This is a new venue for the U St Corridor since it was news to me when my large group entered. The atmosphere is chill, dim lighting, and has a nice aesthetic in the rear. I was with a large group so the staff was accommodating to our party size since it was a last minute event venue change. I ordered the fried calamari and a glass of wine. I was confused at first because the calamari looked like onion rings. Lol However it was definitely squid. It tasted a bit weird and unfortunately my tummy was upset the next day. Aside from that the prices on the menu were very reasonable for a bar. The staff was super generous to my large party and the venue has a chill vibe. I'd come again to try HH but will just avoid the seafood to be safe. read more

Red Lounge Bar & Grill - Fried Calamari - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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New staff members , I was there with my girls last night and had asked to make a drink a certain way the light skin girl behind the counter the bartender she was so rude and it was so uncalled for she didn't wanna accommodate at all and then went to exchange words to a friend of hers I wouldn't recommend this place if you want to have a good time. It was a disappointment and very unprofessional I wouldn't recommend it !. read more

Red lounge is a cool little spot. We visited for a little less than an hour late Saturday afternoon/evening-ish, while they were participating in a bar crawl. The bouncer here was very nice, which prompted our visit. The establishment has two stories. All of our time was spent on the second floor. The spacing here is very limited and narrow (for the most part). The music had a good mixture of old school hip hop from the early 2000s, at least when we were there. Due to the bar crawl, there were drink specials for about $11, which my friend enjoyed. read more

If you like to sit at the bar & see roaches just freely crawling. This is the spot for you. The food is disgusting. Like it's cooked in the microwave. The place is ran down looking, & the owner is cheap but greedy. Compared to all the other neighboring clubs, you can find way better! Don't waste your time or money read more

This club advertised a comedy show.There were no comedians, and the place was totally empty.

It was nice. We were here on a bar crawl. The bartender took orders as quickly as she could. She was doing good because it got pretty busy. We didn't get food from this location, but we definitely saw chicken tenders and fries. It looked good and we were very tempted to get food, but we had a couple other stops to get to so we ended up not getting it. However it was convincing so I would recommend trying it. The ambience was nice. I think they have a downstairs and an upstairs we stayed downstairs because we were rushed for time, but it was nice. They had seating in the back. The front was kind of open if it's not too packed, you can definitely dance. They had a special DJ, but he was definitely playing the vibes. We were enjoying our entire evening!. I believe that we came to this location last year and we were in the upstairs portion and I remember it being nice. I'll definitely have to go back and try to find some photos and if I do, I'll update the review for y'all. The drinks were good... Not epic, but it was a drink that you would expect on a bar crawl. read more

Red Lounge Bar & Grill - people sitting at tables - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Watch you check. I was charged 3 different prices for the same drink. Ask if the tip is included. The first time I paid 18 not knowing the tip was included. Second drink was 15.18 and the tip was included. The last drink (same drink was 17.10). This lady claimed happy hour discounted the price. I saw nothing on the menu that said this. I don't like it. read more

This is one of those places you go to out of familiarity. There's nothing terribly wrong with it, but it's also not going to be the highlight of your night either. It's on U Street so it's close to a slew of other bars and I usually start here and migrate somewhere else. Most of the time I visit this place, it is for a specific event. The food is okay, like really traditional bar options, and the service matches it. Unless you're friends with the staff, your service will be just ok. The drinks are strong and not usually a long line at the bar. This is a low key spot, but the music is usually super loud so talking is minimal as it turns into yelling. read more

Nice roomy bar with multiple levels. They have different promotions different days of the week. The bartenders were nice and the venue is quite large. Check it out. read more

I definitely understand why people think this place is sketch. Even I have passed by here dozens of times en route to Marvin's or The Gibson and at least half a dozen times I stopped, assessed the exterior, took one step forward, two steps back and then kept it moving. However, this weekend when I walked by I decided to forge through. Onward and upward towards the booming hip hop and $5 martinis. What we walked into was a pretty empty, small lounge. Not at all swanky. Not at all plush. Not particularly clean. I could tell it was going to be a one drinker, quitter. Martinis were only $5 and fittingly, I went for a dirty one. The bartender was very nice and actually made me a decent cocktail. There were only a few people there, most at the bar and absolutely none on the dance floor. I walked to the back to see what the private, "reserved" room looked like and I gotta tell you, it looked a bit sketch. The room was enclosed by glass and had a curtain that was pulled back. There was a sign to let people know there was a surveillance camera installed, so no funny business. Me thinks'twas odd. But damnit the music was good. If you're into mainstream hip hop, you would have really enjoyed the DJ. He was killing it...all by himself. Overall, I'm giving this place a 2.5 rating but rounding it up to 3 because it's not entirely fair for me to deem a place sketchy just for the look and the vibe. Nothing sketchy really happened while I was here, but I don't really have any plans to return. read more

