Verizon Center - Home of the Washington Capitals

Official Review by Geoff Crawley, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent

The Verizon Center in the Chinatown area of Washington, DC, is home to the NHL's Capitals, NBA's Wizards, WNBA's Mystics, and the Georgetown University Hoyas men's basketball team. Built in 1997, it is a symbol of pride for the city, as well it should be, because it is absolutely spectacular.

Food & Beverage    5

If I could score a six here, I would. While I can't vouch for the taste of everything, you will not be disappointed by the selection. Everything you could possibly think of in an arena is here. All of your regular fare is here: burgers, dogs, nachos, pizza, and so on. But everybody has that.

What everybody doesn't have is hand pulled BBQ; crab cakes; kosher, vegetarian and vegan options; salads; light sandwiches; and not-so-light sandwiches. There is a sandwich carving station that has a guy in a fancy chef's hat that will literally carve meat off before your very eyes and make you a sandwich. They have a Hard Times Café stand here, which, in case you didn't know, serves the best chili you've ever had, assuming you haven't had mine or my dad's.

There are multiple full service (beer, wine, and liquor) bars throughout, and the arena boasts a staggering number (I stopped counting at 45, because that is the kind of hard-nosed journalist I am) of beers on tap.

If you have a problem with the food or beer selection here, I feel for you.

Atmosphere    5

So, partly because parking is really just a rumor (more on that later), but really because I love taking public transportation (no, really, I do), I took the DC Metro to the arena. To get the full effect of the experience of Capitals hockey, I suggest you do the same. The subway car hums with excitement as nearly-everyone is following the Caps' rallying cry of "??Rock The Red."?? As you are swept along the subway concourse, up the escalator to the outside of the arena, the feeling builds to crescendo as you walk into the arena, which is mind-numbingly loud. Capitals owner Ted Leonsis has done a brilliant marketing job with this club, and you can feel it. There is legit excitement here. Whoo, hold on, I need to lie down for a second; I got dizzy just writing about it. Simply amazing.

Neighborhood    5

The neighborhood deserves a ten. I am a huge fan of downtown arenas and Verizon is a perfect example why. Whatever you are in the mood for is available within a block of the restaurant, in both casual and upscale. You want a burger? Done. You want a salad? Done. You want seafood? Done. You want Mexican? Done. You want Chinese? Hello, it's in Chinatown. There is a tapas bar across the street. How many arenas can say that? Come on.

Here are three great spots:

Bar Louie

Great American food with a huge specialty drink list, which includes over a dozen different types of martinis, Bar Louie is attached to the arena near the movie theater. Big TVs all over, this is a great place to watch the Caps if you can't get a ticket, which is likely as they sell out
a lot.

Fado

So, I've never been to Ireland, but I'm going to assume that Fado is just like it. Legit Irish food and drink, including a dessert that is a Black and Tan Brownie topped with Guinness ice cream (hold me), make this a must stop when visiting the arena. They also, as a side note, show tons of European sports here.

Sushi Go Round and Tapas

A few doors down from Bar Louie is the cleverly named Sushi Go Round and Tapas. As the name implies they serve sushi "?? which goes around in front of you on a conveyor belt "?? and tapas, which is just a fancy way of saying appetizers. The idea is that you pick and choose what you want, a la carte, and create your own meal. Fun and delicious.

There are more. Just go. If you are not fully satisfied I will give you a full refund on the price of this review. Plus, there is something wrong with you.

Fans    5

Loud.

This.

Place.

Is.

Loud.

I'm not going to say these are the best hockey fans in the country, because I'm from Philly, and I'd like to go home at some point, and also I have friends in Detroit that would cut me. But I will put them in the top 5, and if you disagree, you are going to need to come to a game with me, because your opinion, while valued, is wrong. During the national anthem, they all stand respectfully and quietly, except for the line "??and the rockets red glare,"?? where 19,000 people yell "??RED"?? in unison on that word. I just got goose bumps typing that. After the opposing team scores, the arena PA announces the goal, which is then followed by 19,000 people yelling, "??WHO CARES!"?? After each Capitals goal, they play a goal song (which rotates with each goal, which is a bit annoying) after which 19,000 people count the number of goals and yell, "??IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT."??

