with my hilarious stories about the Hopvine, and how you have to wait and that you should only come with folks you want to have lots of conversation with. As my hilarious commentary was winding down, the guy who was quietly eating a sandwich at the adjacent table stood up, walked over to our table, pulled out a ticket book, and asked us what we would like to order. Was my face red? I guess you'd have to ask our waiter, I think I was trying to melt under the table.
So, I have no shame, and keep going back for their damn good food, which is so obviously made with love, and love can take time, as we all know. The soups are fantastic - try the pumpkin, garlic, yam/peanut soups. My favorite meal consists of a Greek salad and a cup of soup, but their pizzas and grinders are great. The also have a beer for everyone, even PBR.
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Green. Chile. Monday.
Monday is now my new favoritest day of the week. I lived in Santa Fe for 7 years and grew to depend on green chile fixes regularly to cure general blues, hangovers, and broken hearts. Since leaving the land of enchantment, I have not found a place that could do green chile well, or even usually at all. But the Hopvine's kitchen master, Michael, grew up in Albuquerque and does green chile right. Apparently every Monday, there's another green chile dish. I just discovered this last night, when I had a spectacular turkey and green chile sandwich. Spectacular. Enough green chile to make my mouth tingle, and not mushy like it is from the can. Wonderful. I will go back every Monday I can.
The rest of the food is good, too--the tuna/artichoke panini is tasty, and the pizzas are great. Plus the soups and salads are way beyond normal pub fare, and they have the Baron Pilsner, which is my newest favorite beer. Eat here. Drink here. Be here on Mondays.
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EXTREMELY slow food- last I was there it took over an hour.
It'd be easier to wait for the food if they didn't also take a half hour to give you your beer.
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Wow, I love the Hopvine. I'm not sure what it is exactly--great beer selection, all Northwest microbrews, and lots that don't come bottled--or some amazing soups and solid entrees...or maybe the chill atmosphere. Regardless, this is the first place I go when I come 'home' to Seattle--and even though the service is often frustrating, its an excuse to linger over the awesome beers and food. Definitely a great find in Seattle--I miss it!
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food is too slow to be practical, but very good. if there are no food orders in or only 1 or two, pipe up and get some yummies.
beer selection is the crap i dream about,
music selection is also dreamy,
happy hour's a decent deal,
no hard liquor, always a plus for attracting a pretty chill clientele.
a lot of my friends have trouble with the bartenders (along with the food's slowness, why i am knocking a star) but my fat brown immigrant dyke ass doesn't....on capitol hill, a prime location for being disliked for fat, brown or foreigner. maybe it's just that i'm cooler than most of my friends. also no whining about ID; flash your pretty WA license and no "i need backup" crap.
the clientele is suprisingly nice and i've actually talked to dudes at te bar here, which i never, ever do. trivia night is hella fun. wheelchair accessiblity is tops; my rolling pals love this place.
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I finally made it to the Hopvine for the first time last week. I had heard that they have a good beer selection and I was looking for an early liquid dinner. The four-some with whom I was drinking managed to get a table outside on a nice day which was an added bonus if you don't include the seemingly endless line of yuppyish couples with strollers that passed along the sidewalk. The beer selection was certainly adequate and the bar tender offered candid advice regarding one of the Dogfish Head peche beers and advised me to try something else(he was dead wrong though, that's not a bad beer at all). I did not eat but the pizzas and sandwiches that my friends ordered looked pretty good and they seemed to enjoy themselves. The menu, which is posted on their website, looked especially good for bar/pub food although I don't know what a "pizza garlic knot" is exactly.
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Just got home from the Hopvine, spent 2 hours drinking Boundary Bay IPA and 9lb Stout with good friends - that alone bodes well for this review. Great beer selection, friendly & attentive service, tasty morsels to eat (speaking from past experience), relaxed, diverse atmosphere (for NE Capitol Hill, that is) and good music played at nowhere near deafening volume. Though I did not eat anything this time through, my friends (who are both quite particular when it comes to food) were fawning over their order. The food takes a while, but sometimes that's life, people. If you want to eat food that no one really took the time to invest any care into making, I can think of a bevy of places you may enjoy (McDonald's being one of them). The lighting is definitely brighter than I usually prefer in my pubs/bars, but fits perfectly with the whole vibe of the place. Great for a beer and some grub anytime of day, take parents/visiting relatives there in the early evening, also good for low-key dates as well as capping off a night out at the crazier bars that plague this neighborhood like a virus that does not know that it is a virus. A-. Oh, and holy shit, their secret weapon is their deeeelicious house-made cookies, just get there early enough to score one (they are sturdy morsels, one is all you need).
Trivia night sure was fun. Waiting 25 minutes for pizza knots wasn't. My pal's pumpkin soup was goooood. Pretty extensive beer selection. Did you know the plural of 'opus' is 'opera'? We didn't either, which is probably why The Wallflowers placed 8th out of 11...
