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What is it with the Billiards places around here that they look like they were designed by George Jetson? Rocket Bar, Atomic Billiards and this place all have the same quasi-futuristic style. What happened to a classic pool hall: darkly lit with green lamp shades, wooden decor, and a smoky interior, quietly accented only by the sounds of the game?
Continental Bar & Billiards is trying really hard to be hip. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. The space is huge. There are two gigantic bars, and all the bright colors made me think I accidentally dropped acid on my Metro ride there. There is one major problem though. They put the bar in Rosslyn. Bor-ring. There were more old suits in this place than Men's Wearhouse. ("You'll like the way you drink, ...I guarantee it!") Kinda dulls any kind of hip vibe you're going for.
I came here for Happy Hour because a college friend from out of town suggested it. I know, I know,...don't let out-of-towners suggest bars. But I kinda wanted to try this place, it was close to his hotel, and he didn't know the area.
I ended up having a good time. The Happy Hour specials were good: $3 drafts, and they had Yuengling, Octoberfest, and Blue Moon among the usual suspects. They also have Delerium and Chimay in bottles, but no specials on those. Pool was expensive, but we easily got a table, and the space was so large you didn't have to worry about hitting the people next to you on every shot. They had plenty of TVs, Shuffleboard, Ping Pong, and a ton of other bar games. It was kind of like being at Dave & Busters without the crippling embarassment of being at Dave & Busters.
I liked Continental. Pool could be a bit cheaper, but the drinks were on point. I don't see myself ever suggesting it for a night out, but I would certainly consider it if invited. How's that for faint praise?
Hole. Bad service. Waitress could not bear a smile the whole night, despite the fact that I am paying for her cosmetology degree. Billiards were super overpriced. The food I would not serve to starving people. Shoot the chef. Even the beer tasted bad. The bartender was the ugliest pathetic fool I have seen in some time. The only nice person was the bouncer. Health department?
Did I mention that I hated this place?
Good Beer
Good Bartenders
Good HH specials
AWESOME ACTIVITIES!!!!
They have pool tables, ping pong, wii, basketball, skee ball, shuffle board, pinball, darts, golf.
Its seriously a mini dave and busters.. but ya know without the stupid expensive booze.
Perfect place to go to have fun and drink, and play games..
This bar sucks. Really everything about it sucks, but the music (which was blasting so loud we couldn't even yell coherently to our friends) was simply God awful. We went on Halloween and the selection of songs could have been really great given the holiday, but instead the DJ played just crap and played it too loudly (turning up the volume doesn't in any way disguise his lack of taste). The DJ should be fired. The atmosphere in general was utterly douchy and sad; even on Halloween the place was nearly vacant save for a few random desperate souls.
Bottom line: why not cross the Key Bridge and find a decent bar? We were all thrilled when one of our group was kicked out for "bothering" the DJ about the volume (since when does a customer's sincere and repeated request to turn the music down a little constitute DJ harassment? We all wanted our ears to stop bleeding...). It gave us all an excuse to promptly leave this dismal excuse for a bar.
I attended this bar with friends while at a conference during the World Series. During the second night that we were there, the DJ turned on music so loud that we could not hear ourselves at all. When we asked him to turn the music down, he refused and he actually flicked me off when I asked. When we consulted with management about this problem, they said the DJ was out of their control because not their employee. Obviously, they did not care to satisfy their customers. We left, but before we left we paid and they gave us receipts that included $5 more than we had said we'd pay. The manager explained that that was just the way the system worked but that she would only charge us the requested charge. It did come up that way eventually on my bank account, but the whole experience suggested that the place was run by amateurs.
Beyond customer service, the food was not great (my reuben was not grilled, it had toasted bread).
Eh. I expected this place to be cooler. They get three stars because of the shuffleboard table.
This place was pretty empty when I went. Granted, it was still pretty early on a Saturday night.
They offer a variety of billiard games, but many of them are pretty expensive. I think I paid close to $9 for less than an hour of shuffleboard. I'm use to paying a fraction of this back in Lansing, MI.
I'm in no hurry to return.
