The next batch of results in the Beacon Hill Blog Top of the Hill reader survey are about food and fun on the hill. We’ll be bringing the rest of the survey results to you periodically over the next few days. Previous results are here.
(Editor’s note added 9/21, 2:56 pm: As with the earlier results, some of these results don’t add up to 100% because people gave multiple answers.)
What is the best restaurant on Beacon Hill? We knew El Quetzal was well-liked but didn’t expect it to be as much as an overwhelming favorite as it was. Apparently lots of us are fans of their tortas and huaraches: 40% of respondents selected the tiny Mexican restaurant on Beacon Avenue as the best restaurant on the Hill. Its closest competition was the Java Love/Baja Bistro combo, with 21%. A few other restaurants were mentioned multiple times, including Kusina Filipina (5%), La Cabaña (4%), Thai Recipe (3%, and just barely qualifying as Beacon Hill, since it’s almost at the bottom of McClellan — but we’ll take what we can get), and Inay’s (2%).
3% of you don’t feel any Beacon Hill restaurants are up to snuff, so you go to Georgetown or Columbia City. Then there was the guy who said the best restaurant is “Chevron.” (Hey, the seasoned catfish there is actually really good.)
(Editor’s note: Commenter cliff rancho points out that it’s actually the Shell station that has the tasty catfish. We don’t know if any nearby Chevron actually has edible food or not.)
The award for most misspelled restaurant on Beacon Hill goes to Kusina Filipina. Survey respondents spelled it: “Kuisina Filipina,” “Cusina Fillipina,” “Cucina Philippina,” “Kusina Flilipina,” and “the Filopina kitchen next door that I can not spell.” Only one person spelled it right.
What is the best evening hangout on Beacon Hill? All right, we admit that this is one of the questions we asked hoping that our readers would tell us about some potential places to go in the evenings that we don’t already know about. Unfortunately, the pickings are still a little slim up here.
The number one choice was Java Love/Baja Bistro, but it was the choice of only 25% of you. Close on its heels was another very popular answer: some variation of “Beacon Hill has evening hangouts?” One reader wrote: “Since almost nothing is open past 6pm, I decline to take this question seriously.” Another said, “This is a big problem. The Beacon hovers between divey and harrowing, and seems to be on the harrowing side a little too often.” The Beacon Pub actually came in fourth with 12%, but was beat for third place by the simple answer “home” or “my house,” with 17% (including one reader who said “my recliner”).
A few folks apparently have an earlier definition of “evening” in mind than we intended, suggesting “the library” or “Victrola,” neither of which are open particularly late.
Again, someone answered “Chevron.” Hmm.
Where can you get the best dessert on the Hill? Like the previous question, this one was sort of intended to ferret out some information on good dessert sources that we might not otherwise know about. Sadly, in this case our readers want to know the answer too. The most common answer, with 39%, was a variation on “nowhere” or “I don’t know and I wish I did!” In fact, unlike our other questions, a lot of people did not answer this one. 18% of you just didn’t put an answer in at all.
Some people did have a preference, though. Despi Delite Bakery was the leader with 17%, followed by Red Apple (most people mentioned ice cream there, and one person mentioned their Mexican pastries) with 8% and Borracchini’s Bakery (or Remo’s) with 2%. One reader has an ideal favorite: “At the ice cream or cupcake shop that somebody needs to open so I can spend all of my money there.” Another, unfortunately, said “I don’t eat flavored sugar.” That is OK — we’ll eat your share. Another said the best place to get a dessert is: Chevron. Hey, wait a minute, now….
In the next batch of results: What do you think is Beacon Hill’s most-needed amenity? What do you think is the best reason to live on Beacon Hill? What is the best reason to move away from Beacon Hill? Can you guess? Stay tuned for the answers.
Where is this Chevron place? It’s the Shell station that has the awesome Catfish.
Yeah, I have to admit that this section of the quiz sort of bummed me out a bit, because it sort of reinforced how little we actually go out *on* the Hill. My wife and I would definitely be interested in more restaurants opening up on the Hill, but until then, I guess its good we live walking distance from Georgetown.
Oh, ha ha, you’re right, Cliff. Didn’t it used to be a Chevron, though? I know it was a Texaco for a while. And the one across the street was a BP and a Shell.
I was at Beacon Hill Pub last night and I was reminded of just how cool it is. I’m no bar hound but where else can you go on a Tuesday night to see a jazz fusion band, get a good beer and all in a multi-ethnic setting? I also like bars in Columbia City and Georgetown, but let’s have some pride people! Beacon Hill Pub is one of the best bars on the south end and it’s certainly better than staying at home!