This place rocks, and I'm not saying that because of the music…read more Looking at DC9's reviews over the last 15 years, high praise for the burgers is not hard to find. Funny, though, it is even harder to find DC9 on any "best" burgers lists in the city, at least among the local publications that cover food. Trust in the recommendations from Reddit led me here. I left a little room for disappointment, but it was ultimately filled with a delicious burger and fries. The first floor is a dedicated bar and restaurant with the concert venue upstairs. On a 20-degree Sunday night, it looked spacious. The menu is not large at all. There are six types of burgers and I chose the French Onion - "saucy" caramelized onions, Gruyère cheese, and crispy fried onions on top of a half-pound patty. I give it an "A" presentation. The ingredients were not stacked too high and I loved the caramelized onion flavor in each bite. The burger meat also was cooked at medium. Next to it was a stack of garlic fries. Shouldn't there be bits of garlic all over it? No, just bite into a fry and it tastes like garlic! I don't know how they do it. On the way out, I asked the one bartender that night if DC9's burgers were a huge draw. He said yes, it's a low key place for burgers but people do come here for them and the chicken sandwich as well. DC9 deserves a spot among the greats in the city not only because the burger tastes good, but it is also a great value! $15 for a burger that comes with fries. There are places where that's the price of the burger alone, or it is even more now!

I don't really go "clubbing" much but DC9 was a lot of fun. We attended two performances. The club…read moreis not far from metro. The rooftop bar is not as exciting as I hoped but it is a fun place to grab a drink or have a snack. The bar food is reasonable (average items $3-$10, & up). Happy hour drinks were $3-$6 on average. There are lots of stairs. I am not excited about stairs. There is a bar on the lower level. Guests can grab a bite and a drink and never deal with stairs. If you attend a concert or a show, you will go up a flight of stairs to enter (two flights for the rooftop bar). The schedule is laid back. When a flyer says, "Doors open at 7:00pm," they mean 7:00pm-ish." The stage area is small. There are only a handful of tables. The metal stools are not extremely comfortable. But after you pay the cover charge (varies $15-$20 the night we visited) there isn't a minimum amount of food/drinks. There are complimentary water pitchers. The place is a fun dive. I would enjoy date night without seeing a show. The space is limited but people enjoyed dancing. Independent artists perform and sell merchandise at the counter. Be alert at night. I would have people with me if I were visiting in the evening.

Great little spot with the great drinks very reasonably price and taste great!…read more District Daiquiri is located inside the DCity smokehouse another great spot that pairs well together! Service- The customer service was really great our servers and people who took our order were very kind and chill. The drink were bomb! And the perfect place to do a low key and local celebration in COVID times.

Went here with some friends. We discovered this place because we saw a couple across the street…read morefrom where we were with their slushies in hand; to which we asked where did they get them. We decided to find it and give this place a try. They have several slushie options and when you get the large clear hour glass shaped container/cup you can receive a $13 refill when you bring it back. The vibe there was chill however the music was a bit too loud for my taste.

Mostly the service: it was so good, very kind and helpful staff, on top of things. Snacks were…read moretasty , beer was fresh. Very clean for a dive bar, chill vibe.