Red Lounge Bar & Grill - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

After falling deeply in love with Black Panther the movie, the boyfriend and I just had to come to the pop-up bar during opening weekend at Red Lounge Bar & Grill. DC has had some stellar pop-up bars in the past couple of years and unfortunately, this was just not on the same level. Kind of a high school version of the likes of the Game of Thrones and the Cherry Blossom pop-up bars. With that being said, there were a few dope pieces on the walls by some local artists that I appreciated and though EXPENSIVE, the two drinks we tried were fun and STRONG AS HELL which pretty much equals a good time no matter where I am. (The bartender we ordered from could have been nicer/smiled at least once at us though, that would've been preferred.) They did play some good old school hip hop which is always nice, though I waited for the Black Panther soundtrack to be played and it never came. We didn't stay long because there wasn't too much to see really and upstairs was way too crowded for us. Was this the best representation of the magic that is Black Panther? Not so much, but we made it a good time anyway. read more

This place has the potential to be lively and fun. However, it's unfortunate that promoters work diligently to advertise minority owned businesses, only for us to be overcharged and mistreated. I ordered a vodka on the rocks. Instead, I was served a shot of vodka in a minature glass with one ice cube for $15 dollars. I later ordered my friend a drink. Unsurprisingly, It was also under poured and over priced. One thing is for certain, this venue is consistent. And not in a positive way. If you're going to charge $15 for drinks, you gotta do a lot better than that. If you can't, you don't need to be in business. Not to mention, we paid $10 dollars to get into the ratchet venue. What a ripoff. read more

This club is super ghetto and the drinks are over priced and watered down honestly you should literally go around the corner and the fat dj is an ass whole and ugly and plays bad music and old mf horrible customer service is shitty the bartenders are decent but the drinks are watered down (which I'm guessing is not their fault). Just shitty read more

Red Lounge Bar & Grill - Literally no one is dancing this shitty and the dj is a fat ass hole. - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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If you're looking for a lounge that has swank decor... THIS IS NOT IT. With that being said if you're looking to have a good time, with GREAT music... THIS IS IT!!! I've gone here several times mostly on Friday's and it has ALWAYS been free. Telltale sign that no one is in. However I visited this past weekend on a Saturday and it was crowded. I was at Pure before and me and my girls were the only ones there. Sooo happy we turned around to come back here. They even had $5 appletini's which were GREAT. Being from the South I sometimes like hood rat music, let's just say I got all that and more. I honestly felt like I was back in college and wanted to back-that-thang-up. If you're ever looking for a night of free partying, with good music, please stop by here. BTW, there weren't many cute guys soooo... lmao read more

Disgusting!!!!! The wings tasted like they came straight out of the freezer.....disgusting. The gentleman next to me stated the wings were disgusting , but he was hungry. The service was ok. They tasted to keep sorry you just have to pay for the wings despite the quality. The team could care less bc they wanted the money. Horrible!!! Do not come here!!!!! read more

A relaxing spot for late night drinks and entertainment. Decor is simple, hookah, and strong drinks. Food is mediocre but I'm not really there to eat. They host themed events and building has multiple levels. The staff is friendly with lots of energy. I had a great time with a group of 5 with hookah at table. Only set back is staff isn't as attentive with orders or hookah maintenance. read more

Red Lounge Bar & Grill - New artist of 2020 night - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

They are the oldest Place of enjoyment on the 14th St remaining in DC ... The owner & is Wife are the finest of the night life !!!