I'm used to shooting pool after 10pm, unfortunately the happy hours here end before that. Shooting pool during happy hour is difficult unless you're an early bird who scored a table and also have amazing hand-eye coordination while drunk.
I'd only go here for 1 or the other, not both.
While visiting some friends and family in the DC area, we got a collective hankering for some pool and beers. Someone suggested Continental so off we went.
The first thing I noticed, being slightly obsessed with the game, was Skeeball. Thoughts of pool and beer quickly evaporated as I made my way to the game. Conveniently located next to it was Hoop Fever, my boyfriend's favorite and so we all commenced playing. It was short-lived. The Hoop Fever machine quickly ate a couple of dollar bills. We asked an employee if this could be fixed and he said "Ummm...noooo. I am not, like, a tech person". Well buddy, you also aren't, like, a smart person or, like, a customer service-oriented person. Thanks for nothing.
So we amble past the shuffle boards and the other arcade-ish games and ask for a pool table. We are given a pool table in a cute little alcove...right in the middle of a private party. We asked an employee if we could move to another table so we didn't interrupt their meeting and he said "Well its too bad that they didn't pay for the table. It's fine. Just play there". Uh ok. Awkward. So here we were: myself, my boyfriend, his brothers, and our two friends...all in all four guys and two girls crashing the Girl Geek Dinner. Awesome.
We ordered food which was extremely mediocre. You know when you have a few beers and you get the craving for some satisfying buffalo wing action? Well satisfy that craving somewhere else. We ordered spicy wings and got some rosemary-blasted concoction. Gross. The nachos weren't bad though.
In the end, the place just struck me as weird. The surroundings are like The Jetsons meet George of the Jungle; the employees (for the most part) are apathetic and the food is meh. Maybe if we weren't feeling so self-conscious about crashing a group's private party; we hadn't been met with such nonchalance when a machine ate our money and the food was a touch better- the experience would have merited four stars. As it is, I think two stars is a generous rating.
This place is interesting, I have to say I love the glittery bar.
It was easy enough to get a pool table, and having never been to a pool hall I don't know if the rate was reasonable enough for not (14/hr for 2 people).
Like others say the smoke is gross, but fortunately the place was light enough on people and big enough on space for it to not be a big problem on a friday night.
Music was actually kinda of a nice change of pace--lots of 90's.
Downside: lots of suits here. Bleh.
See Lauren v's Review. I agree whole hearted with every word and I take away one star. LvK why you being so nice? This place sucked!
One thing I have to add is all the staff act as if it's their job to stand around and be as useless as possible. Thanks so much for nada!
As if April 2009 no more smoking here! score one for NOVA
And the games just get better and better:
ping pong
wii
darts
shuffle board
billiards
basketball
skeeball
Galaga
Ms. Pacman
Continental- you get 5 stars if you bring in foosball - hint hint nudge nudge
Now on a Sat night this place is hoping, unlike a few years ago when it would be d-e-a-d. Very cool to this happening to Rosslyn.
and for big groups - when me and a bud moved out of DC we threw our going away HH here, they were able to accommodate the 100 loved one ones(minus one or two). Props to them for this. we had a blast.
FYI - I sent a copy of my review to the manager's contact info listed on their website. Who can guess if I get an answer? Yeah, not so much. Crickets.
I am actually glad it turned out this way because it means I'm glad I didn't give them a cent and I will know not to give them any money going forward.
Ok... so man was I annoyed last night.
The happy hour runs til 8, which I thought was pretty nice.…
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Continental has gone non-smoking. Now that I can hang out instead of getting smoked out, I'm discovering things I've never known about the place. Great juke box. You can hear the music everywhere but it's not so loud that you can't talk over it. That's in sync with the whole vibe. There's always a crowd but you can always move around freely and find a seat if you want one. Great happy hour specials - and happy hour runs til 8 weekdays and 9 on weekends. There are nightly specials most nights. My favorite is 1/2 price cuban sandwiches Thursdays - and the black bean salad is a great side. It's hosting the new DC Skee Ball league. There can be a wait for pool tables and the shuffle board table looks popular. I usually wind up playing darts - no charge for house darts. Cool retro atmosphere.
