Things have generally been quiet in the Burrito War between M Street’s Qdoba and Chipotle. But no longer: this Saturday Chipotle started giving free drinks to anyone with a student ID. According to a manager at Chipotle, the promotion will continue indefinitely.

This isn’t exactly a drastic move for Chipotle, especially given that Qdoba has offered free drinks for students since it opened. It’s a good start, but they’ll have to up their game if they have any hope of competing with Qdoba’s half-price Mondays.

Photo by Flickr user DJ Lein used under a Creative Commons license.

Looking for a way to make Georgetown retailers’ tough times into your personal gain? Well, you’re in luck.  About 60 stores, restaurants, bars and spas are joining together to have weekly Happy Hours every Wednesday this summer.

The deals vary from establishment to establishment, but here are some of the highlights:

• Bangkok Bistro (3251 Prospect St.): $1 per piece of sushi, $2 drinks from 3 to 6 p.m.
• Sugar (1633 Wisconsin Ave.): 15% off all clothing, plus complimentary “treats and sweets.”
• Peacock Café (3251 Prospect St.): Half-price burgers, calamari and nachos, $4 beers, $5 glass of wine, $6 cocktails, $7 martinis between 4 and 7 p.m.
• Contemporaria ( 3303 Cady’s Alley): Free prosecco and 15% off dining chairs.
• Garretts Restaurant & Tavern (3003 M St.): Half-price burgers, domestic beers, rail liquors and house wines.
• Poppy (3235 P St.): Free glass of Barefoot bubbly and the chance to enter the weekly raffle for a piece of silver jewelry from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Salon Rafik (3307B M St.): 15 % off any service or product.
• Paolo’s Ristorante (1303 Wisconsin Ave.): $3 classic cocktails, $3 house wine by the glass, $4 drafts (Stella and Guinness) from 4 to 7 p.m.

You can check out the full list of participating businesses at the Georgetown BID website.  The recession’s silver lining never looked so good!

Produce stands at the new Hardy School farmers’ market

Until this year, Georgetown farmers’ market aficionados only had one option: the Wednesday afternoon market at Rose Park. This summer, though, the Burleith and Glover Park Citizens Associations teamed up to put together a second farmers’ market Sunday mornings at the newly-renovated Hardy School.

So how do the Rose Park and Hardy School farmers’ markets stack up? Vox visited both this past week—check out our findings after the jump!

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This weekend, Georgetown alumni will descend on campus. An inconvenience? Hardly! If you’re on campus for the summer and a little crafty, it presents the perfect opportunity for a weekend of all-expenses-paid dining. Vox slogged through full schedule of events to find the best (read: most likely to provide free food) of the bunch.

Thursday

The 1970s at Georgetown (9 a.m.—5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, noon—4 p.m. Saturday; Special Collections Research Center, Lauinger Library): A free dose of campus history, see what Georgetown was like back in the 70s with selections from the University Archives.

35th Reunion: Class of 1974 Wine & Cheese Reception (7—8:30 p.m. Thursday; Carroll Parlor, 107 Healy Hall): While Provost Emerita Dorothy Brown discusses American and Georgetown history, see if you can sneak some Brie. If you get called out, impress them with the trivia you learned at the aforementioned 1970s at Georgetown exhibit.

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Mmmmm…. Bratwurst!

Can’t make it to former GUSA President Pat Dowd’s (SFS ‘08) “MyHelsinki” party (“Hotter than a Finnish sauna, Cooler than a Finnish winter!”) tonight? Don’t fret, you’ve still got a chance to get your fill of European embassy action.

This year’s “Europe in DC” provides the perfect outlet for students, fresh out of exams, to take a break and still build upon that “liberal mind” they’ll acquire after four years in this institution. Occurring on the university’s last day of finals, May 9th, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, you’ll have the opportunity to visit the third annual European Union Open House Day; combining the free food prerequisite of any major attraction with a cultural taste of the world simply by traveling down embassy row.

May 9th is designated Europe Day, which apparently kicks off a whole week of Europe related activities in the United States. No registration necessary; simply show up (with proper identification, as security will be present). This behind-the-scenes look will grant you access to soils as diverse as Greek, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and many more; each with their own specifically planned events for the afternoon.