Good Friday night out where the drinks are strong and the music is on point.Ecstatic there wasn't a cover charge on the door, like most establishments in the area. The fries were a somewhat salty, but the wings and hookah made up for that. Try the watermelon mint combination! read more

Definitely a fun place if you're into reggae. It looks sketchy as hell on the outside, but definitely go inside. The clientele is very friendly, definitely a mixed crowd and the drink specials are good. The owner is great, kind of a hard ass, but she pours pretty strong drinks...and happy hour goes until 11. The 20 dollar minimum for credit cards is kind of high though, but get trashed, smoke some hookah and enjoy. read more

Red Lounge Bar & Grill - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This Hole in the Wall place is a complete rip off. Went on a Thursday for a hosted birthday event for my wife and twin sister. It was promoted through Blade Inc., a friend of the wife. Let's start with the promotions leading up to this event: $5.00 Drink Special & Hookah. No where to be seen or heard of when asked to the bar staff. So that's false advertising on the promotion part. Ordered drinks and food and was very disappointed with that. John Taffered from Bar Rescue would be screaming at the top of his lungs about this place. You can tell frozen microwaved fried food when you taste it. How do you order top shelf alcohol and it's served in a small plastic dixi cup of much ice and mixer. Charged a lot for nothing in your cup. The kicker is that they add 18% Gratuity on your bill automatically. Who does that at this kind of place? The beer from the tap is warm, asked for Chardonnay was given some bottom shelf wine but paid $11.00 top shelf price and $8.00 for a bottle of Red Stripe. I'm trying to understand how this place stays open but see from there reviews that they exploit and capitalize on black folks dollars. Will never return to this place or another Blade hosted event. Wife was ready to go as soon as we walked in. If it wasn't for the late bday performance then we've been out of this place sooner. Did I mention that was charged $2 for the ReD Bull mixer but didn't get the can I paid for. Over $100 and 4 hours my life I can't get back. Good thing my wife went out the day prior for her birthday so it wasn't a total loss. read more

Red Lounge Bar & Grill - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Yeah, it looks a little sketchy. Yeah, it looks a little janky. BUT, this is a great place to let loose and have a good time! The selection of music is just my taste- mostly hip hop... you know... the kind of music you "turn up," to lol. They play some Reggae as well, but that's not really my thing. It's always a fun time here and LADIES ARE ALWAYS FREE. FOREVER AND ALWAYS. I can't remember a time when there was a cover for a woman. And I greatly appreciate that. P.S. The drinks are strong. read more

Found this place on Yelp and wasn't disappointed. Had the wings and fries and they was good. Drinks served in a plastic cup and not a solo prices for drinks are descent but they was strong. The music was jamming it was definitely a vibe. We was visiting from Texas read more

Red Lounge Bar & Grill - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Red Lounge was also a part of the Bad Santa Bar Crawl so I made my way here. This was the second time visiting red lounge and this time around I was able the see the entire upstairs area. The first time I went I was by the DJ booth and didn't even realize there was seating in the back as well. This is also a nice hookah lounge spot and the bartenders were really nice. Though I was only there for a short moment I enjoyed myself. read more

False advertising! They advertised a pop up Wakanda themed bar. It was nothing of the sort. They barely decorated the bar in an African theme. By 4 pm they had face painting (bc 4 yr olds go to bars) they had drinks in cheap plastic cups made of stomach turning scary high school level mixology blend of all liquors. To top it off they offered pictures w black painted mannequins that if a white person provided would be called-racist. Organizers claim they couldn't deliver more bc of budget. I say that if you can't deliver what you advertise then don't advertise and lie to your people. At best this was false advertising at worse FRAUD! read more

Red Lounge Bar & Grill - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I had to experience the Wave's popup Black Panther bar before it shut down and was happy to do so during #BlackBarCrawl. The pros: face paint, a photo booth, a plethora of happy people, and great music (which was a great blast from the past AKA 2008). I and a lot of other guests definitely showed out on the dance floor (which is small and more fitting of a lounge / chill hangout spot a la I wouldn't normally expect folks to be dancing here). The con: I'm not really a fan of paying $13+ per drink, especially when it's given to me in a plastic cup. read more

The food was bomb and the drinks were worth every dime. The hookah girl was so adorable. The dj cranked the whole night. The atmosphere was perfect read more

Red Lounge Bar & Grill - Hookah and drinks - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The Black Panther Pop up bar was everything I could have imagined plus more! Thank you The Wave DC for putting on this event. The venue was perfect! read more