Introduction leading up to my "2nd date at Wonderland Ballroom":…read more Representing 2018, W is for Wonderland Ballroom. So, I went here for a 2nd date (or what I thought was a 2nd date) on Friday, August 31, 2018. I had met her at an event in July 2018. I was at an event in downtown Silver Spring in the early evening, took the Metro to Woodley Park DC for a 3rd date, which ended up going poorly but it was for the best in the long run, took the Metro back and decided to see if there was anyone I still knew at the event in downtown Silver Spring. There wasn't, but I met some nice people including this woman, who I got her phone number. We went on what I considered a great 1st date (one where we were there for hours) in Wheaton, where we both happened to live at the time. Experience at Wonderland Ballroom: Our 2nd date was here at Wonderland Ballroom for a comedy show with multiple comedians. As I recall, she was friends with some of the comedians. Wonderland Ballroom is a local neighborhood bar in Columbia Heights, but in a quieter area not right in the heart on 14th St, this is on 11th Street, which is mainly residential. It's pretty dark in there, more of a tavern feel. It's not bad, but I tend to like places with better lighting especially if I'm eating, which I did. I did like my sandwich, and I believe I may have gotten eggplant fries as a side with ranch, which was a good recommendation. I'm looking at the menu online today in 2026, and I only see fries, tater tots, or salad as side options, but I do see the eggplant fries as a separate appetizer. So, I'm not sure if they removed as an option, or perhaps I paid a small upcharge at the time. In spite of good eggplant fries and decent sandwich, the atmosphere of dark & kind of small, a bit crowded, brings to 3-stars. Also, the Wonderland Ballroom is a misleading name for the place. Really, a ballroom?! This is no where near a ballroom, which is often a grandiose place. Maybe a large place for ballroom dancing, wedding, or even for some crazy President to destroy the East Wing to host his wealthy cronies! I can't imagine anyone would ever have their wedding at Wonderland so-called Ballroom. Conclusions with my "2nd date": Afterward, my date & I rode with a couple of comedians to downtown DC draft house restaurant & then some more comedy, which was free. I had already eaten at Wonderland, but I socialized with the people to a certain extent. But I really felt like a 3rd wheel and neglected by my date. I was texting with an old friend about how my date wasn't going well. After this not so good time, I would've taken the Metro from downtown back to Wheaton, but my date said she was getting a Lyft back she ordered and was paying for already, and I could ride back with her, which I agreed. I thought this was a nice opportunity for just the 2 of us to have a good conversation on the Lyft ride all the way back to Wheaton. Guess what? She ended up talking to the Lyft driver more than me asking how he likes driving, how long he's driven, etc., which is fine to a certain extent, but it was much of the 30 or so minute ride. Once we got to just north of downtown Silver Spring, less than 10 minutes from drop-off, I asked her a question about previous relationships, and she rudely said that doesn't concern you. I was taken aback by her response. Ultimately, right before dropping me off first, I was direct and asked her if she considered this & our prior Limerick Pub in Wheaton 5 days earlier as dates or just hanging out. She said just as friends. I was hurt, but appreciated her brutal honesty, the end of August & now after midnight the start of September was depressing. After my summer 2018 of lots of dates, one of which went to a 4th date, that Labor Day weekend while at my apartment's pool, I threw in the towel for having one develop into a relationship or at least solid enough dating to take to a wedding I was a groomsman in early October. I ultimately got a female friend, who had a boyfriend as my "date" to the wedding. Incidentally, that following summer she became my girlfriend lasting over a year.

Union Market has this magical ability to convince you you're fancy. You start the night sipping a…read more$22 cocktail with a garnish that looks like it was harvested by a fairy wearing linen. For a solid hour, you're like, "Wow... I am bougie like they say." Then the bartender calls out "Last call!" And as you take one final dramatic sip of your fancy drink, the lights come on like someone just hit the emergency button and whoa. Wait just one minute, I don't want to go home. That's when the migration begins. In Union Market, there's a place where all the local residents take their talents once the posh restaurants shut down and that place is Last Call Bar, the bar that welcomes you and your rapidly declining standards with open arms. And the food? Oh, the food is a spiritual journey. They kick things off with Jell‑O shots, which already tells you exactly what kind of night you're about to have. But it gets even better. They have food and the menu is full of options only a person who drank 5 cocktails could truly appreciate, the kind of late‑night masterpieces that would horrify you at noon but taste like gourmet brilliance after midnight. I'll take a hot dog please! The vibe is pure "we should've gone home but didn't" energy. The music is loud enough to drown out your responsibilities. The crowd is a mix of restaurant refugees, people who swore they were having an early night, and folks who are definitely lying to themselves about how early they have to wake up. It's a diverse crowd. More on the younger side but a sprinkle of adults that have kids in college or corporate jobs. The bartenders deserve awards for dealing with customers who insist they're "totally fine" while holding onto the bar like it's a support beam. And honestly? That's the magic. The best memories happen during the real happy hours of our days, bedtime hours, when you're either having way too much fun in the sheets or making the kind of decisions you'll laugh about (or regret) the next day. Last Call Bar isn't curated. It isn't polished. It isn't pretending. It's the place where your bougie persona quietly steps aside and you says, "Let's get a hot dog". If you want a place where the night gets a second wind and your dignity takes a short break, welcome home. Let's get into it! Drinks - Perfectly made! Way to go to the bartender! Hot dog- at this late hour it tasted like a filet mignon! Give me another! Eeeek! A watering hole - every one needs a hole that waters! Xo

