This place is pretty reliable for a good time on 14th street. I've been a couple times at various hours and days and it is always crowded and fun. Sometimes it is too crammed, but more often than not you can find a seat somewhere. The food is okay, there are definitely better places to eat in the area, but the drinks are good. I was there a couple days ago and my table got a bunch of pizzas and which held their own. The best thing by far is their all day happy hour on Sunday. I know previous reviewers have mentioned it and believe the hype. It's a fantastic deal and very fun! The bar is cute and decorated in red. There is an area in the back with bocce ball and other games, which is much brighter. The name Black Jack is a clever touch since all of the restaurants owned by this group have the word black in the title. Overall very hip and not too pretentious. read more

Met some friends here. The place was super packed to the point it was uncomfortable to even stand around. Beer selection is pretty decent. Very young professional crowd. However if you are looking for a place to hangout with friends I don't think its ideal, again to chaotic. Also only a few waitresses for a large crowd so service was slow. read more

If you are going out on 14th st and want a fantastic happy hour (all day happy Sunday!) than look no further. Black jack has a solid beer and food selection, with the added benefit you can order from the Pearl dive menu as well. This is our favorite Sunday spot to grab drink and quick bite as we do our Sunday stroll through the city. The service is great and staff is very personable. They also have a billiards area if you're looking to have a fun chill time. read more

This place is great. I've been here about 3 times in the past couple weeks and each time has been spectacular. I love the old fashioned served in a large mug. The scene is great and there is plenty of stadium-like seating over by the bocce court. I'll be back. read more

Great bar. Prefect combo to hit up pearl dive and head upstairs to blackjack. Really delicious cocktails. It's a swanky place that has cocktails. A bit expensive, but they have bocce so it really evens out. read more

Came here on Sat night - great ambiance and service. I just got a couple of drinks, but was very happy with the service. Vanna was an awesome waitress! I got the So Fresh and So Green cocktail... it was interesting - wasn't my fave ever, but was good for one drink. Only order if you are a big fan of cilantro!! Otherwise, played some bocce with some complete strangers and had a fun time. read more

Solid drink selection and a nice seating area upstairs - bocce courts in the back too...gets a bit crowded on Fridays and the service gets a bit slower but still a solid happy hour spot. Definitely an older young professional crowd which can be a nice change of pace. read more

One of the many new bars that has popped up along 14th street.. you wouldn't know it was there unless you heard about it from someone or read about it on Yelp.. No sign outside. Nice bar with plenty of TV's and some parlor games towards the back. Was a little crowded for my taste, so it was pretty much one and done for me.. The drinks are okay.. Decided to stick to beer this night.. Would i go back? Maybe.. read more

My spot for late night bocce ball. Great bartenders but service can get slow with the crowds

Came on a Saturday night to watch baseball. Not a lot of sports bar options on 14th and this didn't really qualify either. Waitress was cool and helpful but the vibe was a little too fancy pants in the main room. I may have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. read more

Great atmosphere and drink selection. Space is a bit limiting, but tolerable through the night.

Located above pearl dive, this is easily one of my favorite bars in DC. Something they don't advertise is that they have a happy hour all day, every sunday. Half-priced oysters, beer, flatbread pizzas, and select apps, and $7 burgers. Great spot to catch Sunday Night Football or just chill with friends, and in my experience it has never been overly crowded. read more

Despite the fact that moving more than 2 ft in any direction requires a Herculean effort, this lounge is not that terrible. Those with blathers will probably find the situation unfavorable. However, being communally screwed does produce and foster new friendships and conversation whilst waiting for an available WC. Respect for the 60 yr old wearing a suit last night. read more

Great for hanging out and drinking with friends. I'll have to go back to try the food but we had some oysters from their daily selection and they were OK. read more

Really dig this place. Great beer list, excellent selection of good liquors, and great cocktails. The vibe is very fun and cool, but not pretentious or bro-tastic. Decor is old-timey carnival meets Moulin Rouge meets hip DC rowhouse. One of the better bars in DC for folks who appreciate real drinks and would rather avoid too-cool-for school hipster hangouts, the college crowds, and/or the club scene. read more