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Whenever I'm out for an adventure on 15th, I always end up at the beloved Smith (amazing frites! beer selection! dead animals! YES!) or 22 Doors (mindblowing cocktails! immensely skilled bartenders! YES!) ...so the Hopvine has been on the back burner for a long while.
Last night we were left with a dilemma. Where to go at last minute's notice?!?!? Oh, okay, we'll finally try out Hopvine Pub, since we always SAY we're someday going to. Might as well.
Sadly....
BAD service!!!
Just... does anyone give a shit? At all? We weren't greeted, our server couldn't give us any beer recommendations, they messed up our (small, simple) order in a multitude of ways, no pleasantries were exchanged... like, come on. I don't expect that much when I'm going out to a little pub/bar, but TRY to remember what we ordered! Honestly!
On the upside... they do have a great microbrew selection. Tasty beer, and I am a beer connoisseur. Or so I'd like to think. And we both ordered soup, which was superb. I had pumpkin soup with cheddar cheese and walnuts... absolutely perfect for an autumn evening! Way rich and something I could only indulge in once in a blue moon, though. Which is good, since next time I'm out on 15th I'll definitely be heading to Smith for awesome, hip atmosphere and fun, pleasant service. Sorry, Hopvine...
I've been here a half dozen times. It's not really my crowd, as I don't own Tevas or a Lab. The beer is excellent though, and the staff is always willing to describe or suggest something to suit your tastes or expand your horizons.
Also, all but one of my Mac-N-Jack pint glass collection came from there (sorry.)
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Fresh and delicious food. Meet a group for lunch here, seated right away because the place was empty. I went with the soup and salad combo. A cup of their corn and green chili chowder which was wonderful and a cup wasn't enough for them. For the salad I went with the spinach, it sounded yummy with the raspberry dressing but didn't quite make the cut for me. The dressing killed it for me it was a bit on the sour/bitter side it needed some acidity added to it or make a pinch of sugar or something. My friend really wanted the pizza knots which weren't listed on the lunch menu but the waitress was nice enough put in an order for her and I'm glad she did because they were tasty. Seeing as we were one of the only table in the place I would have expected a little better service, trying to find her to refill my glass was a bit hard a times but she was extremely nice and friendly.
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I love the Hopvine. The beer selection is FANTASTIC. Lots of great microbrews and I've never had one come out skunky. Ever. The food ranges from good (sandwiches) to great (pizza knots, soup). The service is always friendly and usually quick. You may have to wait longer for food and drinks on a super-busy night, but that's to be expected. The crowd here is friendly and fun. It's not overly loud or obnoxious -- it's just right.
Okay, so EVERYTHING here isn't perfect (I really don't like their salsa), but it's my neighborhood bar and a great place to relax and have a beer or two. In fact, it's my favorite low-key bar and the quality of the beer is outstanding, so... 5 stars!
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Cute little neighborhood pub that comes in handy on those nights you want something low key. They have a pretty extensive menu with daily homemade soups but the food takes forever and a day to come out when it's busy. Don't order a pizza unless you're the only one in the place.
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The Hopvine is a nice little place tucked away on Capital Hill. Well it's not really tucked away but since it's not along Broadway, I considered it tucked.
The place has pretty good food and a decent beer selection. The service has always been pretty good so it should get 4 stars. However, I am giving it 3 stars for the strange ambiance in the place. The feel of the place changes a lot depending on the crowd in there and it can be hit or miss. Sometimes it just doesn't feel comfortable and I have no idea why. So it lacks a star for the strange feeling I get sometimes.
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Hopvine has 15th's best lunch, in my opinion, with hearty, healthy vegetarian and vegan fare that goes way beyond "pub food." The salad special change seasonally, and the spring wasabi salad is to die for. The artichoke/gouda sandwich is fantastic. And the soups. Oh my god the soups. Hopvine's chef is known for his soups (check out his book: S.O.U.P.S.: Seattle's Own Undeniably Perfect Soups) and for a reason -- when was the last time you had strawberry soup? Amazing!!
So, why the one star??
The kitchen is TEENY and getting food takes forever. Seriously: unless you hit them when they're completely dead, it's not even worth ordering food, which is a crying shame because the food is so freaking good.
Personally, I think Michael Congdon (the chef @ Hopvine) needs to branch out and open a restaurant with a *real* kitchen. The fact that he creates this stunning food in a kitchen the size of my closet is totally amazing. I can only imagine what he might be able to do in a venue with a real kitchen and enough servers to handle a dinner rush.
That said, I can no longer make excuses for Hopvine's food service and after suffering through it for five years, my most recent trip there will be the last one. It's not the people, it's the set-up. Regardless, IT SUCKS.
