There’s not the requisite salmon fillet or tuna steak at Hank’s Oyster Bar. Instead, there’s local rockfish and, in the early summer, soft-shell crabs paired with watercress and tamed by a lemony butter sauce. Mahi mahi stands up to the grill and is paired with a sweet-smoky puree of corn and poblano. Get the crab cake to start or as a side because it’s a must: seared, but still tasting of crab. Sometimes in this region it’s hard to remember what crab is like without a lashing of Old Bay. As always, dinner begins with a small bowl of Goldfish and ends with chunks of dark chocolate. As always, Hank’s remains an institution on King Street.
Hank’s Oyster Bar
Seafood | $$$
1026 King St., Alexandria