Ugh so crowded. Expensive well drinks. Would pay $8-9 for something slightly more elaborate than a basic gin and tonic. At least they used Seagrams, instead of something worse. Positives: even in the crowd, the bartenders were pretty quick and receptive. read more

A little pricy on the beer and cocktail selections, but a good variety of both drafts and cans. The thing I like most about it is the atmosphere. It's relaxed with the perfect level of lighting. The reason I first came here was for the DC bocce league, and now I will definitely come back again. read more

Small but packs a punch. This dual level lounge has events throughout the month and work heavily to support local talent. Their open mic nights, every 1st Wednesday are great. They also have hookah, which in my opinion is overpriced. But, this ia a nice spot to chill at on U St. read more

Really enjoyed this bar. Went mid-week at 6:30 and perfect amount of people with tables available. Was surprised with the amount of people practically overspilling on to the sidewalk at Pearl Dive downstairs. It did start to fill up when we left after 8. HH prices were nice for beer/wine. Cocktails are a tad expensive and felt like my glass was lacking slightly with how much liquid was in it. Fried chicken - holy moly, talk about delicious! Bartenders were really nice. Looking forward to coming back and exploring the menu more! read more

This is a great happy hour, particularly on beer and wine. You get craft beers for $3 until 8PM. What a great deal!! The pizza menu has some good choices. And for $7, the pizza is quite good. I don't think it is worth the full price of $14 but it is great for $7. The mussels are also a good deal on happy hour and are excellent. We also tried the fried chicken which was quite tasty. It's a laid back and busy space so do your best to find a table and drink up! read more

Three words. Duck Confit Nachos. You absolutely must try these. We also had a pizza with veal meatballs which was also fabulous. You are missing out if you don't try these nachos. The vibe is really fun for date night or with friends. read more

We hit up their happy hour on a Friday evening. Mussels, fries, and drinks. Actually my drink was very unique. Never had anything like it. I don't see it on the menu anymore, but it was like a smoky lavender and lemon concoction. Nice atmosphere. Killer playlist. :) read more

Would not classify this as "speakeasy" as it was crowded, blasting club music, and was well marked as a bar. If you are looking for a loud, we'll decorated, popular place, this is good (seems to be an extension of the pearl). It wasn't what I was looking for when I was looking on Yelp for a speakeasy though ... read more

Never had bad food here. The mussels are great as are the po boys. Recently had the two piece and a biscuit and it was perfect. That "biscuit" is something I will come back for, and I'm usually not a huge bread fan. Great drink specials and pours. Music and atmosphere are fantastic. Seemed to be understaffed though read more

I've been going to Black Jack for years and it's always been a go-to bar especially when friends are in town. Love the vibe and atmosphere....until last night. Went with 3 friends and we got there around 9pm and went to the back area where they used to have the bocce ball but has since been updated. My friend and I went to use the bathroom and left the back bar area (not knowing there was a bathroom in the back we could have used.) Within the 10 mins it took us to go to the bathroom we came back to a long line of people trying to get into the back bar. We went up to the bouncer and asked to get in bc we had been there for a few hours and our boyfriends were back there. He refused to let us back in and told us we needed to talk to a manager if we wanted to get back there. I had left my phone and purse at the table with my boyfriend so I couldn't contact him to help. The bouncer was extremely rude and even when I talked to the manager he had nothing to say except that the bouncer has a hard job. Awful service and awful management. I will never be going back and will make sure to let my friends know. We also had such bad service at a sister restaurant (blacks) a few months back so I should have known to stay away... Who tells a customer they can't go back to their seat????? Totally unacceptable and poor service. read more

I love this place. Come on Sundays as they have amazing deals on those days. I'd be willing to to say their burger could go to toe to toe with any burger in town and it would be hard to say who would win. Plus the beer on tap is cheap. Service is amazing, so for real get down here, you're missing out. read more

