| Address | 8401 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (301) 587-8350 |
Quarry House is a Silver Spring institution. A basement dive bar, it inspires deep loyalty in its regular patrons who gather for the extensive beer list, regular live music, and tater tots. It's not as trendy or as commercial as its neighborhood rivals, such as McGinty's, but the burger is well-executed, the tater tots inspire nostalgia, and the sheer variety of beer and liquor available is impressive on its own terms.
My last meal was with a high school friend, who managed to find a perfectly reasonable vegetarian option in the cheese quesadilla. Based on a dozen or so visits, I have to recommend the burgers as being generally very good, with sandwiches and appetizers being decent but unspectacular. The tater tots, however, rate a mention all their own.
We all remember the school lunch staple, greasy tater tots served on a styrofoam tray. Quarry House serves up more of the same, though in a plastic basket. It's a unique exercise in comfort food, and unique in my experience of DC dining.
There are drawbacks, though. The service isn't necessarily quick, especially when it gets busy later in the evening. It pays to be a regular, and recognized by the staff. The basement is charming and the beer-poster decor suits it well, but the noise has nowhere to go and can make conversation nearly impossible.
As regulars, local publications, and any longtime Silver Spring resident can tell you, this is the real deal--a dark, friendly basement bar with an awesome jukebox (if you're a certain age or inclination, anyway) and regular old bar food. (There is one lonely vegetarian sandwich--please join my crusade for veggie burgers.) A World War II-era menu graces one wood-paneled wall; other decorations include painted mirrors and beer beauties of the past. Ask your friendly server what the special draft beer is; don't even think about wine. (There is no liquor.) The huge burgers cannot be beat, although anything deep-fried is in the running.