Awesome.

Access    4

Well it can't be perfect.

The downside of any downtown arena is the dearth of good parking. Verizon Center is no exception. This is mitigated by the great public transportation, but there is no official parking at the Verizon Center. There are rumors of a parking lot under the arena for disabled parking only (good luck with that) but beyond that, you will be in a public lot in downtown DC in Chinatown, so, have fun finding a space below $25. You could try Park Whiz, but I haven't and can't really vouch for it either way. It appears to be significantly cheaper, but let's face it: if you drive, you are missing half the fun, so just take the Metro. TAKE THE METRO.

Plenty of clean bathrooms are available, including family changing rooms in select areas.

Return on Investment    4

There is too much to do at varying prices around here for you not to get a great return on your investment. Inside the arena itself, prices are average for an arena, and you get what you pay for. Unfortunately, they sell out a lot, and when that happens, ticket prices go up. However, considering there is not a bad seat in the house, it is worth it.

Extras    5

I really would love to give this a ten here as well. This arena is walking distance to lots of DC landmarks, my favorite being the International Spy Museum. There is a legit sports bar attached to the outside of the arena in The Greene Turtle. Also attached to the arena is a spa. A SPA. And, most importantly, inside and out, are Dunkin Donuts, which serves the best quick-service coffee ever. Get out of my face with that Starbucks nonsense. Stop it.

Final Thoughts

Go get your bucket list. Add "??Attend a Washington Capitals game at Verizon Center"?? to it. Then do it. You will not be disappointed. Unless there's something wrong with you.


Geoff Crawley is the Mid-Atlantic Regional Correspondent, moderator of The Voice of the Fan, and host of a weekly podcast.

What a job Ted has done with the Caps and transforming the Verizon Center into a place where people

What a job Ted has done with the Caps and transforming the Verizon Center into a place where people want to go and see a game! If you take the metro, you are best served by grabbing a beer at one of the many local bars within walking distance to the Verizon Center. If you drive, the best place to park in my opinion is 6th and C St over by the Capital Grill, as it gives you the easiest access to get out of the city! That is one of the things I will truly miss about living in the DC area. Go Caps!

by mveitas | Nov 11, 2010 01:16 AM

I could not agree more. I am not even a Caps fan and the place is electric. Just amazing.

I could not agree more. I am not even a Caps fan and the place is electric. Just amazing.

by gtcrawley | Nov 12, 2010 02:43 PM

Fantastic Article!

Just one correction however. When we score a goal, we count the number of goals and say "It's All Your Fault" while making the Referee's goal signal directed towards the Goalie.... Other than that, as a season ticket holder for 8 years running, I couldn't agree more with you

by CapsFan21 | Dec 05, 2011 08:24 AM

RE: Fantastic Article!

Thanks for the correction! It has been fixed. I really couldn't make out what was being said, so I asked a fan, but I guess I got the wrong answer.

by gtcrawley | Dec 05, 2011 10:06 AM

Times have Changed ...

I was there back in 05 and it was one of the worst hockey experiences of my life. I basically had my own section, and there was little energy in the building. Ovechikin was playing back then too! It will be interesting to see if the atmosphere keeps up if the success falls off again.

by profan9 | Dec 07, 2011 08:59 PM

RE: Times have Changed ...

Thanks for stopping by! I think you should try again. The neighborhood is really what makes the experience transcendent, and it has changed greatly since then. I'll say this, 2005 was Ovechkin's first full NHL season, so no one really knew how good he would be. Also, when I did this review, they were playing the Winnipeg Jets, sold out. On a Wednesday. You gotta come back. You won't be disappointed.

by gtcrawley | Dec 16, 2011 06:32 PM

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