Best BLT ever. Great happy hour. Decent beer selection with 1-2 acceptable options when I've been. Typical 14th Street crowd at all times. read more

A great place to spend Sunday afternoon! They have happy hour specials all day long on Sundays. The crowd is very diverse, although also very young.. You feel welcome here. The bartender was very friendly. The place was crowded but not over crowded if that makes any sense. There was enough room to move about without feeling claustrophobic. I would come back again for sure. read more

Expensive. Loud [hope you like rap - why would you?] food is good. Depends on the hours you come here, later during the night it becomes trashy as Fuck. But I came early before the crows. food is amazing and I would come here for lunch. Btw, young, clue-free crowd on their daddy's credit card. Other than this a pretty good place for oysters and mussels. read more

The food was good but not amazing. Nice staff, bathrooms were pretty dirty though. Interesting clientele. Good drinks.

This is a cool bar to hang out at if you want to party but still have a casual night. It is usually pretty popular so be aware it will be crowded. They have a pretty cool back bar and a nice dark and red mood going on. They make a great manhattan! read more

I like this bar and it never disappoints. The atmosphere is cozy and great for happy hour. It gets packed on weekends but there's still always room to hang around. The vibe is a bit trendy but not pretentious, with brick walls, and movies projected on them. Decent selection of beers, not so much for wine though. Still definitely recommend. read more

I ended up at Black Jack when Church Key and the Pearl Dive Oyster Palace both had a 2+ hour wait at 6:30 pm on a Saturday night. I guess I'm not the only person in the DC metro area who likes to eat early. Nevertheless, have stairs, will climb. Up the flight from Pearl Dive I went to a crowded but-not-as-crowded bar. Black Jack. Lucky for me and my group, some people were just leaving as we were putting our feet on the top of the landing and we were able to mosey over to their front and center spot at the bar. I would like to say that the bartender here (Jack) has the most fantabulous handlebar mustache I have ever seen in my life. I actually thought it was fake and asked him, "How do you get that thing to stay on? Does it clip to your nose or something?" And the reply was, "No, I just grow facial hair. This is real." Three cheers for me, the dumbass. Hip-hip-hooray! Embarrassment aside, while the other people in my group were having their own conversations, I was having a private party with a Hendricks and tonic and two limes. In my estimation, the fois gras of alcoholic beverages. They have DC Brau too. I believe I saw my boyfriend eating a bacon sandwich (yup) with no clue as to the where/what/when/how of him ordering or receiving it. I guess if you're going to eat a bacon sandwich it is best to do it on the DL and explain yourself later. Even though the place was crowded, I didn't feel claustrophobic. We were happy to stay here for at least an hour and half (maybe more?), standing at the bar the whole time, and enjoy ourselves without being jostled, spilling drinks all over the place, or constantly having to get out of someones way. The moral of the story is: if you find yourself on 14th St kind of early on a weekend eve and everywhere else is too crowded to bother with, give this place a go. read more

Small place but FUN! I had a great time. Good drinks and nice staff.

This place is a great happy hour - casual and well priced. The bartenders and servers are also extremely outgoing and pleasant. Really good pizza and beer. It got packed a little bit later, but it was still a fun atmosphere. The mixed drinks are also very strong, which is a definite plus. Rohit is a great bartender too! read more

Went on a busy Saturday night, waited 30 min to get in. I think this was during DC's beerfest which was why it was so crowded. Scene was young professionals, late 20's early 30's, fun crowd. Hipster vibe, but then there's the giant TV screens playing football. Music was top 40's and a little loud, I wonder if this was because of the crowd though. I ordered a velvet hour which was amazing!! Gingery sweet, the fire from the ginger was subdued by the fact that it was a frozen drink. I'd like to try this place again on a less crowded night with not as loud music. read more

My friends and I went to blackjack today after my friends had 2 bad experiences there service was slow food and drinks were great usually don't write reviews because my friends and I work in the industry it's just an opinion just like a.....everyone has one the manager was great we will try one more time everyone has there off days. read more