Stopped by here kinda of quickly on our way to echostage. Very divey which I like. Pretty small…read more Nick provided great service. Then he left. Ordering is haphazard. Tallest person served first. I liked the vibe. They have darts. And a bathroom. Decent place. And they had a front bar checker.

Ohhh I get when the hype is about here haha. This makes so much sense. I cannot believe how many…read moretimes I've walked by this building and not known what it was. Honestly, they don't identify as a speakeasy, but they have more speakeasy vibes / elements about them than some of the others -- but at the same time it's the absolute definition of a dive. This might be the diviest bar I've been to in DC! Anyways, I went inside, and first thing is the man had his hand extended towards me and didn't say anything... not in a weird way, but in my head I was like "what does he want?" but I immediately figured out it was IDs. So he checked that and then we got settled. There are no menus -- all you see is squirt bottles and a bunch of mixers on the shelves. The squirt bottle is filled up with the liquor (and ice and a lil bit of mixer), and you get the mixer separately. It's the craziest situation I've encountered since Stan's. It runs you about $30 or so depending on which liquor you get. I have been hearing about this place for years, and I'm glad to finally have experienced it. It's a great time! But do nooooot come if you're looking for anything fancy. And come as close to opening time as you can. Beat the crowd!

Great atmosphere and super fun drinks. Buy a ketchup bottle and go crazy with your friends!…read more I accidentally handed the bartender 70 bucks and almost tipped him around 40 bucks for 30 dollars of drinks. Did not take advantage of my drunken state and returned the money before I even noticed what I did. We had a good laugh. Super friendly and will be back again!

Was invited here for an event on Wednesday night a few weeks ago and had the BEST time! The music…read morewas great, the food is really good and everyone there was so welcoming! I now stop in, at least once a week. While it's not in my neighborhood, it feels like a neighborhood bar every time I walk in. If you're a music head, Wednesday nights are always a vibe, or when they have their Motown mondays. They have great dj's, cool events, and a great team.

This location has opened and closed a few times over the years. It's a very small bar on U St…read moreright next to Oohs and Aahs. It's been part of bar crawls and also would host is own events like karaoke. It definitely had its set of supporters. Just never was my type of vibe. Drinks were ok, nothing spectacular. It had 2 narrow floors with small bars on both.

I've been here a couple of times with friends but most recently for an event called Vibras, which…read morewas a Colombian themed music and dance event. The space for the event is big enough to dance in and not feel overly crowded. Bartenders are quick and friendly. I look forward to going to more events in this venue!

Definitely a don't judge a book by its cover kind of place. The actual music venue is pretty bare…read morebones, but where they have gone above and beyond is in their sound system and it is really impressive very clean and crisp sounds where you also have amazing lighting effects paired with whatever Dj is on deck. Have been about five or six times now and purposefully have sought out specific events or DJs. I am familiar with and always have had a great time. I do agree with other people that the staff can be hit or miss but overall our experiences have been really great!

It's def a dive bar Drinks are strong and bartender…read more Was so lovable* * went at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon, mostly dead other than the pure energy being exuded by the amazing bartender who made us delicious Pink Pug drinks.

Fun dive bar on H Street with great prices. The beer selection is rather limited but the cocktails…read morewere quite good.