Solly's U Street Tavern Dive Bar

U Street Corridor, Washington, DC –

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 dotted with an eclectic bunch of budget-minded drinkers, mostly made up of struggling artists who gather by the bubble-shaped bay windows to sling whiskey and of groups of university kids who chill on the patio out front.

An Internet jukebox near the entrance tends to pump out classic rock, while a couple TVs surrounded by trophies and jerseys from local teams air the day’s game for the casual sports fans and suit-shedding after-work regulars in attendance.

Those in need of more action can head up to the second floor, which features picnic tables and a stage that plays host to a rotating trivia/costume karaoke night and local bands playing rockabilly, ska, or reggae to a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd.

Thanks to its location within stumbling distance of the train station, the bar sees many of the regulars clear out on Fridays and Saturdays, only to be replaced by rowdy young barhopping clans as they make their way down U Street.

There’s nothing fancy at Solly’s U Street Tavern, but for those who judge a bar’s worth by its fun crowd and affordable booze, it’s one of the most valuable joints in town.