Red Lounge Bar & Grill - These hands work magic! - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I also came here for the first time for a Wakanda themed event during President's Day weekend. The lounge is at least two levels but feels smaller, this was a good place to hang out and chill instead of dance. They had photo booths set up around the lounge. The bartenders were overwhelmed during this event, to the point where they were messing up bills en masse. My first bartender was very nice, but for the second bartender both my friend and I were incorrectly charged (she tacked some random guy's drink onto my bill), and the bartender gave some story about how she made a mistake but she was charging me a lower price somehow. I ask her to just void the transaction and run it again and she starts getting visibly upset. She snatches my card from my hand to re-run saying 'I was gonna give you a deal but I'll charge you full price now', runs the card again and...gives me someone else's card back. I informed her that she gave me someone else's card and she snatched it back from me, slapped my correct card down on the bar and ran out to the back, saying that she 'needed a break'. To say the least, this was strange behavior over a simple mistake and we didn't quite know how to react to the scene. We all have rough days, but I was polite to her until the end. To top it off, after that scene she forgot to void my previous transaction as requested so I was charged for multiple transactions. So now I have to contact the bank--not a big deal but always check your receipt/statements if you choose to visit this place. All in all, this is a chill bar...not bad but not great. I wouldn't make a special effort to stop by. read more

It started with a Halloween bar crawl and since then I've dropped by this place a few times and it can be hit or miss depending on the type of bar/lounge experience you're expecting. Is it the drinks or is the hummus and pita bread just THAT good? The DJ is fun and very interactive with the crowd (or lack thereof)...either way, he's going to party. The bartenders and owner are very nice and accommodating. I've made it a good time with each experience and I appreciate their friendliness. read more

If you're looking for a friendly faces, a bartender that knows your name and music at a reasonable volume at happy hour, Red Lounge is the place to be. I've been to Red Lounge for happy hour a couple of times, and I've been satisfied every single time. The food and drink specials at happy hour are by far some of the best in DC! Hatim makes amazing drinks! I brought a large group of friends for happy hour, and Hatim gave us top notch service. He made special drinks for our group and kept refilling the hookah throughout happy hour. He remembered us from our visits there and still refers to us by name! read more

Come here for strong drinks and the opportunity to dance your butt cheeks ALL the way off. Took a friend who came in from out of town on a whim (though I had been there before) in order to use a Groupon I had for a Martini tasting which was due to expire soon. Boy was I glad we went! Bartenders took great care of us,there was fun party crowd and we were able to get in while it was still free. Drink prices are what is to be expected in the area, but they did have a special on Apple-tini's before 11pm for only $5 each. Not sure if that is a regular thing or not, but they should totally considering making it so if it is not already. Don't expect to get there before 10:00 and for it to be live though...we left the downstairs bar around 11:30 and the party was just getting started upstairs. Also, don't let the skimp area by the bar throw you off when you walk in...the party goes on upstairs. By the time we left around 2:00 it was a madhouse lol. It can get a little hood at times, but it is one of the few spots where you can go on U Street to party to hip hop and reggae without some greasy old man following you around trying to bump his overhanging belly on your back. Also, it is one of the few places on U Street were you can go and DANCE with other people who also like to DANCE. If you can't have a good time, you're too bougie (or old) to be there. The average person in attendance is probably 25 years old! Re-focus your chi and let your inner, rachet-20-something-year-old-hoodrat come out and "pop that" with the best of them. No real need for overly fancy outfits, your "good shoes" or to do your hair all nice either. If you want that type of experience go to Park at 14th and stand around with the rest of the two steppers. Go to Red Lounge with expectations just to have fun. To get drunk on the liquors (yes...I said liquors), to dance and to go home tipsy. Nothing more, nothing less! I wouldn't recommend going for the purpose of looking for a mate either, or trying to attract members of the opposite sex...I did encounter a few stage three dumpster women in my travels...but hey, anywhere is a hit or miss these days...I'm still here to tell the tale aren't I?! Yet I digress... A few girlfriends and I almost went the weekend prior, but a couple of guys we were with weren't willing to pay the $10 cover. Word to the wise, most places around U Street have an average cover of $5-$10 (a few of more classy places maybe more!) after 11pm. Just pay the dang money and go in. The music will be more up-to-date because (the DJ is crazy good) and the drinks are worth it. A few people who were unimpressed with this place probably went during the winter, I can see why it would be blah then...try it on a Friday or Saturday night now that it is starting to get warm outside! read more