As the only real bar in Rosslyn, Continental is often overrun at Happy Hour by CEB workers from across the street. It is a nicely decorated space, with several motifs. They have many pool tables, and a very long and appealing bar. They also have shuffleboard which is nice. It seems to be great after work, and then dies down to the point that its not a valid place to go later at night unless you want to be lonely.
It's unfortunately also overrun by an undesirable weird, sketchy guy contingent that is apparent at a lot of pool bars. This is unfortunate because Continental seems to want to appeal to a much more Georgetowny upscale clientele.
2 words...SLOW SERVICE.
It's a cool place to go for drinks and to play games with friends (see Joel S.'s review for the list of game.) But if you are going there for food, I'd suggest eating before you arrive. The service is really slow. When we arrived we waited for about 10 minutes for a waitress to look at us. Then we ordered drinks and waited about 15 more minutes for her to come back and take our food order. I ordered the Greek sandwich on a wrap. It was, meh, average. Nothing spectacular. My friend and I ordered potato salad as our side. Her dish came out with pasta salad and mine with fries.
Overall, fun spot for drinks and games, not so much for food.
Highs - Pretzel basket! Other bar food is decent. Empty so you can play pool.
Lows - Smoke (cough). Frightening clientele. Not to be ugly, but this is place has the craziest mix of happy hour office workers, wasted young dudes, old divorcees with shorts skirts and boots, and birthday party/bachelorette crowds ("kiss me!"). It can be very depressing. Also, people actually come here to drink (yes, it is true), and are therefore ignorant of general pool-hall custom. "Excuse me, I'm trying to shoot the ball (again)!"
The staff is nice, however, and there is usually ample parking in beautiful downtown Rosslyn. Yech.
3.5 stars, rounded up because I have been searching for a working skeeball machine in the area for two years.
This place is exactly what I've always thought Rocket Bar should be. It's not crowded and the skeeball machines (50 cents/game) actually work! They also have Wii, Pool, and Shuffleboard at prices that are pretty similar to other bars in the area. For $1 you can rent a game like connect 4 or battleship for as long as you want.
We went for happy hour and they have some pretty good deals ($3 drafts, $4 rails, half priced apps). The chili cheese fries were some of the best I've ever had (it's really chili with beans, peppers, and meat in it, not the stuff out of the can). Unfortunately they only had one waiter (it was pretty empty, but there were still about a dozen tables) so service was pretty slow. And the boxer machine was broken so my boyfriend wasn't too happy about that.
ive come twice for happy hour on a thurs night and must say that both times have been good.
They have happy deals on rail/taps and a few appetizers. The music isn't bad, theres TVs, pool, shuffleboard, pingpong table, and a wii. Reminds me a lot like buffalo billards/rocket bar, just not as far.
Theoretically a good place for happy hour or a chilled out night with friends:
decent bar food
relaxed atmosphere
lots of tvs
affordable drinks
lots of pool / shuffleboard / board games
... all nearly overshadowed by the nasty cigarette smoke and sketchy dudes.
Friday nights out in Virginia ... *sigh*
I'll open with the possibility that I'm probably a bit biased as my best friend works the door here several nights. But I have no problem being honest with him when he does something that sorta sucks in life, so I'd have no problem being honest about his work establishment. And I have to say that this is a neat little place.
They've got a great beer selection. Yingling is on tap here and you can buy Delirium, one of the best beers in the world (damn well outta be at $9!) as well as a range of other things. I had the fried calamari and loved it. You get a whole lot of calamari for not a hugely ridiculous price and it's GOOD. They throw in fried jalapenos with it and put two types of dipping sauce to use. All the folks that work there are pretty cool and I love the kitchy 1950's style decor.
They've got happy hour and other specials, are open for lunch and serve food pretty late in to the night. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the neighborhood
I was there with few of my buddies, boring, and the 80 theme don't work that well. It is a Meat market. Too much guys there and not much of food and beers. Not recommend at all unless it was rainning so heavy that this is the only option.
