Miracle on Seventh Street – Pop-Up

Three and a half stars. Consistently busy, so maybe they were purposely not pushing the snack options. Anyone who waited a long time to get in probably down-​rated the experience because it’s super adorable but not worth the hours of waiting some folks were doing. Genius too, since not only did Derek Brown catch his own overflow with the other adjacent bars, but offering to sell the drinking vessels padded the profits with souvenir-​seekers. I passed by on three different occasions before I brought a group by during slightly off-​peak hours and snagged seats at the bar toute de suite.
There were so many cute decorations to look at that it makes for a memorable date option. Cocktails were yummy and definitely tasted holiday-​indulgent without verging on too sweet. The tiki bowl was manageable shared, and naturally stronger than the mixed drinks. I hope this comes back around next year so I can hit up that Francisco That’s Fun To Say, Schweddy Balls, and salted ice cream sandwich.

Decorations are adorable. The long lines are way excessive but it was wore it if you could time it right so you didn’t have much of a wait. Drinks are fun and creative and delicious but none seemed very strong. The tiki bowl drink seems so daunting but shared between a friend or two it’s doable.

Different experience. Its nice to have a bar where you can feel the Christmas spirit all year long. Have nice names for the drinks

Hooray! We **FINALLY** got to attend this lovely, magical, Christmas land bar! Who cares if it was 10 days after Christmas! Not me! It was just as wonderful and cheerful and filled with Christmas music and drinks, as expected! And the best part, no line!
We’d tried to attend this house of cheer sometime before Christmas, but we were deterred by the massive line. And after reading reviews that people waited as much as 2.5 hours in said line, I’m very glad we didn’t do that. I consider ourselves wise for waiting until the hype died down.
The bar is, as I’m sure you’ve seen in pictures, so beautifully decorated!!! No detail is missed. The ceiling covered in puffy tissue paper balls and tinsel, the gold spray painted dinosaurs wearing tiny Santa hats, the garland on the wall, the lights everywhere, the lovely Christmas tree, everything! There’s also a Hannukah room and it is also adorably cute decked out in blue and white lights, tons of dreidels, and a Menorah. You can’t help but feel so cheerful and wonderful when at this place!!!
I loved the names of the drinks, named after movie quotes, from Mean Girls to Elf (Francisco! That’s fun to say!), and the ones we had were very tasty and came in adorable Christmasy glasses! Loved coming here, and if you have some extra time this week before they close the pop up, I say go!!! Open till Jan 9!!!

Waited in line for 2 hours with the boyfriend but I would say it was worth the wait. When we walked in we headed for the bar and one of the bartenders, I think Lauren, was very prompt in recognizing us as newcomers and handed us a menu. She came back to us in like 2 minutes and gave her our order and a few minutes later brought us our drinks! We had the Nog Shots (super good), Francisco and Yippie Kai Yay (both were delish!). We took the time to take pictures and the owner, Derek, came over and took a picture for us. Also, the bouncer was really friendly and had a great personality desire the rain. Overall the service and drinks were on point! I don’t think I would come back though, the wait was too long.

«Kitsch» and «Prey to Marketing Hype» are my middle and last name so after reading the countless articles touting all the Christmas cheer of Miracle on Seventh Street, I knew that I would see myself in the inevitably long line sooner or later.
Luckily, the weather was a balmy 65 degrees and my friends did a majority of the waiting for me (don’t worry I made it up to them later!) so my in-​line experience was 100%. Also a big props to the door man who was friendly as can be and managed expectations accordingly.
Once you walk in the front door you are stricken with the sheer energy of the holidays. There are felt icicles lining the shelves, Santa hat topped dinosaur nativity scenes, tinsel wallpaper, and golden tissue paper pom-​poms (so bridal shower chic) hanging from the ceiling. There is also a blue and white Hannukah room but it was booked for private parties at the time.
Any time of the year, Mockingbird Hill is a small and buzzing sherry and jamon bar so I can understand why the bartenders would get absolutely overwhelmed with all of the people in there. It’s wall-​to-​wall patrons and if you don’t have a bar seat you are constantly shifting awkwardly side to side or elbowing someone in the gut. But everybody is super Christmas cheery so it’s not too bad.
I had someone take my drink order and completely forget about it as many people have mentioned but after I mentioned it, there was a nice flow of service afterwards. A virtual high five to the smiley Aubrey Plaza looking chic, she brought the drinks and the holiday good spirit wherever she went.
I got the Yippi Ki Yay, which I really enjoyed. There was a long wait so we decided to make the most of our time and get a tiki bowl to share as well. Topped with foil wrapped presents, a tiny brush bottle Christmas tree, peppermint candy canes, and Hershey kisses, and a giant blue fire it was everything I could have hoped for. And unlike most super sweet Tiki drinks it had a spicier fruit flavor that did not make you want to grab your Sonicare and brush your gums out either. It also made me reminisce of all the years of Christmas past when I used to share tiki bowls with friends at Hogo, their sister restaurant.
After being there for about an hour and a half, I had to get out. Too many people, not enough chairs, and I’m too short to breathe crowded air properly. But was it worth the memories and all the Instagram likes the next day? Absolutely.
Manage your expectations and do it for the experience. Now open till January 9.

