18th Amendment Bar / Lounge / Restaurant

Capitol Hill, Washington, DC –

With a shadowy art deco theme reminiscent of the 1920s on one floor and a sparser speakeasy bar in the basement below, 18th Amendment – named for the law that made the country dry – entices a variety of after-work professionals and mellow groups of friends with its rotating theme nights, lengthy Happy Hour specials, rare craft beers, and two often distinct vibes.

A preppier crowd tends to congregate on the first floor, taking over the comfy red booths and sofa chairs with pitchers of sangria in hand, as groups of congressional staffers catch the game over rounds of half-priced pizza. Teams of Capitol Hill trivia buffs put on their thinking caps for weekly quiz tournaments, while the popular karaoke nights on Thursdays bring in amateur singers ready to wow the crowd with their musical stylings.

During football season, boisterous Louisiana natives make their presence known at the long curvy bar as they watch LSU and the Saints on multiple flat-screen TVs, as less sports-minded patrons make a hasty retreat down to the basement bar, known as the Keyhole. A smaller space that conjures images of gangsters and bootleggers, the bar attracts casual college kids looking to relax with the Wii, shoot some pool, or just chill out around the barrel tables and whiskey-box seating.

Great for both noisy revelry and laid-back hanging out, 18th Amendment offers any number of ways to laugh in the face of prohibition.