Eclectic furnishings, sticky vinyl booths, and a veritable circus of miscellaneous personalities. Some are there to socialize and have one or two drinks, some are there playing "how many shots till I fall down?", and some are there to actually play pool. The food is nothing to write home about, and we ordered a sampling of your typical bar fare, from Pretzels (which we expected to be better than they actually were), to chicken tenders, etc. Pluses: we didn't have to wait to long on a Friday night to play pool, but we got there around 10. All in all, I'd definitely go back, but don't expect anything earthshaking when it's the only game in town...
Continental deserves a little more credit than given by the other reviewers. It's one of the few weekend happy hours that I ever make it to. Saturday night from 6-9pm. Not bad! It tends to lead to a night of multiple stages:
Stage 1: Happy Hour drinks and open pool table
Stage 2: Hop onto a pool table and realize you might at well play a dozen games, while your at it
Stage 3: Call all of your friends to join, because you realize you don't want to leave, even though Happy Hour is over
Stage 4: I'm hungry, has anyone seen a menu?
Stage 5: Freshly made hummus, awesome salad with avocado, bacon, blue cheese (NOT YOUR AVERAGE PUB GRUB)
Stage 6: A free shot from the server (NOT SHABBY OR SLEEPY)
Stage 7: Wow... I'm drunk and my game is getting sloppy, but I'm having a great time laughing and having a good time
Something has been missing from my life. Sure, I love the ocean and the sunshine and the Los Angeles lifestyle, but ever since I left Dallas three years ago I've had a nagging feeling that something was missing. Not the stockyards and the rodeo. Not the stifling summer heat. Not the abundant use of makeup by women in the grocery store. What could it be...
A couple of weeks ago I discovered what I've been missing. At Continental Pool Lounge. And alas it is in NoVa. Shuffleboard!
Not your grandma and grandpa's cruise ship shuffleboard (though I'd probably find that kind fun too because I'm a giant competitive dork). Bar shuffleboard, with the silicon "sand" and the weights that you slide. Oh how I've missed the bar shuffleboard!!
Continental has bar shuffleboard, along with pool tables, board games, Megatouch, multiple tv's and lively 60's funky decor. If I lived in DC, I would be at this place ALL THE TIME. Unfortunately my boyfriend took me down at shuffleboard during my one and only visit, but I just know I could destroy him if only I had a neighborhood joint like the Continental! Woe is me.
Ventured here with my Arlington girls on Friday, in hopes of mingling with the opposite sex, but ended up having a good time just chilling with ourselves.
This place is more of an after-work bar than a late-night bar. I'd come here with co-workers or my girlfriends for a drink-and-chat, while playing free darts or Connect Four, but it's not a place to meet new people. Seemed like everyone was very secluded at their own little tables and that a lot people came for the happy hour but lingered on.
They do make a strong martini, and there's some pretty good bar food (my friends LOVED the hot dogs), and who doesn't like drinking Uno?
I actually liked this place...minus the kid in the hat who decided that his blotto drunk ass would ask me numerous...stupid...questions.
After I was done having a holiday party dinner for the military school I'm in, a couple of us decided to walk across the street. Two of us were still in mess dress (imagine those short, tuxedo type jackets, all the medals, shoulder knots, etc.) and the others were in suits with one in a dress.
Well, as we walk in, we did turn a few heads - amazingly a few smiles but I think it was more directed to my Navy counterpart who was also in his mess jacket. Of course, I gravitate immediately to the televisions to check out the scores (why they scheduled the dinner for the night of the college conference championships is beyond me).
I ended up attracting the riff-raff (which only served to verify that all the ladies minus the sweet bartender was oogling the Navy guy instead of me). One VERY drunk young man came up, tried to put his arm around me while smiling an incredibly large shit-eating grin and said.... (DD is drunk dude - ME is me)
DD: *heheheheheh*
ME: *turn to face the guy*
DD: Hey man...*hic*...do you have one of them...uh...swords??
ME: I'm sorry?
DD: You knoooow maaaaaaan....a sword (makes a slashing motion)
ME: Uhh...you're thinking thinking of a sabre. And no, Marines carry those - I'm a Soldier.
DD: No? Uhhh.....do you have...um....nunchucks??
ME: .......
DD: *grins harder*
ME: Dude, you're sauced. Enjoy your night.