I am giving the place two stars because...oops, lots my train of thought during a traumatic flashback. I am pretty sure I witness fellatio in here and its not that kind of club. i stopped in with some lady friends and it was just too much. Grabby/grindy/funky/douche-y. I can't even write a complete thought... I don't know how much anything costs because I wouldn't drink here, had to keep my guard up read more

Please save your time and money. The food was equivalent to that of 7-11. We ordered wings, fries and mozzarella sticks; all misses. The drinks are in ridiculously small plastic cups, filled with ice and barely any liquor. The music was decent and the hookah was okay. For the amount we spent here, we could have had a lot more fun and a palatable meal. read more

Bar hopping with the ladies... Stumbled across this place, because we had to wait 2 hours for a table at the Gibson... (and yes, stumbled!! LOL) DJ was amazing, the drink specials were on point as well. Didn't know this was a hookah spot, but, I will be back to try that as well. The crowd was grown and sexy, and really friendly. read more

Red Lounge is a odd spot right near 14th and U Streets. It isn't great to look at, with an odd staff and customer base. I was there on a Saturday around 10 and the place was almost empty. There was only one lady customer in the place not that I was looking for women and she hit me in the back of the head and told me to wake up for some odd reason. I wasn't even close to sleep. So the crowd was quite odd. Drinks were actually decent even though it appeared that the bartender didn't seem to have much experience as a bartender. Drink glasses are on the small side though, maybe they can invest in some adult size glasses in the future. I will also say the DJ was pretty good, nice mix of old school hip hop and r and b with some modern hits as well. He kept the party moving decently. While I didn't have a horrible time there, I don't think I'll make Red Lounge a go to spot or return anytime soon. read more

This place is pretty cool. Always heard about it, always walked past it, but never went in. I came here because my friend and I had a coupon for a martini tasting (totally work the ($15 on groupon or living social). The place does look kinda sketchy, echoing what the others yelpers said. But once we got inside, it was a dark room with lots of red line. My eyes took a while to adjust. We were the only people there and it was around 10pm. The music was really good. Some of the good trip-hop, house, or acid jazz that they play at Eighteenth Street Lounge. There is a "club" upstairs I think, but I did not go up stairs so I am not sure. Not the cleanest place and kinda just the norm for any U-Street bar. The bathroom was not the greatest either. Would not make my list of best bathrooms in DC. The drinks they mixed us for the martini tasting were pretty tasty and I would definitely do another martini tasting here. The martinis regularly-priced without a promotion I believe range from $12-$16 dollars, but they are strong, so I feel like the price is justified and is pretty much the standard for DC. Not sure if I would return. Overall 3 1/2 stars, but not enough to round up to 4 stars. read more

I went here with a few of my friends and my initial experience really turned me off. First, a group of my friends (who happened to be white) went in maybe 10 minutes before me and I met them later. They texted me and said it was free to get in which I thought was awesome considering it was pretty late. Well, when I got to the door I was asked to pay a door fee. Initially, I thought maybe I was given misinformation and that this was totally a fluke but when i met up with my friends and told them I had to pay, they were very surprised and upset because they weren't asked to do the same. I then went back downstairs to speak to the young lady at the door to understand why I was made to pay and my friends were not. She insisted she had no idea what I was talking about and wouldn't address the issue with me. She was very dismissive as well. I will never visit this place again because I feel if you are going to treat certain people who attend your establishment differently than others, then you shouldn't have an establishment at all. read more

After reading all of the bad reviews, I was hesitant to go. My friend had a birthday gathering there so I went with low expectations. The place was dead. If it weren't for my friend's event, the place would have been empty. After asking the bartender for a glass of water twice, she finally slammed down a bottle of Kirkland (Costco's house brand) water. Because I saw her using canned soda to make mixed drinks, I assumed she didn't have fountain drinks so that's why she gave me a bottle of water and not a glass. I didn't think that I would be charged for it. To my surprise, she charged me $4. A case of 35 bottles is only $3.49 so I was baffled. The food- I ordered wings and one of my friends had the calamari which I tasted. Both tasted like frozen entrees that were thrown in hot oil for flavor. The calamari tasted like fishsticks, the kind you got from school lunch...yuck. Needless to say, I will never go back. read more

Pros: Amazing spot. Great food, hookah, and service! Con: Foot traffic in front of bar can make you a little uncomfortable. Not their fault. read more

Great hookah & food & its cheap! Alcohol is meh. Service is usually good but after 11 on the weekends it understandably gets worse. Overall really fun place, good vibes read more