Location: Arrived at 6:30, got in about an hour and a half later. I expected the wait and the tiny space based on previous reviews, so neither was surprising. What was surprising was how cramped it was — I expected a small room, not a long, narrow corridor-​type area sandwiched between row seating at the bar and the wall. There was barely space to maneuver between the seats and the wall, especially given how packed it was. Holds 51 people, only seats around 30. I’d advise not wearing heels — it was very casual dress, anyway. The patrons were all in good cheer and high spirits.
Ambiance: Very cute and festive décor: lots of baubles, tinsel, and glitter. The music was fairly run-​of-​the-​mill pop music — entirely forgettable but at least at a volume that let you engage in conversation easily and without yelling.
Service: I mean, the servers can only do so much. They were as attentive as they could have been, given how packed the place was. Took about ten minutes after ordering drinks at the bar for us to get them. (Took about fifteen minutes after getting inside to get close enough to order drinks at all.)
Drinks: The supposed star of the show, crafted by some major drink master or something. Very, very disappointing. They all just tasted like… watered-​down alcohol, really. I tried the Gretchen, Stop Trying to Make Fetch Happen; Yippie Ki Yay, Motherfucker; Mele Kalikimaka; and the nog shots. Gretchen had the most in terms of a flavor profile, very dry and somewhat bitter. The YKY had no taste of rum — we ordered four, and all were disappointing and tasted like watered down Curaçao. The Mele I had high hopes for, but was a bitter mess. Its presentation was fun, though. The eggnog shots straight up tasted like milk. I think perhaps the bartender we had just wasn’t making the drinks right — the same one served our entire group. A friend tried the Francisco, That’s Fun to Say, which he enjoyed, and said it tasted like a slightly stronger Irish hot cocoa.
Summary: I’m glad I went, because now I know it’s never worth going to again.

Kicking myself for not reading reviews of this place before I went, particularly as it relates to the amount of time spent in line. I went on Sunday 12/​20, arrived just before 5 pm, and waited in line for 2 hours to get in. After about an hour I considered leaving the line, but at that point I was already too invested. I then stayed for 2.5 hours to make it worth it.
The drinks are good, not really worth a two hour wait, though I don’t think people are waiting in line for the drinks as opposed to the simple novelty of being inside the decorated space.
They need more bartenders, and ones with more Christmas spirit. I gave a pretty generous tip, but it was not for good service, it was basically because I felt bad for the girl making most of the drinks. When I asked to close my tab she just glared at me and then said, «I really can’t stop right now.» Okay, then… She at least tried to get other people to close out my tab, but I waited around for at least 5 more minutes before she had to remind her colleagues to close out my tab. She looked super stressed and you can’t have stressed people inside a Christmas bar! She’s ruining the mood!
The one positive is the good crowd control which keep the lines outside super long, but at least you have space to maneuver inside.

Arrived well before it opened. Some friends and I had coffee at the Uprising — so yes we gave our business to two establishmen’s on the block. Sipped our coffee and enjoyed the line chatter. It was in the 50’s so a nice day to hang out … in line. We were taking in the moment. Right at 5, door man comes out, and we are in there! Its Christmas … I came for the popup… the drinks… the décor… and got what I expected!
We stayed a while and enjoyed every thing… it’s an experience than resturant/​lounge. The servers were nice. We actually liked the drink menu. My faves in order were the #2, #1, and.#6 — don’t ask me to recite the long names please. :) My friends tried that drink in the tiki bowl. Very festive and they said it was sweet.
Foodwise I did try the schweedy meatballs, popcorn, olives, and cookies… hey, it washed down my drinks and stayed in my belly with my assortment of drinks so no complaints here.
Again, it’s an actual experience you take in. You’re not necessarily there to judge the food. The crowd was great, even after standing in line and then having to come in and wait for your drinks, everyone was in good cheer.
If you’ve visited the Shaw/​U St. area then you know many of the establishments are on top of one another and lack space for large crowds. Plan ahead, tailgate elsewhere to get ya started and just come through and take in the cutesy décor.
its the holiday season and we enjoyed the popup!