The kitchen simply can't accommodate the food prep that the menu demands. It's just too small, and the result is totally wack serving. The last time I ate there the place was about half full. We ordered nachos to start, soups and salads, and a pizza. After half an hour, we checked in on the nachos. Were they coming? Yes, they were coming. Again, the place is only half full!
10 minutes later, the pizza arrives. My friend sits and eats it while the other two of us drool and watch. Then one soup/salad combo arrives. Then five minutes later the other one. We eat our meals in staggered awkwardness, one friend done by the time my food finally appeared.
As for the nachos, supposedly the APPETIZER?! They arrived for dessert.
If this only happened sometimes I would write it off, but it's EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Basically, the chef needs to move to a restaurant where he's got room for his amazing food, and Hopvine needs to stick to beer and chips. It's just stupid at this point.
Summary: Fine for a beer, but FRUSTRATING for food. Michael Congdon: We love your food. GET A REAL KITCHEN!!!
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The Hopvine was one of those places that I would only go to if other people suggested it. Not because it was a bad place or anything. It's more that it was unremarkable and I would never think to go there when I was trying to figure out where to go. I think that my review would have gone some thing like this:
Blah blah blah okay service, yada yada yada okay atmosphere, and yackity schmackity okay pricing.
And then I tried the Roasted Garlic Soup.
OH! MY! EFFIN' GOD!!!
God must have dipped His finger in it 'cuz it be that damn good! Picture French onion soup (complete with the melted cheese) but with a milk base, a metric shit-ton (What? it's a real unit of measurement- look it up) of garlic, cubed bread, and about a thousand times better.
I ordered the bowl of religion-inspiring soup and split the Hot Pastrami Grinder with a friend. When the grinder arrived, I was confused as to how I was supposed to perform the eating act. It was two haves of a Grinder roll, each section being roughly the size and shape of large man's fist, that was split down the center, hollowed out with the meat stuffed inside, and then topped with some sort of veg relish- Delicious, but hard to eat. I had no trouble whatsoever eating the soup.
Between the sloppy nature of the sandwich and the garlic fumes that will be issuing from my pores and mouth, I probably won't be bringing a first date here... unless, you know, she's into that sort of thing.
So I guess now my review is blah blah blah okay service, yada yada yada okay atmosphere, yackity schmackity okay pricing and, FREAKIN' GOOD ROASTED GARLIC SOUP!!!
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Hopvine tends to be the spot I suggest to a person I don't really want to meet up with, but I know I have to for whatever reason.
Why? I'm not exactly sure, probably because it's cozy, the booths are relatively private, they have good beer, yummy soups, and I know I can make a quick exit if need be.
Now don't go getting offended if we've gone to Hopvine together. I do truly like the bar, and I will go there with people I like. Correlation doesn't equal causation.
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When I shared a dog with a significant other this bar was our regular hangout. In the summer it is one of the best places to sit out on 15th, get a great Belgium beer, and entertain the pooch. I have also had the occasion to eat here and the food is great for pub fare. The garlic knots are awesome and any of their special soups of the day are well worth it. I also particularly enjoyed coming here later in the day and rolling out around closing time. Sit at the bar and make some great new friends...which can be hard in Seattle. This place attracts just the kind of people I love to meet so I will be back to my Hopvine when I return in August.
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The Hopvine is one of my favorite laidback Seattle bars. As others have said, the service is slow, but if you aren't in a hurry and can just roll with it, then you'll be fine. I love the soups and the local beers. Be sure to go back throughout the year to try different ones.
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I visited the Hopvine for the first time last night. I went with a group of friends who used to frequent the place when they lived on Capitol Hill. Upon arrival, they warned me that the service could be spotty. From my experience last night, I wouldn't so much consider it spotty as benignly bumbling.
Our waiter began by bringing my friend the wrong beer. When she pointed out the mistake, he happily replaced it with the correct beer in a larger glass than she ordered at no extra charge. He even let us keep the first beer so that we could sample it for comparison and exchange of backwash.
I ordered the pastrami grinder with fresh greens. I am becoming increasingly enamored of the dense, filling comfort food with a lighter side dish option at many restaurants. It makes me feel as though I am eating healthier while still allowing me to feel full.
My sandwich was very tasty. The ample stack of salami was garnished with an excellent relish crafted in house. The relish contained chunks of dill pickle that were almost large enough to stab with a fork. The sandwich was served on a dense, crusty Gai's hoagie roll, which made me very happy. I simply cannot abide soft, squishy sandwich rolls. The only problem I found with the sandwich was it's tendency to squirt hot pastrami juice right down my sleeve whenever I took a bite. No matter how I held the sandwich, it always seemed to bulls-eye my sleeve like a sniper armed with a turkey baster. If someone else had taken a bite of my sandwich from a rooftop half a mile away, the juice probably still would have squirted right down my sleeve. Also, the combination of the relish on the sandwich and the vinaigrette on the salad was just a bit too much vinegar for my taste.
