A special advertising feature of the Alexandria Times
Jolley’s Sports Lounge and Bar is found at 654 S. Picket St, and serves generous portions of fresh and authentic Ethiopian cuisine. It is a perfect setting, as Jolley’s has a spacious sports bar that also doubles as a music venue, a main dining room and a large wooden deck that provides a perfect place for dining in the warm weather.
Not only is this restaurant and bar easily accessible, but there is ample free parking and it is just a few minutes’ walk from the Van Dorn Metro station. Best of all, patrons feel welcome from the moment they enter Jolley’s, whether they are stopping in to dine or hear live music on a Thursday or Friday night.
At Jolley’s, each diner has their own injera, traditional sponge-like bread, which they tear small pieces from and wrap around their meat or vegetables. Some of the most popular dishes are the Bozena Shiro, which is lean beef served with seasoned chick peas simmered in a berbere sauce, or Lega Tibs, which is a dish of lean beef sautéed with green pepper, tomato and onions. The vegetarian combination is also immensely popular, and comes with several different vegetarian dishes served together in the same platter. Some of the highlights of the combination are Yesmisir Wot, which is pureed split red lentils in a spicy berbere sauce, and YekikAlitcha, a thick stew made of yellow split peas, turmeric and bessobela, or Ethiopian basil.
In addition, there are other tasty selections such as a char-grilled burger, grilled chicken sandwich and spicy chicken wings. However, the Ethiopian food is definitely worth experiencing.
Behind the restaurant is a spacious sports bar with six televisions as well as a projector screen. The full menu is available in the bar area, and on Thursday and Friday nights it becomes a wonderful live music venue with a variety of music from reggae to R&B to jazz. The music continues on Saturday nights with a DJ, while six draft beers, bottled beer, wines and mixed drinks are available in the bar too.
Ethiopia is generally regarded as the country where coffee originated from and Jolley’s coffee, served in espresso-sized cups, is packed with flavor. Every Sunday morning, Jolley’s has a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, something that is a key part of the country’s history and has been preserved into the present day.
If you are looking for something a little different to expand your food horizons, look no further than Jolley’s, an Ethiopian restaurant that combines the old and new to great effect.
Jolley’s Sports Lounge and Restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday to Sunday, and is located at 654 S. Pickett St. For more information, call 571-970-0044.
A special advertising feature of the Alexandria Times
