This place surprised me, not for anything about the bar itself because on all counts its a thoroughly normal and average bar. Rather, because it exists, and has apparently been around for 8 years. Until the pandemic, I actually worked on the very same block Jackpot is on, walked by it all the time, frequented other bars and restaurants on the block, and I never noticed it before. A friend and I were in the neighborhood looking for a place to grab a couple of drinks, and we saw some people exiting from a basement entrance. We didn't see a sign for the place, but there was a chalkboard placard with happy hour prices and a note saying, "It's a bar." The vibe ended up being exactly what we were looking for on a rainy weeknight. It wasn't too crowded, and it wasn't too loud. Both of us are a little hard of hearing, so it was nice to have a conversation in a bar without having to shout at each other. The beer was standard DC pricing at $8 to $10, so nothing unexpected. I would have liked more IPA options, but they had some good ones. The bartender was a little chatty with whom I'm guessing are regulars, and it could be difficult to get his attention to get an order on an otherwise not busy night, but when we did get his attention he was friendly, and got our drinks quickly. Not sure if I'll ever go out of my way to come here, but if I'm in the neighborhood looking for a place to drink, it'll definitely be considered. read more

This place is a staple of DC late night bar scenes. We have come here with work colleagues countless times. The drink list is excellent - so many beers, and types of beers. The service is what you would expect from a bar like this - helpful when less empty, and trying when the place fills up. It's dark and underground with high tops and couches - like I said, the type of feel you'd expect for a late night local bar scene. Worth a drink and maybe you'll meet someone new! read more

If you've ever heard of the term "hidden gem" then you know that phrase describes this amazing dive bar. I heard from a previous DC local that this was a place you wanted to go if you wanted to have good brews and some popcorn on the side. I was already amazed by the fact that I couldn't find this place on the GPS because it kept taking me past it, until when I finally saw someone talking about it while they entered into the place. In my defense it was real dark and I couldn't see very well the signs. This was located in Chinatown here at DC. It was awesome because the first thing you do when you enter is take the steps down just like you would a basement and amazing decoration until you reach the underground railroad (JK! it's not a railroad). There's a large selection of beers and they are definitely at a bargain. I came here with my girlfriend and she absolutely adored the joint. I was excited to spend a couple hours here after flying in and getting a couple of drinks before beginning the weekend. Oo yea and the bartenders were awesome and funny! I can't wait to come back to DC to come and have some more beers and popcorn, can't forget that free popcorn. read more

Jackpot - Brooklyn Oktoberfest and Oxbow bowie Belgian blonde - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is the spot to be if you are looking for a cool dive bar to hit up before a game/show/whatever at the Verizon/Capital One Center. Across the street from the arena and down a narrow staircase is an oaysis of good beers on tap and FREE POPCORN. Their draft taps are constantly changing and you're bound to find something for everyone in the party. Friendly bartenders and happy hour specials. Hard to beat! read more

Jackpot - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This bar has all of my favorite things in a dive: 1) A borderline grunge-y basement aesthetic 2) Low lighting; 3) Cheap drinks (especially during their everyday happy hour); and 4) Free popcorn. Seriously, what more could you want in a dive bar? Especially in Chinatown, surrounded by overpriced tapas and cocktails, Jackpot manages to stay hip and unpretentious. Don't come here expecting anything ritzy - this isn't going to make the list of top bars in DC - but it is the best go-to spot for some cheap beer, munchies, and good conversations with friends. read more

Bars like this are what I miss about living in DC. It seems like a dive bar at first... in a basement, kinda dark hole-in-the-wall, but that's where it stops. From there you have an excellent selection of beers with lots of local options, friendly bartenders, good music, TVs primarily showing sports, and free popcorn which the bartenders offer (don't have to know to ask for it). The place has a diverse crowd (age, ethnicity, etc) and it feels like an authentic slice of DC. read more

Little hole in the wall vibe in Chinatown. $2 off any beer during HH, 4-8P. Free popcorn, no other food. They allow you to bring in your own, though! Pretty solid beer list for a tiny spot. Bartender was friendly & gave us a bunch of recommendations for DC. read more

Jackpot - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I don't drink, but it's a fun place to hangout with people who do, especially before a game. Warning, there's no food here. They only give free popcorn. Also another warning, the noise level is really really high, especially before a game. Please see the photo for happy hour times. Service staff, especially the bouncer are extremely friendly. read more

Jackpot - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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According to NIOSH, "Exposure to loud sounds can cause hearing loss, tinnitus, or both. Hearing loss is often caused by prolonged exposure to loud sounds (especially when hearing protection is not used or the ear does not have enough time to rest between exposures) but it can also happen from a single very loud exposure such as that from firearm or a firecracker. The louder the sound, the shorter the amount of time it takes for hearing loss to occur. NIOSH uses a 3-dB exchange rate which is also known as "trading ratio" or "time-intensity tradeoff", it basically means that for every 3-dB increase in noise exposure, the duration must be cut in half. Conversely, for every 3-dB decrease in noise exposure, duration of exposure can be doubled." Because LAeq is above 85 dBA (and Projected Dose is above 100%), a more detailed survey by a professional IH/OSH may be required. Noise controls and hearing protection for employees should be required at this venue. This test was done using the NIOSH SLM app on April 4, 2019 at 6:39 pm. read more

Jackpot - NIOSH Sound Level Meter at Jackpot - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We love Jackpot! An easy place to meet up or hang out before or after events at Capital One or just an afternoon in the city! We LOVEEE the free popcorn too:) perfectly salty read more

Jackpot - Free popcorn - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Great dive bar. The bartender was amazing. Always made sure to keep a drink in my hand. Good music, great ambiance. Reasonable prices on the drinks. read more

A dive bar which has free wifi and free popcorn. What more could you want? Dimly lit for ambiance and located in the basement with air conditioning. All the items required for escaping the hot summer weather. Drinks are super cheap and you'll find happy hour prices all night long that won't break the bank. Bartender was cool and made sure we had plenty of popcorn to go around. The fire alarm went off at one point while we were here. Not sure if it was popcorn that set it off. read more

Honestly by far the best bar in DC! Tiny hole in the wall place with great deals, fresh popcorn and a pup named Astro! We asked the locals where to go for good beers and they pointed us to here and every DC trip will now consist of a stop here! Service was amazing and the added bonus of seeing Astro the lab made our day! read more

I was in Washington, D.C for a couple days and wanted to have a fun night out with my husband. We google'd "divey bars" and this unassuming bar caught our eye. The lights are dim. The music is soft. The bartender can read your mind. Jackpot is the "no frills" of all bars and the cleanest "dive" bar I have known. It's casual, yet you can get away with having a romantic date night here. As I looked around at the bar patrons, I saw a lot of groups and couples. This really is the place to relax and shoot the sh**. We pulled up to the longular wooden bar on a Thursday night. Buzzing, but not too busy. The drink menu has a lot of *different options (*different, meaning a lot of local brews I haven't seen in the Midwest). I tried the Bold Rock Virginia Cider, under recommendation from the bartender. It was just what the doctor ordered! I asked for something light and not too sweet, and I received just that! My second drink I asked for something fruity and the bartender gave me a sample of a cherry cider. SOLD! My husband had the same luck with some IPAs. Which I knew the name of the bartender! Also, if the free popcorn doesn't get your butt in this door, then I don't know what will. Located a block from Chinatown- this place compliments a ramen dinner. I will return when I'm back in DC! read more

I had a great time. I stubbled upon this place. It is for sure a hidden gem. Sam the bartender was amazing. This is a BAR. There is only popcorn available. You are allowed to bring in outside food which is great. A wide variety of beers and a dark speakeasy vibe. read more

Jackpot - Happy Hour - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This is a cute little pub in Chinatown. They even have Wifi (select "Jackpot" and NOT "Jackpot Wifi"). The bartender will give you the code. This is a nice gathering spot to watch a game or have a drink with friends. I didn't notice an elevator so be prepared to walk down the stairs. The bartenders are nice. The space can feel a bit crowded at peak times. Bonus points for the yummy popcorn. read more

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On your mark, set set, DIVE!!! Ladies there is no need to pull your Stilettos out for this place, but it's still a good time. The storefront is very small, you have to go downstairs to get to the actual establishment, so it's easy to miss it. It's like Rocket Bar in that respect but much smaller. They have a really good selection of beer. The happy hour is 4pm-8pm with $2 off beer and $5 rail drinks (cocktails). And the best part is.... FREE POPCORN! How fun is that! The buttery aroma has me sold as soon as I sat down. The bartender was great, good conversation and made sure we stayed filled up. read more

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I stumbled across this place when looking for a cheap happy hour spot after work. If The door was it propped open I probably would have walked past it. When you walk through the door you immediately walk down a long staircase and are met with a man checking IDs. After that you walk into a big open space. There's a smell of popcorn in the air, which is free, a long bar, a sitting area with a couch and a TV, and high top tables. Happy hour ends at 8 PM, which is wonderful for those who get off of work late and are looking for a drink. Happy hour drinks are five dollars for real. You can't beat that! The drinks are strong and good. The atmosphere is laid back and low lighting. The downside is that this bar does not serve food outside of the free popcorn. However you are allowed to bring outside food in, which is a plus. I would say I may return to the establishment to pregame, however it would not be my go to spot. read more

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Found this place randomly killing time in Chinatown. Went downstairs and sat down. They have free popcorn. It felt like I had just entered a real life Cheers. The bartender hit on my partner when I wasn't looking. ha. Yeah, highly recommend this place but keep an eye out on your significant other. read more

TL;DR - This is a bar, not a restaurant. Food found elsewhere. - Wide draught selection. Cheaper than average. - Caps game = packed. Otherwise, fairly quiet. - Dark, speakeasy vibes This is my typical haunt when hanging out in Chinatown, because it is an unapologetic dive-bar in an area full of establishments that otherwise try to act on their best behavior. Not so much a hole-in-the-wall as it is one in the ground, but the underlying theme is the same. And when I say hole-in-the-ground, there is a staircase that you must take to descend in to the bar. That is it. No upper level. The fact that it is underground is great not only because it stays relatively comfortable in DC's incredibly muggy summers, but because it gives the place a neat speakeasy vibe. This is reinforced by the low-level lighting. It can get pretty dark in here, so watch your step. On average, the place is pretty empty and quiet, which is awesome for me. However, I accidentally went here during a Caps game, and it was slammed and loud. Not my greatest experience, but it reinforces the impression that this is a place for the locals in an area that is swarming with tourists. If you've ever spent just 5 minutes in Chinatown, I know you feel me. Now, this is most certainly a bar. Drinking is what you should be here to do. I've read from other reviewers that there is free popcorn, but I've never bothered to look for it (because I'm here to drink). Point is, there are tons of great places to eat in the immediate vicinity of this place. If you are hungry, go to them. Bonus is that draught beers seem to be a smidgen cheaper than the average price tag for a DC bar. I don't know if it was a special during the Caps game or what, but I paid $6.85, as opposed to the typical $8, for my beer. Come here for chill vibes and cheap (by DC standards) beer. read more

Great beer list. Friendly staff. Very simple place. No fancy cocktails. We'll be back.

My man Sam was holding it down last Tuesday. You cant beat great people, good drinks, and free popcorn. Also great late night spot! read more

Jackpot - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Great low key basement bar. Tons of TVs and beers on draft... best part is the popcorn.

Great bar in Chinatown. For a basement bar, it feels clean and hip. They have a great happy hour, $2 off all beers and a great selection of local beers that you won't find everywhere. The bartender is really nice and there's free popcorn! I would recommend for work HHs or getting a beer with a friend. read more

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Excellent bartenders. Popcorn is free (yay!!). Clean bathrooms. Extensive bangin' beer list. PHENOMENAL happy hour specials

Starr C. had told me about this dive bar in downtown, so I was excited to check it out... especially after reading so many good reviews on Yelp! Also, I love dive bars! I love when bars have happy hour at the same time every single day of the week. It definitely makes it easy to remember! And drinks were pretty cheap, so I can see why this place was pretty packed! Happy Hour every day from 4pm - 8pm - perfect place to grab a drink or five before heading over to Verizon Center to catch a Wizards game (which is what we did). $2 off beer; $5 rail drinks... and free popcorn. #win read more

Jackpot - Jackpot - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Went here all 3 nights of our trip. Free popcorn! Happy hour is a good idea, $5 rail, $2 off drafts. Underground (steps to get there). Nice bouncer man. Gives 20% industry discount. Dark atmosphere. read more

This is a nice hideaway while out in DC. It wasn't a crazy night, but I liked how low-key the Jackpot was. Very dim with the lighting, the music was low, and plenty of their local craft beer! Apparently this place gets packed for sporting events involving the local sports and college teams, which would explain the TV's. Oh and there's free popcorn available to snack on, no it's not buttered, but goes great with beer! I like their bar set up as well with their whiskey and scotch selection, but I was bar hopping so no cocktail at this location. This is a good sized bar with some high tops, so not a bad place for a hangout. read more

This bar was just the kind of bar I was looking for after a long day of exploring the city: a tad divey with quirky charm, a pleasant low-key vibe even as the crowds started to roll in, a good drink list, good tunes, and a young but not overly obnoxious crowd. Around 9 p.m. on a Saturday night, the place had ample seating, but fast-forward to 9:30, and crowds of at least 6 or more at a time started to file down the stairs. I was so glad to be seated! The beer list was impressive; I was thankful there was at least one hard cider on there, though! (Damn food allergies. Haaa.) The beau and I both got the Bold Rock Blood Orange Hard Cider, and DAMN! Excellent choice! At $7 each, it was affordable enough. (I'm from NYC. I'm jaded when it comes to high food and drink prices. Ha!) I'm not sure what else to say! Simply, this is a great bar. So...go! Right now! Leave work if you have to! (Okay, perhaps I shouldn't condone that. Haaa.) I was sad to see the famous popcorn machine was broken upon our arrival, as some free popcorn would have made a wonderful accompaniment to our ciders; hopefully it'll be up and running should I ever come here again on a future D.C. visit! read more

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Nice bar with wooded accents and a quality selection of brews. I believe it's $2 off during happy hour which runs 4-8. I sampled the Belgian ale saison and hefeweizen and chose the saison. It was rich bodied with berry notes and at 7 or 8% abv, great for a HH deal. The bartender was pleasant and this made for a nice stop on our pre-dinner bar crawl. read more

Why don't I come here more? Oh right, because Chinatown is overwhelming and hectic. Too bad, as Jackpot offers hard-to-find beers that you can't order at any other bars in DC, such as Avery Imperial Oktoberfest. Sure, the prices are expensive (the above beer was $10), but I make this up for this in the amount of *free* popcorn that I consume. This popcorn is warm and perfectly salted and probably the most delicious bar popcorn of my life-- definitely better than the stale popcorn at Chaplin's. ALSO! Happy hour is 7 days a week, 4-8pm, which is quite a late happy hour. A+. While the 4G is spotty since this is a dark basement bar, there's free wifi! read more

Jackpot - Free popcorn! - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Super neat spot with a wide selection of brews. Love the dark basement vibe (You literally walk down a flight of stairs to get to this bar if you have accessibility concerns). Everyone here was really chill. I wasn't sure what to expect when there was a bouncer at the front door before 5pm asking for IDs but it's definitely not a youngster club or super rowdy. Be prepared to sit and enjoy drinks with friends along with free popcorn. read more

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This place is just great. I was over the hotel bar and was looking for something close by. Jackpot is right! The vibe, tunes, and brews were exactly what I was looking for. Super nice / cool bartenders and fun crowd make this a bar to hit for sure. read more

It's fantastic to actually have a "chill" bar near the Verizon Center! Its very easy to miss as you walk by on the street which adds to the allure. I went before and after a Caps game and to my surprise, neither time was extremely packed! They have a quite a few beers on tap and a big whiskey selection. It is a simple bar that does things simply. There are a handful of tables against one wall and a long bar area with lots of stools along the other with ample standing space between the two sections. They do not have a kitchen but you can bring your own food into the bar. They also have free popcorn! (unfortunately I'm assuming this bar eventually will become extremely crowded like the other ones near the Verizon Center. I might have to edit this review when that time comes, but until then, this bar is 5 stars!) read more

Jackpot - Look on the door for the sign - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I love myself a good dive bar!! Coming from NYC, I was exposed to very many and I haven't found a real divey bar in DC until this one! We stumbled upon Jackpot after dinner at Momiji and I instantly knew it was meant to be when I saw that they were giving out FREE POPCORN!!! My kind of bar. I loved the chill environment here, great to sit down and chat with friends while slugging back a few beers, or in our case, whiskey shots (yikes). Upon checking the beer menu, I saw that one particular beer has 11.4% alcohol!! I don't have much knowledge about beer so my strategy is to always pick the beer with the highest alc content and this is by far the highest I've seen (it was called the marionberry btw). I asked the bartender for a sample and was told that he had 3 of these the other week and had to call out of work the next day. Immediately, I told him to SIGN ME UP. The beer was light and fruity yet sneaks up on you. It was perfect (and quite possibly my new favorite beer now)!! Seriously come here for the vibes, free popcorn, and the marionberries!!!! read more

Who doesn't like popcorn and beer? It's a very casual hangout spot not much room for seating but it's comfortable Will be back! read more

I like the overall grunge dive bar feel of this place. Beware: no food here, but the popcorn is pretty addictive. Only four stars because only an okay selection of beer - wouldve liked to see some ciders on there, but that's just my personal preference. Overall a cool spot to stop by for a bit on a date or with friends for a short while! read more

This is an amazing DIVE bar. It'll serve what you want to drink but come here for the beer... IPA's, Cider, Ale, Pilsner they have it. It's a whiskey and beer bar. The bartender Brian is totally awesome. He's the only bartender here and is on top of everything including the freshly made popcorn. There is no decor. It's not pretentious or pretty but like an old comfortable worn shoe you're welcome the minute you sit down and order a drink. We were in DC and wanted a local bar. That's what we found and happy we did. Go, try something new. read more

Jackpot - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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My husband and I love this cute little basement bar in Chinatown. It's literally just a bar. No pool tables, no dance floor just a few tables and bar seating. The clientele is more our demographic, working professionals so we feel very comfortable here. We have been several times and it's been the same two guys behind the bar, Brian and Ali I think. They are both very personable and helpful with navigating the beer menu and are willing to let you try any of their drafts before ordering a full pour. They have an awesome rotating beer selection and a great happy hour. $2 off beer and $5 rail drinks. read more

Jackpot - Raspberry ale - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Jackpot is one of the few go-to spots in Chinatown if you're looking for a high quality, unique beer selection. While they don't quite have the selection as RFD, Jackpot has provided me with some of the rarest beers I've drank in the last couple of years, such as the Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien. Great bartenders, minimalist decor, and a popcorn machine that's always full, Jackpot is a must-visit if you're in Chinatown. read more