Restaurants in Lorton

Today's $10 Groupon gets you $20 worth of legal spirits in the Prohibition-themed 18th Amendment bar. Speakeasies were rollicking drinkeries where fans of booze joyously evaded prohibition laws, live music accompanied illicit fluids, and live fluids distracted everyone from noticing the illicit music. The backstair basement bar at 18th Amendment (named after the amendment that outlawed "intoxicating liquors") hearkens back to those sepia-toned days of men inconspicuously smuggling booze in oversized pants. The furniture is old whiskey boxes, beer barrels, and pews; stained glass, bar rails, and an iron-gated liquor room turn the spot (located at 613 Pennsylvania Ave., SE) into a gangster's getaway.

Be the first to bathe your tongue in a rare brew named after a mythical giant. The beer is as mythical as its namesake because it comes in a bottomless mug and with unlimited food and drink for $70 at Brasserie Beck with this Groupon ($100 value).

The extensive menu at La Tomate contains a fierce lineup of quintessential Italian dishes. There's something enticingly edible for veggie lovers, meat eaters, and people raised on dehydrated astronaut rations. For lunch, the ravioli verdi al gorgonzola con salsa di noci (homemade spinach ravioli stuffed with gorgonzola and parmesan cheeses, served with walnut cream sauce, $11.95) is recommended. For dinner, entrees are between $13.95 and $28.95. Treat your tongue to the the petto di pollo al forno con salsa agrodolce e verdure (baked organic chicken with honey, lemon, vinegar, and vegetable sauce, $19.95) or vegetarian-friendly arborio rice with porcini mushroom, gorgonzola and saffron ($17.95). Accompany your meal with a selection from the extensive wine list, or stop by on the weekend for a savory brunch.

Dine in style at the Lotus Lounge. This chic K Street venue is more than a late-night hot spot, it's a restaurant that serves up Asian-inspired dishes as colorful and varied as the bright walls of the scene.

A palate-friendly palace in gold and green, Heritage India is the latest outpost of owner Sanjeev Tuli’s globe-spanning career in the hospitality business. Past ornate artwork and an elegant dining room, head chef Dawa Tamang draws on the culinary styles of his birthplace. The influence shows in menus of flavorful fusion cuisine, including calamari sautéed with curry leaves and coconut milk, and hyderabadi murgh haleem, a dish of chicken, barley, lentils, and spices. Smaller plates also abound, and Heritage India’s rendition of golgappas—a popular street food made of puffed wheat, potato, and chickpeas—inspired Tom Sietsema of The Washington Post to dream of a life overseas.

In lieu of buns, Duffy's Irish Restaurant & Pub's Monster Burger earns its name by piling bacon, grilled onions, and a half-pound burger between two grilled cheese sandwiches. The Washington Post profiled the beastly eat and its “calories-be-damned goodness” in its This Thing You Should Try series. Those with tamer appetites assemble less daunting burgers with a beef or homemade black bean patty served on a white or whole grain Kaiser roll. Along with burgers, Duffy's culinary team crafts casual dishes such as mushrooms fried in peanut oil, vegan pasta tossed with homemade tomato sauce, and seven wing varieties voted the city's best in 2012 by readers of Washington City Paper.

Along with the menu of daily grub, Duffy's staff supplies discounted drinks and quesadillas at weekday happy hours and hosts brain-teasing pub trivia challenges every Wednesday night. 12 flat-screen TVs throughout the bar stay tuned to the latest Florida Gators and Green Bay Packers games, a more thrilling alternative to watching looped footage of an actual gator attacking a defenseless cheese wheel. In addition to front of the house entertainment, Duffy's accommodates private soirees with a back room equipped with more flat-screens, skeeball, darts, and an internet jukebox.