Atlas District Eats Up Bar Elena's Alternative Vibe

H Street corridor newbie Bar Elena opened earlier this month, packing funky comfort food, classic games, and local brews into the former Boundary Road space.

Chef/co-owner Adam Stein, an alum of neighboring watering holes like pubby Queen Vic and beer-friendly Big Board (among others), tapped Sharon Wetteland, who followed Stein over from his most recent stint at Red’s Table in Reston, Virginia, to serve as general manager at Bar Elena, and brought in Radiator alum Lindsay Parsons to oversee the bar.

Built-in diversions include pinball machines (Indiana Jones, The Sopranos), two Skee-ball machines, and video game cabinets that feature over two dozen classic games like Ms. Pac-Man. Wines hail from around the world, and some cocktails made a comeback from Boundary Road's lineup. Menu options include a spaghetti sandwich and "fancy nachos" with arbol chile sauce.

Read on to hear what the public is saying, just a few weeks into service:

The Sold On Mussels News: Yelper Jessica R. says she had "the open-face pork sandwich and the moules + frites. Both are AMAZING. I used to be a diehard Granville Moore's mussels fan, but these are the new best mussels in DC." [Yelp]

The I'll Be Back News: Yelper Jordan M. says bar staff “was great, explaining all the cocktails to me. My favorite was either apples are for fall picking or you can't sit here. I will be back next week." Yelper Rokas R. says, "This is an awesome bar and a great addition to the neighborhood. Despite living 10 blocks away, will make the trek here regularly." [Yelp]

The Banging Buffalo Wings News: Yelper Rokas R. says, "These are the hottest, best buffalo wings I've had in DC so far (and I've had quite a few)." Instagrammer @dceatss simply captions with: "These wings." [Yelp, Instagram]

The Highlight Bites News: Instagrammer @rinacucina praises the "pretty awesome bar food (there’s clam chowder poutine, people) along with expertly shaken drinks, Skee-Ball and Ms. Pac-Man. Giddyup." Facebook user Jermaine Cooper hails the seafood pasta. "Lots of lobster and it was perfectly prepared!" he writes. Yelper Jamie L. tried the "good" tuna crudo. "Very unorthodox menu but looks tempting," she writes. [Instagram, Facebook, Yelp]

The Spaghetti Sandwich News: Blogger Bad Sentences says, "This gem is a carb-lover’s dream come true. Chef Stein modeled the sandwich after one of his favorite childhood meals, spaghetti stuffed into a buttered roll. The result is absolutely delicious." She goes on to gush about the layout, noting, "This bar is funky, eclectic, warm and welcoming all at the same time." [BS]