Skip’s on the Avenue, Chevy Chase, Washington, DC – John Tanner’s Barbecue Blog

There’s a new restaurant in the neighborhood! It’s Skip’s at 5540 Connecticut Avenue, NW, which you will remember as the site of The Avenue, and Skip’s has much the feel of The Avenue. There’s been no major redecoration, nothing like The Parthenon, of course. It has the same welcoming neighborhoody feel and an outdoor seating area on the Avenue that’s good for people-watching.

It also has a number of specials, including half-price burgers ($10.50 rather than $21) on Monday night. That’s a deal, so Nancy and I strolled up the avenue to give Skip’s a test drive. I duly ordered the burger and chose fries as my side. Nancy wasn’t going to testify them.

A word about the fries. I rejected ketchup in favor of mustard (yellow/ball park). I used the Special Sauce on them, and it was good. I also added some hot sauce, salt, and pepper to perk them up, as per my fries routine. The fries were thin with varying crispiness and retained a potato flavor well. The Special Sauce went well with the fries.

Lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles are Skip’s standard garnishes for the burgers. I skipped tomato, which I don’t think adds much until local tomatoes are available — soon, I hope. I shifted things to get a side view for you. In doing so I knocked it askew, but you get the idea.

I straightened it up, added mustard, and began to eat. Both patties were loosely pressed, which is hugely important for both flavor and texture. The onion, pickle, and mustard added brightness to the meaty flavor. I ordered it rare (your views may differ) and here’s a view of the burger in progress of being eaten. You will not be surprised to see the compression of the bun to get it into my mouth, but you may be astounded to see that a double-patty burger arrived rare, as ordered.

Rare may not be — probably isn’t — your cup of tea, but the knowledge that the kitchen staff has the skill and the will to cook to order is impressive indeed. It’s unusual to get even a little pink on a small patty. Kudos to Skip’s. This was a very good burger.

Nancy ordered a single-patty burger ($16, $8 on Monday), an option that wasn’t on the menu but certainly is welcome. She chose a salad as her side, The red onion and the carrots perked up the mesclun.

Nancy also added another side, green beans, which I wish I’d photographed. The green beans were excellent, blanched and cooked with or tossed with olive oil and just a little garlic. It’s a wonder how much a little olive oil can help.

The service added value to the experience. Chase responded promptly and cheerfully to our varied requests. There are other attractions on the menus, notably oysters on the half shell and a smoked fish dip that looked interesting, and some entrees that are half-price on Wednesdays, including a beef tenderloin, a shrimp plate, and a sea bass dish. Skip’s also has other specials and a happy hour every afternoon from 4:00 to 6:00. Lots of beers are available, as are six(!) NA beers, as well as wine and cocktails. I have high hopes for their wings and other bar food. There’s additional space upstairs and down, but I’m not sure of their plans beyond hosting events.

Skip’s is off to a promising start. A good burger is a strong foundation for a restaurant, and one that actually will offer a double burger rare is a black swan. I’ll be interested to see how they do on the entrees. Portions are generous and the standard prices are in line for the area, while the special prices are special indeed! (I encourage you to tip the server on the full price of specials, and to have a side or two and a second beverage to help the restaurant’s margin.) There are a whole lot of reasons to try Skip’s. Go and let me know what you think.

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