The day I decide to visit this pop-​up it is 30 damn degrees outside. When I arrive at 4:07 we realize the spot doesn’t open until 5pm. Definitely a personal oversight. I made the best of standing outside for an hour. Also friends of friends of friends began to JOIN their friends in line. Annoying because it made the line longer although we were there early.
After swapping stories, talking to strangers and huddling to block the wind 5pm finally comes! Just like Christmas time we’re all waiting staring in the windows of shops that could care less about the wind chill. So… the doors don’t open at five. More like 5:10pm. Doesn’t sound like a big deal but in this weather every minute felt much longer. To add insult to injury when the doors finally opened the security/​bouncers were allowing groups of five at a time enter the establishments. Shit is literally lined up past 5 businesses down. This was perplexing to me since people could come in and sit or stand in the warmth. When I asked about this procedure I was told that it was because they did not want to overwhelm the bartenders.
We finally get in. The décor was magnificently adorable. From the ceiling paper, to the faux bar icicles, to rhe Happy Hannakah room in the back with a driedel chandelier. The drinks had perfectly themed names and ingredients. Mine was good. Some were not. Yes I asked multiple people how their drinks were. The food was more salami, peanuts olives… aka shit I don’t want and definitely don’t want to pay for. That definitely knocked some stars here. I had some hot chocolate… that was made with coconut milk. Not my thing… when I go gluttonous I like to go hard. Give me full fat milk… eff that healthy crap. THIS is NOT what the holidays are about. The toasted marshmallow was a nice touch.
After drinking g two drinks and getting my feel of the décor we decided to leave and let some cold unsuspecting strangers have a chance to come inside and get warm.

Heard awesome things about this new christmas pop up which from what I initially understood was scheduled to close on December 24^th, and has now been extended to January 9^th due to demand.
Tis the season! I absolutely loved the idea of a christmas pop up bar, so we went here last night… some highs and lows. Over all sort of meh.
The line to get in around 10pm was over an hour wait. We found out their capacity is only 51 people, so it doesn’t take much to max capacity, or to make the place look REALLY cool by keeping a massive line outside. Part of this could have been that it’s the weekend before Chriatmas, but the door man did tell me they have been in this condition since 2 weeks ago.
Once we got in the place was fairly packed. The décor is really cute. It’s like Christmas at your mom’s house on steroids. Lots of ribbons on chairs, ornaments hanging from the ceiling, wrapping paper creating Christmas-​y faux drop walls. They also have Hanukkah themed area in the back.
The bartender we spoke to had a hard time explaining the drinks. We started with some eggnog shots which was seriously warm, subpar eggnog. Not for me. From there on my friend and I were drinking the «Francisco, That’s Fun to Say», and a few guys in our group opted for the «A Merry, Messy Kwelfnuve Kweznuz». The Francisco was some weird mezcal hot chocolate which was okay but they were serving out our of a crock pot… which was filled with a big industrial bucket as it emptied out which sort of freaked me out. Some people’s Francisco was served in little Christmas mugs, but my group got ours in glassware, which sort of disappointed me. None of the drinks really tasted like anything related to Christmas.
I wanted more christmas. Yes– there were lots of decorations, but none of the drinks had anything christmas about them, and they weren’t very good. I was sort of underwhelmed for how long we waited to get in.

Probably my fault for having high expectations based on the wait, but when I went I couldn’t figure out what the hype was all about. Waited for an hour and 45 min to get in, only to experience a Christmas decorated bar. Not sure what I was expecting for that wait, maybe Santa serving drinks, but I didn’t really think it was all that great. I tried four different drinks and thought they were just ok. The egg nog shots, however, were pretty good. It took forever to order and receive the drinks. I stayed for about an hour, and then headed next door to southern efficiency which I enjoyed more.

