HalfSmoke doesn’t just want you to enjoy its modern take on D.C.’s most iconic food. It wants you to hang around and play. The adult in you will appreciate that there’s both kale and plenty of booze options. The teen in you will appreciate the rec room vibe, right down to the foosball table and the free Puppy Chow that will occasionally grace the dining room.
Shaw’s newest restaurant, on the northeast corner of Florida and Georgia avenues, is scheduled to open Tuesday.
The main draw is sausages served your way: in a bun, on a flatbread, in a rice bowl or in a salad. Pick an everyday or exotic meat, or a vegan or vegetarian option. Choose a composed sausage off the menu or create your own combination of proteins and toppings. The prices range from $7.50 to $11.
Seasonal and signature sausages will change periodically. Opening specials include Thai chicken with banh mi garnish and a hearty rabbit preparation. The offerings haven’t been finalized but a menu online gives an idea of the direction: there is a classic bratwurst, Italian sausage, and a decadent bourbon steak option with mushrooms, truffle mustard and gorgonzola. The restaurant’s half-pork, half-beef namesake comes with coleslaw, relish, and charred jalapeño mustard.
“I want to redefine how people think about eating sausage,” said the restaurant’s founder, Andre McCain. By serving sausages atop flatbread, salad and rice, he’s hoping to emphasize the “versatility” of the half smoke. He’s also serving meat that he says is rigorously sourced, free of hormones, antibiotics and nitrates—in contrast to mass-produced, commercial varieties.
The menu has recommendations for beverage pairing with your sausages. Signature cocktails include a Moscow mule with vodka, ginger beer and cranberry; rum with charred pineapple and hibiscus cordial; bourbon with apple and honey; and tequila with kiwi and mint. Cocktails, beer and wine can be ordered individually and as a flight.
Finish sweetly with a mini funnel cake or an excessively fanciful milkshake. The funnel cake flavors may include red velvet and glazed root beer flavors, and there’s a toppings bar. Puppy chow (the kind for humans) will be available seasonally, according to the restaurant’s website.
Order at the counter and then find a spot in the glassy dining room, where seating choices include a semi-circular bar, lounge chairs, regular tables, barstools facing the window, a communal table and an enclosed patio. You can also make a spectacle of yourself and plop into a hanging hammock chair by the front door.
If adulting is getting unbearable, HalfSmoke is an opportune place to escape. There’s Jenga, foosball and board games. Gather your squad and pile into the photo booth to immortalize your visit. Whatever you do, “don’t grow up, it’s a trap.” Or so says the neon sign above the shelves of games.
HalfSmoke is located at 651 Florida Avenue NW. Initial hours are Sunday through Thursday from 4 to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. In the second half of October, it will begin opening at 11 a.m. daily.