Germany will open their doors so that you may explore how it’s Embassy operates, and offers bratwurst, pretzels, and a moonbounce, all to the tune of traditional German folk music. If Denmark is more your cup of tea, simply take part in the Embassy’s program entitled “Meet the Happiest People on Earth!” where you can sample Danish food, play with Legos, or test your bicycle skills to get a taste of how the Danes are so successful at living green. While the description of Cyprus’s events may seem a little mundane, surely there is a market for “displays of leaflets on Cyprus’s history, culture, civilization, economy, commerce, cuisine” and so forth.

The event is as diverse as the European Union itself, and with a selection of 27 different programs and embassies to choose from, there is something for everyone. If you’re looking for the perfect way to end your school year, or if Leo’s Luau wasn’t quite the cultural kick that you’ve been looking for, head on over to the Europe In DC home page and devise an itinerary of your own.

Update: DCist misspoke: “CORRECTION: Our sincere apologies, the free burger day is actually on Thursday, April 2, at the Tenleytown location ONLY. We inadvertently mixed up the dates.”

Zoiks!

DCist reports that Z-Burger locations in Tenleytown and Glover Park will give you a free burger if you say the word “yowza” as they’re ringing you up. Usage suggestion: “Yowza! If a free burger isn’t worth the humiliation of shouting the word ‘yowza!’ I don’t know what is!”

The Voice reviewed Z-Burger’s Glover Park location at 2414 Wisconsin Ave. NW when it opened in February. The verdict? Delicious!

Tip from friend of the blog Alex Pon.

It’s election day, and that means giveaways, including free Starbucks and Ben & Jerry’s. Georgetown clubs will also be giving away free food, but if you don’t keep a tight schedule you can’t take advantage of all the freebies. Follow this dinnertime guide and finally, we’ll know where those mysterious SAC funds went–right into your stomach.

6:00-7:00

College Democrats, Sellinger Lounge

The Dems are getting started at 6, before the other two parties start. If this Dems election watch is like most, it’ll be simple but filling–big soda bottles and pizza. The pizza will probably arrive in between 6 and 7, at which point you should dive because it’s gone fast at earlier election parties. If you go crazy and grab a box, you’re set for the night!

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When Rays shortstop Jason Barlett stole 2nd base in the 2008 World Series opener he didn’t know he would also be stealing a free taco for everyone in America courtesy of Taco Bell. In-between innings during Monday night’s game Taco Bell announced that they would be giving away a free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco upon request at every participating Taco Bell nationwide, no purchase necessary.

You only get one taco for free…per store.  Pick up your taco today from 2pm – 6pm at participating Taco Bells. Look for an update tomorrow to see if HoyaCourt’s Taco Bell is among those participating in this promotion. Given the Hoya Court Subway’s reluctance to participate in $5 Footlongs, it’s dicey.

Either way, God Bless America, baseball…and Jason Bartlett.

Photo from Flickr user kevinv033 used under a Creative Commons license

Freebie alert!  Starbucks is handing out free $5 gift cards and free drinks in Red Square today.   Great news for coffee drinkers, although probably a further sign of our impending doom to some.  $5 may not seem like much in terms of expensive frappuccinos, but it’s nothing to scoff at in these tough times.  Caffeine drinks aside, $5 will also get you 2 whole shares of AIG, 6 shares of Fannie Mae, or 80 shares of Washington Mutual.  The coffee’s probably a better investment, though.

Photo from Flickr user visualpanic used under a Creative Commons license.

Some of us are busy planning ways to sneak a free Frappucino, but for those of you who are too ethical or just not ballsy enough, Starbucks is now offering a new way to get your caffeine fix for cheap. Starting today, 16 ounce iced drinks are $2 after 2 pm – but only if you have a “treat receipt” stamp proving that you bought a drink that same morning.

The special (which was previously available only in Miami, Chicago, and Seattle) is pretty genius: after picking up their morning coffee, customers will justify an afternoon drink by telling themselves that “it’s only $2,” and those 16 ounces of ice-cold caffeine will keep them awake just late enough to be exhausted wrecks the next morning, starting the cycle all over again.

Via Examiner