The hype is real! I waited an hour in line on a Saturday (Yes an hour) and I was able to be among the first 50 guest to get in. The décor in the place is amazing and the bartenders are really nice with helping you with your drinks.
I decided to order the Spiced Hot chocolate and also the Yippi Ki Ya ****** which I both totally enjoyed.
They have meatballs on the menu that people kept ordering but I wasn’t hungry so I didn’t get them.
My advice would be to get there at 4pm before they open like we did, find a close parking spot on the street, mingle with some people and have a great time!

Cool experience, definitely one of those things to go to just to say that you went. Do i think it’s worth waiting in line for 1.5 hours in the rain? Probably not. Luckily, I did not have much of a wait since my friends showed up early and did most of the waiting (sorry, not sorry). I wouldn’t recommend coming here right after work though, as that seems to be when most people assume is a good time to show up, hence the wait. I would probably come after 9:00 during the week, when most people have already headed home. The guy guarding the door did do a good job of regulating the crowd though and making sure that it did not get too crowded inside the bar. I’m not very good at estimating, but it looked like they were only letting in 50 people max at a time which ensured that you were not standing uncomfortably shoulder to shoulder the whole time while you were trying to enjoy your cocktail.
The bartenders were clearly overwhelmed. It was quite hard to get their attention in the beginning, even while standing directly in front of them at the bar. Once you did get their attention though, they were very helpful and made sure to keep checking on you. The female bartender was cute and quirky and seemed to have more personality than the rest. She also hooked my drinks up and made them a bit stronger and served them in larger glasses than others. Also note that all of the decorative glasses can be purchased for $ 10. My friend purchased the polar bear mug. The drinks I tried were:
+ «I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus» (made w. pink peppercorn-​infused dry gin, suze, dolin rouge, and conifer). I don’t know what half that sh*t is, but the drink was awesome and very boozy. It tasted similar to a Martinez (a Manhattan but with gin) and was adorned with a shard of pine on top. I described it to the bartender as tasting like a Christmas tree (she agreed– although I don’t think either of us have ever tasted a Christmas tree)
+ «Yippie, Ki Yay, Motherf****r!!!» (made w. rum, cachaca, dry curacao, roasted chestnut orgeat, and lime). This was my absolute favorite. It was described as a tiki drink but I find that quite offensive since tiki drinks are usually sweet and weak. This drink was potent, flavorful and awesome. You can definitely taste the cachaca. This drink tasted like a bag of fun.
+ One of my friends ordered the «Francisco, That’s Fun to Say» (made w. mezcal, chocolate «milk», coconut, bananas, spice, green chartreuse, and marshmallows). It’s pretty much just a boozy hot chocolate. Way too sweet for me, but my friend enjoyed it. It is also served in one of those festive holiday mugs.
I didn’t order the food, but it looked okay. Slightly overpriced as many of the small dishes were over $ 10. Also note that seating is limited but thankfully we were able to snag seats at the bar as soon as we walked in. Be prepared for people to storm over like a stampede to fight for your seat as soon as you get up.

Look, you know you want to come to the Miracle on 7^th Street pop-​up Christmas bar so you can take Instagram photos of yourself in front of a gold tinsel backdrop and say you drank a «Yippie Ki Yay, Motherf****r» because Die Hard is the best Christmas movie ever made. Admit it, you millennial hipster, and embrace it.
First, accept the fact that you’ll be waiting a loooonnnnggg time to get inside. We arrived at 5pm on the dot, and there were already 75 people in line. On a Monday. In the rain. We stuck it out and got inside a little before 6:30pm. They limit the number of people in the bar, so though it’s crowded, there’s space to move around and enjoy the pretty decorations. We were lucky to grab an open spot for two alongside the standing-​only bar on the tinseled wall (ideal for those Instagrams you’ll be taking). You have to be a little aggressive to catch the attention of the bartenders, but once we did, we were well taken care of — major props to Liz B., who brought us our drinks and food reasonably quick.
Of course, you’ll love the cocktail names referencing lines from famous Christmas movies, and you’ll probably like how they taste as well: the «Francisco, That’s Fun to Say» was like a warm hot toddy topped with a roasted marshmallow, and the «Gretchen, Stop Trying to Make Fetch Happen» was a light bubbly punch with a touch of rosemary. We pretty much ordered the Schweddy Balls (meatballs with cranberry sauce) just to say we did, and they weren’t bad — tender, flavorful, not too sweet.
Don’t be a grinch. Get into the holiday spirit and enjoy the Miracle on 7^th Street. Or wait until next year, when every other bar in DC will surely open their own Christmas pop-​up.