DD: No nunchucks???
ME: *turns and walks away*
Man, if the guy was sober, I might have been tempted to deck the kid. But being in a dress uniform, in a bar with a beer, and getting into a fight USUALLY isn't too well appreciated by the police - fellow government servant or not.
Anyway, the place warrants another visit - the bartender was friendly enough (and it helps that she was cute). I also see that some mentioned some beer soaked hotdogs - so maybe my wife and I will stop by after a day of shopping in Georgetown.
If that little scallywag is back, it's on like Donkey Kong if I'm not in uniform! :)
Continental has a slightly trying-too-hard hipness vibe, but the decor is so nice you end up forgiving it. There are bright purple pool tables and darts, and you can also get a whole host of free games to play at your table (anything from regular cards to Sorry). Drinks run about the usual in Arlington ($6 beers/wine/rail drinks) but ladies play pool for free on Mondays and there are other nice happy hour specials as well.
**
Edit: since writing this review, I've been to Continental a few more times and always been disappointed. There are no higher-end beer choices, the cocktails have been sad and watery, and while the decor remains the same the vibe has become what I can only describe as post-college-bar. Out of, say, six visits, I have had bad to horrible service four of the times. Not good numbers.
I went here once for happy hour and I will DEF go back again. My friends and I sat at a booth and proceeded to eat and drink ALOT! There were beer specials and all appitizers were half off. As well as fish baskets cuz it was friday night.
We started with hummus: it was really good. Tasted fresh and came with homemade pita chips, then fries: fries are fries, they were good, not soggy... thats about it.... okay next, fish baskets: very good for a fish fry if you like the emphasis on the FRY. holy god there was no doubt these were fried. but that being said, who doesn't like a nice white fish all breaded and fried. Plenty big too. Chicken fingers: i didn't have any, but they looked like standard fare. Finally, fried pickles: if you've never had fried pickles... then you can still imagine what they taste like. A pickle warm... and breaded. They were pretty good. Hand battered and again a generous serving.
The beer was cheap and good. I don't remember what it was, but since its not a common name thats a thumbs up in my book.
All in all 4 people, 16 beers, 2 fish fries, fried pickles, fries, hummus, chicken fingers... and the bill was less than $60!!!!! It was wonderful. We didn't play and games and the decor is a little cheesy, but... it was cheap and good. And as you can probably guess from our rundown, I had to use the bathroom before we left and it was so cool! I love the hot pink and it was very clean.
I'll for sure hit this place up for happy hour again.
Convenient location, great decor (love the colored lights!), a beautiful bar, LOTS of room, and an array of pool tables, wii, darts, and other games. A great place to go for happy hour- which lasts till 8pm and offers 1/2 price off a bunch of appetizers. Also great if you happen to drop in on Tuesday, when ladies play pool for FREE! The owners/managers must be trying to save $$ by cutting back on servers because the last few times I've been the service has been REALLY bad. Still, you can't beat the place for ambiance and selection of food and entertainment.
I really liked it! I was pretty surprised because from the outside it kind of looks like the kind of place I wouldn't want to go in, but once I got in, I had a great time. There are a ton of games to play other than pool, including the ever-awesome Trivial Pursuit. There's a Wii there, too, but you have to pay by the hour, which is a little too long for my taste.
There was an...interesting mix of people there, and the music was not really my taste, but the drink selection, decor and games really won me over. It was so much fun to do something a little different than the same ole same ole. I'll return.
Their lunchtime sandwich specials and Cuban sandwiches are pretty good. basically a sports bar with a modestly well stocked bar, plenty of draft beer options - and billiards. With a well lit location next to the nearby Marriott and Holiday Inn, this is a good place for an after dinner drink - or to catch a soccer game on one of their 3+ 52 inch screen TV's. If the World Cup is being played, you can expect to see people from the nearby offices taking a bit of time off to watch the game and have an extended lunch hour.
Oh, make sure the waiters have your order correct - many are college students from the nearby Georgetown University - and at finals time, they seem preoccupied with other things.
Try their fries - they are pretty good too.
