(December 2007)

By Warren Rojas

Food: 8.1 Ambiance: 7.2 Service: 7.1

First came Cathal Armstrong’s fried everything emporium, Eamonn’s. Now we have our own branch of chef Jamie Leeds’ quirky, New England-style seafood shack, Hank’s Oyster Bar.

My poor arteries ache. But it truly hurts so good.

The lightning bolt-shaped Alexandria location features about a dozen seats up front, a central bar and a few more tables in back. Flickering tea lights and tulip-filled shot glasses masquerade as modern decor. Most nights, the crowd includes shorts-clad boomers and baby-toting Xers who take the longish waits in stride by sipping wine on the front steps.

Crunchy goldfish crackers preface every meal, while fresh oysters from all around the country—Washington, Rhode Island, California and, of course, Virginia—are advertised alongside daily blackboard specials.

Baskets of fried Ipswich clams (joyously crunchy) tend to disappear quickly when dining with friends. An intriguing blend of bluepoint oysters, Bloody Mary mix and sake almost always turns heads and invites conversation. The signature lobster roll mixes succulent meat with celery, onions and mayo, heaps the chilled seafood medley into a buttery roll, then seals the deal with Old Bay-spiced fries (great deep brown spuds). Sablefish arrives seared in a soy-balsamic glaze that caramelizes on top while injecting smokiness within.

Budget-friendly wines abound (bottles peak at $80 for Veuve Clicquot Champagne), but many dishes seem to call out for a nice cold beer (check out the craft brew selection).