Where: 1927 Florida Ave. N.W.
Cover: None
Carded: At the bar
Dress: Casual
Specials: $10 “kick the keg” midnight movie; happy hour specials 5-7 p.m., 10:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
Back home in the suburbs, where strip malls and fast food joints rule the land, 25-screen, stadium-seating movie theater megaplexes have been popping up like crazy. While Visions in Dupont is perhaps the antithesis of those suburban behemoths, the venues have one thing in common: they let you drink in the movie theater.
There’s more to Visions than being able to drink in the theater. But for a place that has a weekly “kick the keg” midnight movie, it is one of Visions’ perks. In addition to being D.C.’s home for independent films, Visions also boasts a chill bar and lounge area.
The bar itself is small and the crowd varies, even on Friday and Saturday nights. The atmosphere changes depending on the night’s revelers. Over the summer I went to Visions for a political party and the bar was packed. The room was oozing with the schmoozing, name-dropping and political cheerleading that is so common in D.C. However, when I went last weekend, the bar and lounge areas were fairly empty, with patrons opting to just see one of the two movies being shown.
The theaters are small, but this is hard to notice while you sip on your Heineken and munch on your feta-and-grilled-vegetable pizza. The food is moderately priced and the menu steers clear of typical bar food fare such as buffalo wings and burgers. The drink menu offers a good selection of 14 beers (domestic and imported), in addition to a variety of cocktails and liquors. However, the prices are a bit steep. A bottle of Amstel Light, Yuengling or Corona will knock you back $5, but a PBR draft will cost you only $2. Mixed drinks, martinis and wine also start at $5.
Movie tickets are $7 with student ID, but tickets for special screenings and festival shows are $9. The best deal is the midnight movie on Saturday nights. Choose between cult classics “Donnie Darko” or “Freaks,” and for just $10 it’s all-you-can-drink before the keg in the theater is kicked. Oh, and you also get to watch a cool movie.
Belle Rating: 3.5 bells
