Loukanikos

«Loukanikos» is the name of the Greek dog that attended all of the big Greek protests in Athens in 2012. As such, much of the decoration inside the bar reflects that time in Greece, with pictures of the riots and even a great pixelated image of Loukanikos, the handsome yellow dog himself, on the wall in the dining room. These things contribute to the ambiance of the bar, which also is influenced by a surfeit of dreadlocks, a steady flow of dub/​ska on the sound system, friendly dogs, and on the night we visited (a Friday), several pockets of upbeat conversation.
In the back room, which is connected via a doorless opening and a wide, low window cut into the dividing wall, there’s a little foosball table that keeps people pretty busy.
The kitchen is vegan-​friendly, but the menu features a couple chicken-​based dishes as well. The patatas bravas here are DELICIOUS (the French and Spanish people I was with claimed they «pica bastante» but as an American they are NOT spicy) and I also tried the lentil burger. I was impressed! I’m no vegan but the spice mix they use is really pleasing. Food’s cheap, too, and disappointingly Spanish — with a Greek name I admit I was expecting at least one Greek dish at this place, but it’s all Spanish food. Good Spanish food, but Spanish food nonetheless. 3.50 Euros for a hamburger, 5.50 for a fries-​and-​drink combo.
We had a good time here. The wait staff was friendly and prompt and the food quality matched the price. Wasn’t too loud, and I have been in dirtier dives. Good for beers and cheap vegan dinner!