I always forget about this place unless I'm driving by it. I wish I remembered to go there more often because it is actually a very good deal for happy hour. Went there last night with a group of friends for our monthly happy hour. The drink specials (at least on the beer) were very good. $2.50 draft, and rail drinks for $3.50 We also each had the "doggie basket" special. The "doggie basket" consisted of 2 beer-soaked, all beef hot dogs, grilled and served with your choice of yellow mustard, catsup and/or diced onion for $3.50.!!!
Our server wasn't all that great (she seemed to be in a bad mood about something) but everything else was excellent. I think we will probably go back again.
Updated: I'm downgrading Continental from 4 stars to 3 stars. I went back there again this week and once again just had terrible service. I don't know what it is about the waitstaff at this place but they have been very rude both times I have been there.
All that being said...I will probably go back again for the cheap beer and hot dogs...I will just sit at the bar so that the waitstaff do not ruin my good time.
I've been to Continental numerous times. It's usually a great place. However, maybe it's because I've never been there for a long Happy Hour. Usually just a quick drink.
The last time I went the server comes to ask if we want anything more for Happy Hour and that she would also like to settle up. We ordered. We were surprised when we get the bill and the last round was NOT happy hour prices. We all look at the watches/cell phones and see that it's clearly 7:50! 10 minutes before happy hour ends and we have the bill in our hands. What's up with that?
We inquire about the discrepancy. The server tells us that the "bar time" or "bar computer" is fast AND THEY KNOW IT. She had clearly said, last call for happy hour and knew that the clock is fast. They did not correct our bill to reflect happy hour prices. Instead, they were very dismissive of our inquiry and our complaints about the timing and prices.
Based on this little tidbit, I will be suggesting other locales to my friends that have a happy hour that doesn't run fast...
This Bar is the best! With an eclectic mix of games, seating and a very well stocked bar it stands out from any other bar I have been to in the area. The wait staff was really helpful and friendly. I really had a great time. The best part is the ban on smoking. You can finally go out, have a great time and not have to soak your clothes for hours to get the smoke out of them afterward. Go Continental.
This is a great place... in theory. They have nice, quality pool tables. Unless it's happy hour, the place is usually empty, which can get depressing.
Continental is a new pool hall located close to Georgetown, just over Key Bridge in Arlington, VA. Although the venue is nice because of the new pool tables and sleek bar tucked in the front of the place, the waitstaff still has a thing or two to learn about how to treat customers. My friends and I had not one, but two pushy waiters come by our table within 2 minutes of each other to tell us to finish up our drinks and our game and to get out since they were closing up shop. Needless to say, that did not encourage us to become repeat customers. If you're looking to play a few racks of 9-ball while sipping on a brew, you're better off heading over to Buffalo Billiards in Dupont.
another formula that really worked for me in dc...
even if i do suck at billiards and can't drink without giggling and turning scarlet...
(and no, my game does NOT improve with alcohol!)
This is a fun pool hall in Rosslyn with lots of mod decor and a great bar. Totally off topic, I recently saw Maureen Bunyan and other news anchors there one evening. At any rate, if you choose to sit in the booths they have tons of games that you can borrow and play with friends, the bar itself is great and the pool tables are nice, new and well spaced. I was there one night when they were doing some 70's TV show trivia contest and it was a lot of fun. The apps are fine, but nothing special - I personally get the frickles (deep fried pickles) with dipping sauce. Good salt craving satisfier!!!
Excellent specials, loads of pool tables, random board games, and a tacky interior. The sixties airport concept is cool but not well-executed. Nonetheless, this is a fine place to go for happy hours with great deals on appetizers and drinks. Chicken fingers were delicious too. Very out of the way from everywhere else, as it's stuck among the forest of cement and skywalks of the Rosslyn business district and certainly can't benefit from the utter lack of street life during evenings and weekends.
The mod decor is fun to look at, and I'm sure Continental is trying very hard to give its customers a cool, hip spot to play pool and get some food and drinks. However, none of that made up for how amazingly loud it was (like, screaming-to-be-heard-by-the-person-next-to-me loud), or how gawd awful their drink specials were (obnoxious, cloying, overly sweet--worse than a wine cooler). We had one drink and bolted.
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