This is one of the worst bar experiences of my life. We arrived at 4:30PM, half hour before the establishment was open and didn’t get in till 6PM. The drinks were awful. The You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out! mixed drink which included (Blended Scotch, Pisco, Drambuie, Lemon Curd, Pistachio «Orgeat,» Gingerbread Cream) was the most foul drink I have ever tried to consume and I was suckered to pay $ 12 for it. We had the deviled eggs appetizer which was decent but the meatballs were extra salty and dry. I would not recommend this microwave fare to anyone. Please don’t waste your time and don’t patronize this establishment. The expensive bill and time spent here is just not worth it.

You know how sometimes a highly anticipated movie comes out, but then everyone is disappointed? Well, Miracle on Seventh Street is like that. It sounds really cool, and we waited an hour and thirty minutes to get in, but then the experience was only meh.
First, the service here was sub-​par, but I’m willing to give them a pass on that because the place was completely packed. For example, they forgot about my turkey sandwich order and my friend’s meatball order. However, they did make it up with free shots and ice cream.
As for the food, the meatballs were pretty decent, but the turkey in my sandwich was very dry. Fortunately, they did have special Christmas drinks, and they were all hilariously or cleverly named. The drinks were the main positive quality of this place, and you’d definitely be missing out if you didn’t get one!
Moreover, the décor is pretty cool. The entire place is decked out Christmas style: from the wrapping paper walls to the Christmas lights strung abound.
Bottom line, this place is over-​hyped, but it does offer a unique limited time experience.

The drinks were forgettable here before. The only difference now is that you get bad drinks after a two hour wait with a side of tacky patrons and overdone tinsel. Washingtonian lied (or was well compensated for a good review lol) — every drink tastes like disappointment!

I can’t remember ever seeing so many people having such a good time at a bar! It seems like most patrons, myself included, are positively giddy about the holiday transformation of Shaw sherry bar Mockingbird Hill into the spectacular Miracle on Seventh Street. I’ve already been twice in its opening week!
The bar’s exposed brick walls have been covered with a breathtaking explosion of holiday tinsel, lights, stars, snow, candy stripes, dreidels, and a golden dinosaur nativity scene. A TV in the back room «Hanukkah Hangout» alternates between footage of a roaring fire and classic holiday films. Special events are set to include Manischewitz Pong, crafting demonstrations, free cookie nights, and singalongs.
A new menu of holiday cocktails includes both takes on traditional favorites like a historic Baltimore egg nog recipe and spiked hot chocolate as well as new Christmas-​themed creations like Yippie Ki Yay, Motherf****r!!!, which my friend described as «adult Capri Sun.» Like Mockinbird Hill, Miracle on 7^th Street offers a small but well-​curated selection of food, heavy on cured meat, and thankfully still featuring the delicious Virginia Surryano ham.
Recommendation: get to the bar before Christmas Eve!

The Miracle on Seventh Street is a pop-​up Christmas bar that is located inside Mockingbird Hill. This pop-​up bar will be running up until Christmas Eve! Cocktails are a flat $ 12, and drinks with fun names such as ‘Yippie Ki Yay, Motherf****r!!!,’ ‘I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,’ and ‘Can I Interest You in Hanukkah?’ are available: D I really liked how the drinks came in cute Christmas mugs, such as polar-​bear and Santa faces: D I had the ‘Yippie Ki Yay, Motherf****r!!!,’ which contained Trinidad rum, cachaca, dry curacao, roasted chestnut orgeat, and lime — a creation by Nico de Soto of Mace in NYC, this drink was super strong! I really liked how their was a ‘roasted chestnut’ hint to it. They also have special events every day of the week, such as a Gay Men’s Chorus Happy Hour, DIY Xmas Crafts, complimentary Xmas cookies, and a Hanukkah Takeover. The bar area itself is decorated beautifully (check out the ceiling, as it really twinkles with the lights and the ornaments), and this is a great spot to grab some drinks with your friends and participate in the holiday festivities!
+strong drinks!
+fun-​named cocktails: D
+daily special events: D
+located inside Mockingbird Hill (near the Calabash Tonic)
+open until ¹²⁄₂₄!