When the time came to pay the bill, the bumbling service struck again. Our waiter processed our payment in a reasonably timely fashion, but almost as soon as we received our final receipt, a waitress who seemed particularly confused throughout the evening stopped by to see if we had sorted out our bill yet. The service was, once again, well-intentioned, but slightly bumbling.
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Delicious homemade-style soups, tasty sandwiches, good beer... but the service is pretty consistently flaky/slow. Why am I still giving it four stars? 'cause I like the atmosphere, I like the food, and the prices are reasonable, so I keep getting lured back in. There's plenty of options for vegetarians and some for vegans.
Just be prepared to go up to the bar to get your water refilled, get your check/pay your bill, and sometimes to exchange whatever was brought to you erroneously.
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"Where everybody knows your name."
I hestitate to write the glowing review that's to come, because it means I might not be able to get my favorite seat at the bar. (That's me, the one sitting there with the worn Tigers hat and a book that probably shouldn't be read by anyone not currently in a Ph.D program. If you happen upon me there, ask me why I no longer read fiction ... er, I digress).
The Hopvine is Capitol Hill's most comfortable pub. Apparently, there's some kind of music scene there, and if you're in to "guy and and his guitar" music (I'm not) I guess it's supposed to be pretty good as open mics go (er, I'm told rather assertively that's it's not an open mic night at all ... but Dave Matthews at the Gorge seems like open mic night to me, so what the heck do I know ... ahem, digressing again).
Anyway, when it's not crawling with angsty folk rockers, the Hopvine is a comfortable sweater that serves me a rotating selection of 15 handpicked malt beverages (or wine, depending on my mood) accompanied by solid neo-pub fare like tasty pizzas and home-made soups. It's one of the few places in Seattle where strangers (gasp!) actually talk to each other, and where people actually watch sports (I know ... two concepts alien to Seattle in one bar ... it almost feels like I'm in a proper city).
Meatheadz stay home. This is a place to relax, not to guzzle, and I'll glare at you over my book if you act like an agro' 'tard.
So, come visit me at the Hopvine. It's actually best on weekends, which are pretty downtempo. In all honesty, you can probably even wear your PJs ... it's that mellow.
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I LOVE the Hopvine. I love the salads, and the soups, and the pizzas, and especially the pizza garlic knots, and the beer, and I don't care if it's always crowded and I can't get a seat and I am forced to use the S.O.U.P.S. cookbook to make the soups at home. The Hopvine is THAT good!
Yeah, so you won't always get a seat, and the servers inexplicably "memorize" your order instead of writing it down (which means there is normally a 70% chance that you'll get the pizza garlic knots that you ordered), but I can promise that that there is not a better local Seattle bar. (And I am saying this, and they don't even serve french fries!)
A final note: the Summer tomato salad is THE BEST THING I have ever eaten. But be prepared, it'll be sold out approximately 40% of the nights that you want it.
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Hopvine is the place to go for for comfort food, cozy booths, and a great selection of beer. The food is electic and tasty, it's totally on the comfort end of the spectrum without being your usual greasy pub chicken strips and burgers. Definitely try the garlic knots, as they brighten the grossest of rainy winter nights. I hear all the soups are delicious, but i like the pumpkin so much I've never been able to bring myself to order something different. If you want a quiet atmosphere, you should go for lunch or early dinner, because quiz night, open mic and live music make the later evnings a little more crowded.
I marked the price one dollar sign, because the food is pretty cheap and a great value, but as with any pub, a pitcher or two of tasty beer later and your price per person is way up.
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The soup here is AMAZING. SOUP. Not usually something I would think could reduce a man to looking like those two douche bag girls in those Yoplait commercials, but shit, man.
As far as I can tell, the soup is all original recipes and hand-made (disgusting!), or, rather, made from scratch. It's to DIE for. Or...mur-der for.
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The Hopvine is my favorite place on Capitol Hill to swill a beer and shoot the shite with a friend or two. It's the place I always seem to end up at on a rainy winter eve or to say goodbye to a close friend.
I think I love it so much because the food is absolutely stunning. The soups and salads are exqusite- better, I think, than some "gourmet" restaraunts, and really reasonably priced. On top of that the staff has always been exceptionally friendly and sans the typical Capitol Hill hipster attitude. They may be slow, but they always smile when they bring your beer to the table 30 minutes later =)
I really don't have any but positive things to say about the Hopvine. Get there early to snag a booth and stay all night to converse with the interesting, diverse crowd and bob your head politely to occasionally good, local singer/songwriters belting their hearts out on the tiny stage.
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