I've eaten here twice, and both experiences were pretty good. The first time was on a Saturday night with a big group, and we were able to snag the big round booth. The second time was a Wednesday night. It was fairly crowded still at 8:30pm, but we were able to score a couple chairs around a table near the couches. After experiencing the Earl sandwich on my first trip to Black Jack, I knew that's what I wanted when I went back. Its a monstrous BLT that is about 90% bacon...no joke. The thing is huge! Its even good the next day if you pop the bread and bacon in the toaster oven to crisp it up again (just don't put the lettuce & tomato in there). The cayenne aioli is a better than just plain mayo on the sandwich, and its not overpowering or really spicy. You still get the smoky flavor of the bacon. I mean, how can you not? The bacon is piled up a few inches on the sandwich. The sandwich comes with chips. The first time I was there, the chips had some kind of seasoning on them and were delicious. The 2nd time, they were plain. Still delicious, but not additional seasoning, so I don't know if they changed things or if my chips just didn't get a sprinkling the 2nd time. I've also had the stacked duck nachos. The duck was really tender and delicious, but the portion was pretty small. I think there were 6 stacks, each stack having 2 chips...so it went chip-duck-cheese-chip-duck-cheese-salsa. It'd be a good plate if you're not too hungry. They have a decent beer list, with most of the beers being in cans, but its a great variety. I haven't tried any cocktails, but it looked like they have some pretty creative drinks. I love the atmosphere...its really laid back, and there are bocce courts in the back with stadium seating to take in the action. On my last trip there, they were blasting early 90's music...Bel Biv Devoe anyone? It was great! read more

Whaaaaaat?!!? 12 oysters for the price of 6? Done! Originally wanted to check out Pearl Dive for some oysters, but they were packed. We were told by the hostess to try their upstairs bar which ended up being Black Jack. Walking up the stairs you feel like ur about to enter a club, when u turn the corner you see a bar that looks like some sort of magical stage. Red curtains, circus lights, dark and moody color schemes and the best freakin mascot on the planet ( a red winged monkey wearing a top hat)... They had 80s rap playing and a movie projected on the brick wall behind the bar... It was the Nutty Professor, weird right? Well that's what I loved about the place. It was an eclectic mash of crazy with amazing oyster specials. I'll take it! I could've hung here all night. It kinda felt like that bar in Shrek were all the bad guys would hang out. Oddly enough... I liked it! Oh and the oysters were Pearl Dive quality, meaty, healthy and perfectly shucked. I'll be back. read more

warning- i'm probably doing this review a slight disservice since i didn't try any of their cocktails (which sounded AMAZING and next time i go, i'll have to try their version of a moscow mule....which is named differently on the menu, but i digress). we were out celebrating a birthday so i stuck to my requisite vodka sodas to quench my thirst. literally started at black jack at 9 pm until last call which i believe was 1:45 a.m. few hits: -it never got CRAZILY crowded but it was still good atmosphere -luckily we were able to snag the back area with the couches so we could actually sit and celebrate our friend's birthday (DO YOU KNOW HOW RARE IT IS TO FIND SEATS AT ANY DC BAR/LOUNGE FOR YOUR BIG-ASS GROUP THAT MAGICALLY KEEPS ON INCREASING) -once the servers/ cocktail waitresses? accepted the fact that we were there to stay, they seemed attentive and not as rude as before (seriously what is up with their aggressive territorial tendencies? if someone paid me a nickel for every imaginary line that one of us crossed, we could have paid for our bar tab in nickels. and we're an alcoholic bunch.) -no minimum tab or anything for sitting at the tables, which was nice few misses: -there was an abnormally strong male to female ratio which i would usually say is great....until you saw these guys. -only TWO unisex bathroom stalls for the entire place (wasn't too bad other than the wait.) i got to chat with a lot of people in line, which is a good thing if you're bored as hell or have no friends. -music would be great for two songs and then revert to something terrible. i mean whoever lent their ipod should seriously be considered persona non grata. read more