The Argonaut (1433 H St)

(this is the first in a series of posts on H Street establishments, in which we will offer our comprehensive take on an H Street business and welcome your comments on them as well in hopes of creating an ongoing thread of information about the many exciting venues on H Street).

The Argonaut is both the eastern-most H Street venue of note and the granddaddy of the new establishments along the cooridor. Opened in 2005 by Joe Englert, the Argonaut has a nautical theme and is essentially a great neighborhood bar that features a very strong beer list and really surprisingly upscale and well-done pub food. Actually, calling it pub food isn't fair to the Argo -- the Argo is a dive bar with very good, reasonably priced, unfussy, yet seasonal and often organic or locally-sourced food. It's one of our very favorite spots.

Highlights:

Sweet Potato Fries (a must order every time)
Fish Tacos (does anywhere in town do them better?)
Nightly specials, including Fried Chicken night on Thursday, $2 Taco Tuesdays
Other specials: discounts to Results the Gym members and purchasers of Argonaut Pint or Shot Glasses who remember to bring their glass back to be refilled
Excellent beers by the bottle, strong if short list of beers on tap (Hint: ask what's on the fourth rotating tap)
Great patio for dining or drinking al fresco
Dark and Stormies
Surprisingly good, inexpensive wines by the bottle or glass (half priced bottles on Monday)
Football on a dozen screens every Sunday
Always recognizing a neighbor
Friendly staff
Children's menu for those with well-behaved little ones
Strong brunch option, including make-your-own bloody Mary's and bottomless Mimosas

Main Weakness:
Location - farthest walk/drive on H Street for the many of us who live to the west of it, which makes it less appealling, especially while the construction is heavy at that end and there aren't yet as many other new developments open.

So what do you think of the Argo? What do you go there for and what are the best things to order or to avoid?