Forrest Inn
5849 Washington Blvd.
Arlington, Va.
It’s midway through the semester and the only thing hurting more than my liver is my bank account. These $10 martinis have been great, but there’s a time and a place for them. There’s also a time and a place for getting drunk for cheap without any pre-gaming necessary.
I headed off to Falls Church, Va., and found myself at the Forrest Inn, which a local recommended to me for cheap drinks, Though the inn is located within walking distance of the Metro stop, you might still have trouble spotting it. Lodged in a strip mall near the post office and a CVS, the bar and its sign eluded me. Twice.
I walked inside and was greeted by the smell of stale cigarettes and green vinyl booths – exactly as I expected. Businessmen on their day off and true locals were all that were to be found in the bar. This wasn’t a night to be sporting a Gucci outfit. This was a night with an objective: Find drinks, cheap.
I think the most surprising part of the evening was being carded practically as we walked in the door – incongruent with it being a “dive” bar – but some appearances can be deceiving.
We started our evening with mixed drinks. There was no need to remind the bartender to make them strong. My Jack Daniels and Coke tasted like … Jack Daniels. The gin and tonics came in the same fashion. Mixed drinks were $5 each.
Beer decision-making wasn’t too hard. It’s Bud or Bud Light, but at $2.50 apiece, beggars can’t be choosers. One thing you do have a lot to choose from at this bar is the music, as long as your tune of choice is country – especially Johnny Cash, Shania Twain, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks and Patsy Kline.
Unfortunately, we didn’t stay long enough to hear the house band Twang Masters because, apparently, “Things get wild when the band starts playin’.” The greatest thing about leaving this bar is that, with the money you save on drinks, you can justify getting a cab up to the theater, or even all the way back to Foggy Bottom, if The Forrest Inn – or just its drinks – doesn’t let you go before a decent hour.
Bar Belle Rating:
