I love this place! The staff is always friendly, and the drink deals are hard to beat. Great neighborhood dive bar!

Came for the trivia, will be back for the vibes. Staff was friendly and efficient even with a packed house. Great affordable rotating deals including 3-4 dollar cans of beer a 5 buck pour of some cheap bubbly, which is very nice for DC. Got a couple cheeseburgers and the fries were crispy with a dusting of old bay - burger was good, not going to blow your mind but it's solid bar food. We'll be back! read more

Nice, lowkey bar. Some good deals on there (including a $7 HH espresso martini). The burger is solid, comes with old bay fries and pretty quick. read more

This is either a chill bar, or a packed loud bar. The red lights make everyone look god, we ordered NA drinks and treated like everyone else. There's some bar food, but I didn't see the menu. read more

This was like thee dive bar! I came in for Tendie Tuesday (half off chicken tenders/fries) and I left full for the low price of $6 - honestly a steal. House margs are also $7 on Tuesdays! Come for the cheap food and drink, stay for the great bartenders who know everyone in the neighborhood and call you honey when you walk in. I didn't get a chance to check out the rooftop but it is open year round. I hear it's smoker friendly if that's your vibe. I will absolutely be back here for more specials and to check out trivia! read more

Red Derby - chicken tenders - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This is such a great unassuming spot to get cheap beer and cheap eats. We stopped in on a Tuesday, grabbed a table on the rooftop (it's not a fully open rooftop, but still nice). Their Tuesday deal was unbeatable, half of tenders and fries (came out to $6) and $3 tecates. I noticed that the rooftop allows smoking, which is cool but may not be everyone's cup of tea. Service was really friendly too! read more

Fun place -- total dive. But the food is quite good. You won't be disappointed. They make a mean burger amongst other things.

Came here for a friend's birthday and enjoyed high quality cocktails for a decent price. I got a jelly like drink from a can which was delicious. I don't know what it was but definitely ask for it, it's like if several Skittles were melted into a drink (but not as sweet). It's delicious! Give it a try! There were plenty of seats for a large group even though it's a cozy bar. There's also plenty of food options. The upstairs enclosed roof deck area is a good area to grab food or sit at the bar. It brought back memories of when it used to be an open rooftop. Overall, red derby is always a good time for food and drinks. You can't go wrong coming here. read more

As a bar Red Derby is great. The bartenders who work there are efficient, good at making drinks, and do it with a smile. Their rooftop is also refreshing. I didn't realize it was a rooftop but it had good centralization and didn't feel stuffy at all. Their food is a little lackluster (I had the chicken tenders) but besides that, good time. read more

A disapointment at best. I had heard a lot about this place and decided to make taco Tuesday a thing. All in all. The service - fantastic. Never felt alone. Had all are questions answered. Wonderful. read more

Joe my dawg yung..........Cheers vibes here when ur here everyboooody know ur name.........Can make friends here usually feel lonely until we kickin it there, all love yo thanx for good times bein polite.....made a few homies in the process read more

Absolutely love the red derby! My friends and I were looking for a consistent trivia spot (so many options in DC but most are very pricy!) Red Derby has wonderful food, great drink choices, and phenomenal trivia hosts! We go nearly every week and it's truly felt more and more like home! The team is welcoming and really takes time to get to know you. My favorite part about the red derby is every time I tell someone about it, they tell me they had also been there before and had a great experience! Never heard a bad thing about them. (Parking In the area also isn't too bad! Which is always important to note in DC!) read more

We went upstairs to the covered and heated rooftop bar. There were tons of board games to choose from so we decided on trivial pursuit. The beer selection here is phenomenal and I tried my first Lagunitas hoppy refresher, a non alcoholic zero calorie sparkling water with the flavor of refreshing hops! It was the flavor of beer without the calories or the alcohol, brilliant! Our bartender was super fast and very friendly. A great spot to check out if you're in the neighborhood. read more

Red Derby - a can of beer on a table - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

A perfect stop if you're looking for a divey spot with cheap beer and good vibes. They always have a $3.50 lucky pick beer special where they randomly give you one of their (presumably cheaper) beers--my friend and I got two Miller Lites, a Tecati, and a Narragansett tallboy. Reasonable (leaning cheap for DC) prices with a cool atmosphere and attentive service--I will definitely be back. read more

Red Derby - people sitting at tables in a bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Vibes are great! Prices are good too! There's small outdoor covered patio, a downstairs inside bar, and a covered rooftop bar. Didn't try the food, but the bartender seemed friendly and the drinks were good! read more

My first time coming here! As soon as you walk in, they ask you to use hand sanitizer before sitting down which I am a huge advocate of. There are heated outdoor tables as well. I went to the rooftop where there were heated lamps so it wasn't cold as well. The staff were SO nice and checked up on us very often. Seriously -- I've never met sweeter staff so please tip them well :) I ordered Mac n cheese bites with fries. I thought it was a bit ridiculous that they charged $.50 to old bay, but I paid it anyways. I also ordered cheese quesadillas. To be honest, the food I ordered was simply okay, nothing special. The drinks however were so cheap, especially for DC!! I would come again for the drinks and the experience, but order something else. read more

Red Derby - Rooftop View - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Solid little bar in Columbia Heights! The upstairs roof has tables to hang at and some seating at the bar. It's definitely tight though and not the spot for more than 6ish people. In the winter they put heaters up there for you to stay warm. The beers are on the cheaper side & they have some solid snack food. Can never go wrong with their fries. All in all a good spot to catch up with friends! Bathrooms are gender neutral (single stall). LGBTQ friendly. There is a stair to enter the bar initially and then the roof has a ton of stairs and is tight for folks with limited mobility. read more

I love Red Derby for a night when I'm looking to have a few beers and catch up with friends. Their all-day lucky pick beer is a great deal - $3.50 for a surprise beer, which in my experience leads to getting a good variety of different kinds of beer. I went the other night and got a Narragansett and a Tecati, and before I've received Miller Lites, Budweiser, and even IPAs before. The service is quick, and you can either order at the bar or when the server comes to your table. The downstairs is pretty grungy but I love sitting on the rooftop, which has a great ambiance with colorful string lights. Definitely recommend for a cheap drinking night! read more

Red Derby - Narragansett lucky pick - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

A classic uptown, divey NW DC bar in a local community on 14th Street. This bar is the quintessential landing spot for a craft beer, good eats, casual atmosphere and friendly staff. My first impression of this place is the imagery is reminiscent of a modern day Cheers bar (if you are familiar with the old television sitcom from the 80s). Nothing about this place is pretentious. The staff and the patrons are very down to Earth and the demographic resembles the diversity that you would otherwise expect from an evolving DC population. They supply a wide variety of national, imported and locally crafted canned beers. Their beer selection is actually quite impressive and they have virtually every kind of beer you'd desire from Americans, lagers, wheats, European ale, IPA and even ciders. Their food is also top tier bar food. I was impressed with how detail-oriented the kitchen cooks were with the burgers and fries. They were very much cooked to order and didn't lack any level of flavor or freshness. Overall a good experience. If you're looking for an off the beaten path, uptown bar give this place a try. read more

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If I could give this place a zero I would. Me and my family were very excited to go to this place for my birthday as there were many suggestions from social media. Right when we walked in I was greeted by this nasty mean short bartender yelling at us to show our IDs aggressively (no exaggeration) , as if we were children. MIND YOU, I am a grown adult, a registered nurse, and I am 25 years old. Nor me or my family were rambunctious as this was our first stop of the night so I truly did not understand the passive aggressiveness right away. While this was our first experience in a dive bar my family member simply asked if there were seltzers. Apparently, he was dumbfounded by this question and cursed at her. I don't know if he was just having a bad night or is just sad with his life but, the aggressive approach this bartender had created for us immediately made us leave. I'm very upset that this was our first dive bar experience and we will always remember it being degrading and nasty. I am very disappointed in this place. This bartender must think he runs the world for him to treat first comers like that. VERY weird. DON'T come here if you're young and looking to have a good time. You will be greeted with unwelcoming attitudes. You might as well just stick to the more known places around D.C. 0/5 stars read more

Red Derby - Rude staff BEWARE - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Solid neighborhood dive bar! Love coming here to hang out with friends during the week. It can get pretty crowded on a weekend. I love their drink selections, whether you're a beer person, want a cider, or are looking for something new to try, you'll def find something you like. read more

Great wings, I had the opportunity to sample the Wednesday wings today, I am impressed read more

Best bar in all of DC! Good food, great drinks, amazing people. Always a fun event or themed night to attend!

Great bar with rooftop vibes - the rooftop is not an open ceiling, but the lighting and height of the ceiling gives that same airy feeling. Dive bar, good for big groups. The downstairs is even good for a date as it's kind of tight near the window. read more

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CASH ONLY! so don't go inviting friends without telling them I came here on a Sunday morning. Because they are in transition with cooks, the brunch specials were not available. Also, only the brunch side of the menu was available at the time so I couldn't order sweet potato fries. I was pretty bummed about that but then came the dinner rolls. So yay! Something to eat right away. They were not the best but they fill you up anyway. I ended up ordering the breakfast burger with a fried egg. This is a good item to order if you are reeeeally hungry. It'll fill you up! Since my friends were happy with their food, especially the smoked salmon, I don't feel too bad taking them to a cash only place. Lol read more

Red Derby - Good food for good company. See our meals - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Not only is red derby a CH legend - Sasha, on staff, is the best person ever! Kindest people in the world work here. Great value, even better hangs. read more

Attended the rooftop bar for a Sunday funday. The rooftop is covered and has fans... so it still felt comfortable despite the 80+ degree day. The service wasn't the best but the margaritas were delicious and cheap. Remember it's cash only so plan accordingly. I plan on coming back for Mario Cart and Cocktails on Wednesdays! read more

Red Derby - Can't wait to go to Mario Cart night! - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came here with a group of friends, the place is really small but they have roof top where we were seated. Chairs and Tables are limited! FYI it's a CASH ONLY kind of Bar/Restaurant. They have a lot of choices in the menu, but half of them are not Available, the reason was they don't have a cook. I'm not happy with that. I decided to get a Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese and toasted bagel. My expectation was really low to this place BUT Oh My! the smoked salmon was really good. I highly recommend you get this (Smoke Salmon). Sooo good!!! read more

Red Derby - Smocked Salmon with Cream Cheese and Bagel - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We had a great time here. I was with my nephew who is in his early 20s and new to the area. Seeing reviews of this place we expected a 20-30s crowd... but we saw more of a 40-50s crowd early in the evening then a younger crowd much later. But the atmosphere was fun. It had that neighborhood kinda feel. Love the old time beers and music too. Plus you can't go wrong with the beer and a shot combos. Our bartender was cool. And staff was all friendly. Love the rooftop, board game options and great place to come with a group. As for food... I found my new favorite combo there. We wanted something lite... we ordered the wedged mac and cheese with sweet potato fries... mmmm that hit the spot. Just remember it's a cash only bar. I took off the star for smoking... if you can't tolerate the smell, this place isn't for you. The smell filters down to the bar. We will definitely come back. read more

Red Derby - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Stopped in on a Thursday night, and the place was properly divey - dim, red lights, with a soundless film being played on a screen above the bar. We snagged the last two seats, a table in the back. The burger was good - cooked as I'd ordered, with toppings piled nice and tall, and tasty fries. And spicy mustard was on the table - didn't even have to ask for it. But the burger was stacked directly on top of the fries on a small tray - is it too much to ask for bigger trays, or maybe, just maybe, some plates? I have seen them used at many other establishments throughout the city that serve burgers, even beyond the Four Seasons... And a single server was handling all the tables, so it was pretty slow. read more

Red Derby - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The Derby is a good deal for drinks and is down to earth. There are so many $10-a-beer, $15-a-wine or cocktail trendy, fancy bars all over town now, but places like the Derby keep it real. And it's nice to have that as an option. And the crowd is cool and lively. When I lived in Clarendon, where there are so many trendy bars, I would sometimes come all the way up to Columbia Heights to drink at the Derby for that reason. Great place for a happy hour or night-cap as well. Their beer selection is really good as well - all KINDS of selections by the can. IPAs, milk stouts, sours, the 'pork slap,' whatever. And there's a great happy hour if you want to drink PBR or Natty Bo's that are literally $1. For wines, don't expect high-end pinots or Bordeaux, but the sparkling wine is decent. It falls down on food, though, as the burgers and other sandwiches are frankly pretty low quality in my view. You'd do much, much better to go eat a few doors down at Mezalero or Taqueria Habanero and then go for drinks here (or vice versa). Just a heads up - weekend nights can get real crowded. I prefer Weds or Thursdays personally. read more

If you don't like cash only joints, I suggest you stop reading now because this is CASH ONLY for everything. Despite the fact, this place is awesome and always lively even during the weekdays! Don't get me started with their food deals. 1/2 priced seafood meals on Sundays and burgers on Mondays! For the price their seafood and burgers are worth the 6-7 dollars you pay! Also, the fries are seriously sent from heaven! I just couldn't stop myself. So crisp and effing good! Also, on Wednesday they do 6 dollar burritos. The burritos are a little skimpy on the meat, but for 6 dollars, can't complain!! Canned beers? YES I CAN! With a wide selection of imports, trashy, classy--you can't really go wrong. In the 2-10 dollar price range, it's such a great deal. Also, did I mention their dollar off happy hour? Strohs and PBR are already 2 dollars... From 5 to 8, they are 1 dollar. I personally love their Tokyo Black--one of their more expensive ones--but so gahdamnn tasty and refreshing! If you into dark beers! Add all of these great things with their lighted rooftop deck and you got PERFECTION! And if you find yourself adventurous, come play their board games! Their bar tenders or can openers should I say are really nice and chill. Found it awesome that the bar tender shook my hand and introduced himself before I talked to him. That's what I call hospitality! Can't wait to come back to red derby--especially after I go to an ATM! read more

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Chill little dive bar. Sat upstairs at the rooftop.Roof is now enclosed because of the cold weather, but folks were still able to smoke up there. Everyday they have happy hour. The fish po boy was alright, as well as he shrimp basket. I would def come back again!!!! read more

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came for the drinks. stayed for the bartender @JOE also the cheeseburger was fire ! ! read more

Red Derby - drink. - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This place is the opposite of the plethora of overpriced snobby DC bars that seem to pop up all over town lately. They're cash only and have Natty Bo and a bunch of other Midwestern beers in cans for just a couple bucks. They also have a decent selection of other beers if you're willing to spend a few more bucks. Bring some friends, grab a few cheap beers, get a seat on the upstairs patio and maybe grab a board game from the stack downstairs. Food here is okay but it's typical bar food so don't expect too much. Oh and I think you can smoke on the patio upstairs but it wasn't too smoky when I was there. I enjoyed this place and its light impact on my wallet so I'll be back here for sure. read more

Red Derby - Chicken tenders and fries - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Red Derby is a dive bar that has the best grilled burgers in the area!! Trust me on this one.. Been my spot for burgers since 2015.

This is one of my top dive bars in DC. I went to this place often when living in DC and just returned while visiting for the holidays. Red Derby is easy to overlook as the exterior doesn't advertise loudly that they are open or that they even exist. But once inside, you are almost always greeted by a friendly bartender and can look around to realize that this place is where the locals go. The bar rooftop is great, especially in summer for long weekend brunching and day drinking. The food is nothing special, but it is warm, well-priced, and hits the spot. The beer selection is extensive and affordable. There are also a lot of whiskey and beer combos for cheap. Just a heads up, they are cash only! You have my heart, Red Derby. See you next time. read more

Red Derby - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

D.C. doesn't have a Bushwick or a Williamsburg to call its own, but Red Derby is just the sort of cool and alternative bar that it needs. It definitely leans more unpretentious hipster than divey and its cheap drink prices are such a breath of fresh air in D.C. To me, it feels like Red Derby is run by the cool kid you knew in college who decorated their dimly lit dorm room with string lights, boasted an impressive alcohol selection on their windowsill, and replicated the college radio station's decor by treating every inch of wall space as a potential magazine cutting and Polaroid picture collage. Head up to the rooftop and grab a $3 PBR or two. If a cheap canned beer isn't your style, one of the friendly flannel-wearing bartenders can help you find an alternative. (I'd recommend 21st Amendment's Hell or High Watermelon wheat beer.) If you're coming here to unwind for a weekday happy hour, try to get here before 6 or 6:30 p.m. because it can get hard to find a seat afterwards. read more

Best local and dive bar in DC. It's well known enough that you don't have to feel out of place for being a newbie (hell, I'm still a newbie) but still local enough that you can sit down and recognize familiar faces. Prices are cheap, and the secret about Red Derby is that they have awesome brünch. I'm not supposed to tell you that secret because me and all my neighbors would like to keep it to ourselves, but I love coming here on a weekend morning and getting a breakfast sandwich with a drink and tots for less than $15. Can't beat that, and it's slow enough that service and food is quick. At night, this place has a good vibe whether it's a Friday or a Wednesday. There's also watch parties for political debates and events which is the one time I'd say it's too busy to move around easily. Other than that, this is my favorite bar to hang out with friends. read more

Red Derby - Roof area - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Punk bar that doesn't have punk bands, charges $3.50 for budweiser....I mean.... Nah man. I know you need to make money, but that's just lying. read more