| Page 3 of 5 < > |
Northward Bound
At Outta the Way Cafe, a Derwood neighborhood institution, patrons, from left, Julie Kirklin, Jason Smith, Kara Johnson-Smith and Drew Kirklin sip some brews.
(Mark Finkenstaedt For The Washington Post)
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
The wings are the stars of the menu: Eight varieties are served, from ginger and wasabi to Cajun spice, though I'm partial to the combination Swing Wings, which feature a mix of the cafe's teriyaki and hot sauces, plus a solid shake of Old Bay seasoning.
A steady group of regulars has built up over the years, and folks hanging out at the bar make a point of getting up to greet arriving friends. At one end of the room, a "Wall of Shame" has framed photos of customers celebrating Christmases, New Year's Eves and birthdays past. "That's 18 years of fun," Marshall says, pointing out that "there's always room to add more."
Happy hour runs from 4 to 7 weekdays and features $1 off all drinks as well as appetizer specials (wings, nachos, etc.). Stop by to listen to some tunes -- there's a Thursday open mike as well as the weekend performances -- and you may eventually find your picture up with all the others.
Cafe Tacuba Restaurant
19741 Frederick Rd., Germantown
301-540-8310
http:/
If you like live rock music, Cafe Tacuba wants to be your weekend destination. If you prefer to dance to salsa, don't worry -- they've got that covered, too.
Every Friday, the Mexican restaurant hosts Rock Night, which can mean Spanish-speaking alternative groups or English-language punk taking the stage in the medium-size bar area. Since the performers are local, there's generally no cover. One warning: DJs might replace the band, so it's best to check the bar's Web site or call first; I showed up one Friday and found myself watching salsa videos.
Saturday's Latin Night features salsa or merengue bands and DJs that get the crowd moving toward the small dance floor in front of the stage. (Between sets, audience members sometimes get up to sing karaoke, which is a fun touch.) Most of the acts are from the Washington region, though groups from Colombia and Venezuela are on the schedule for the next two months. Regardless of the headliner, the cover is $10.
A Thursday night karaoke contest kicked off recently, and at the end of the eight-week competition, the winner will go home with $1,000. (Runners-up get $500 and $250.) If you want to participate, arrive early this Thursday to sign up. Judges will cut the field to 20 contestants by the end of the night.
Music on weekends goes until 2 a.m. and so does the kitchen, dishing out hearty appetizers such as crispy crabmeat flautas and chorizo-filled tortillas. (The full menu is served until 11, but it's easy to make a meal of the quesadillas.)
Daily happy-hour specials include $2.50 domestic drafts and $3 margaritas. Given those prices, the bucket of six Corona bottles for $20 doesn't seem like much of a deal.
