Dive Bars in Washington, DC

Raven Grill

Dive Bar

Party Earth Review One of the oldest drinking establishments in the District, The Raven Grill has been doling out bottles of beer from the same dark and dingy locale since the 1930s, a testament to its staying power as one of the city’s quintessential dive bars. A popular neighborhood haunt – which has nary a “Grill” nor a crumb of food ... more

3125 Mount Pleasant Street NW
Washington, DC 20010

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Kelly's Irish Times

Dive Bar / Irish Pub

Party Earth Review With beer and cheer o’er flowin’, Kelly’s Irish Times has been a DC staple that’s survived and thrived – and no doubt put up with loads of bad Irish puns – for longer than even the oldest of the old-fart regulars can remember. Pub purists from across the pond might decry the all-American bric-a-brac that dresses the walls ... more

14 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20001

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Velvet Lounge

Dive Bar / Live Music Venue

Party Earth Review A quintessential dive bar with a knack for booking some of the best up-and-coming and niche bands DC has to offer, Velvet Lounge makes up in attitude whatever it lacks in décor. Once past the flashing neon martini glass outside, patrons will find themselves in a cramped and narrow space, rubbing shoulders with the rotating ... more

915 U Street NW
Washington, DC 20002

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Chief Ike's Mambo Room

Dive Bar / Restaurant

Reviewed by Kimberly K.

"I loved the decor of that place. It's kitschy yet fun to look to look at. (One example is the Day of the Dead-inspired wall mural.) Chief Ike's food m ..." more

1725 Columbia Road NW
Washington, DC 20009

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Dan's Café

Dive Bar

Party Earth Review Built into a flat, square building with no exterior windows or lights, the most prominent evidence of the dive hiding behind the boarded-up façade of Dan’s Café is the string of rowdy frat boys usually careening out its door. A dozen shelves of booze stacked behind the sticky bar glitter like lost treasure, drawing a crowd ... more

2315 18th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009

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The Red Derby

Dive Bar

Party Earth Review Marked by a single crimson bowler hat painted above its unmanned black door, The Red Derby is an unpretentious two-story dive where mellow Columbia Heights residents lay claim to cheap beers and piles of old-school board games. Über-casual regulars, many of whom first discovered the joint by word of mouth, settle in on ... more

3718 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20010

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Solly's U Street Tavern

Dive Bar

Party Earth Review There’s no shortage of bars in DC where powerful politicos can drop mad cash on over-priced drinks, but Solly’s U Street Tavern takes a decidedly different approach, offering $3 PBRs at any hour in a bare-bones building that wouldn’t know pretension if it showed up dressed as a wrecking ball. Midweek finds the bottom floor ... more

1942 11th Street NW
Washington, DC 20001

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A city of majestic and historical buildings that rival the towering architectural triumphs of Europe, the District is also home to some really solid Washington, DC dive bars.

That’s right; it’s not all big business in this politically driven city. After all, most folks are off by five (thanks federal work week!) and plenty of folks working on Capitol Hill like to get in on some unpretentious fun once they’re released from the halls of justice…wait, is that The Avengers? Whatever. The point is, Washington, DC dive bars are easy to find if you know where to look.

First-time visitors will probably need to be reminded to avoid Georgetown if on the hunt for DC dive bars, and the same can be said for Capitol Hill, but that still leaves plenty of areas open.

Adams Morgan is a major party neighborhood in this town, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that some of the best – or at least rowdiest – dive bars in DC can be found there. Dan’s Café is probably the best example: built into a flat, square building with no exterior windows or lights, Dan’s is known for being hotter than hell and serving up massively sized drinks in ketchup bottles.

Meanwhile, over along the vibrant U Street Corridor, a PBR is always $3 at Solly's U Street Tavern, while the nearby Velvet Lounge is a quintessential DC dive bar with a knack for booking some of the best up-and-coming and niche bands the city has to offer. Further afield in up-and-coming Columbia Heights, Raven Grill and The Red Derby are two popular haunts where the booze is cheap, the crowd is unpretentious, and the vibe is devil-may-care.

Everyone should make it a point to revel in all the incredible history in this town, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get in on a few great Washington, DC dive bars too!