THE quintessential DC dive bar. Cash only. Super cheap. Most patrons ordering a beer and a shot. A…read morelong line of portraits of celebrities who have never visited. And a giant stack of 40 year old board games for your enjoyment. They're famous for being called a grill and having a neon martini glass on the window, even though they have no food and no martinis. What they do have, though, is amazing. I enjoyed my makers mark with DC Brau IPA while getting way too competitive in a game of Clue. Bonus points because they are the oldest continually operating bar in the city, so you know they're doing something right. Extra bonus points because Mount Pleasant has become the go-to neighborhood for a funky date night. Pizza at Martha Dear, a movie and cocktail at Suns, and a nightcap at Raven is perfection.

Need an antidote to all the over-priced pretentious bars in DC? Come to the Raven. It's laid-back,…read moregot good vibes, a shelf full of board games, and cheap beer. (No draught beers, unfortunately, but a fairly full bar otherwise.)

Lovely place and the view is amazing. The club decor is simple but classy. The staff were nice…read moreand very attentive for a large group. My drink was delicious and burger was pretty flavorful. As for the fish - it wasn't great (def need more seasoning) but edible. Presentation was on point.

Yikes. I'm generously giving them a 2 because their food and drink was solid... once we received…read morethem. But you can get solid food anywhere. I just don't want to pull the chef into this abomination of an experience. I'm an Equinox member (one floor below) and live in the Palisades nearby so I'd been curious to check this place out since the photos online intrigued me. I've been eating and drinking in DC for the last 16 years and The Ridge Club bar and restaurant provided the worst service I've experienced anywhere. I came in with two other female friends around 7pm on a Saturday night. There were 4 people at a bar, and 1 table of 4 in the entire restaurant. Pretty quiet for a Saturday night, to say the least. We waited at the bar for 10 minutes (not an exaggeration) while the bartender ignored us, it appeared he was working on a tab. He looked up for a second and I asked if we could have a drink menu, he looked away. There was no hostess at the entrance of the restaurant to ask for anything, and no menus just laying around for us to grab. 5 more minutes passed, and my friends and I tried to figure out what to do. It was a last-minute choice to come to The Ridge Club, so we knew all decent places wouldn't have reservations available, and I didn't feel like getting back in the car and driving us elsewhere, so we decided to try and stick it out. Two more people came in, and the bartender went straight to them, and asked if he could get them anything to drink. This now brings the total at the bar to 6 people. Still very empty. I ask him again if we can have the drink menu and he lightly tossed it to me, still with no words, then disappeared. It was shocking, and at this point, laughable. What was going on?! The behavior felt downright snooty, which is not a common experience I personally have in DC, but the air of ... I can't really put my finger on it.... distaste (?) for us was reeking from the bartender. We had just been silently standing there, and for lack of better description, it felt like he didn't want to serve us specifically, which I can't say is an experience I've had before. The bartender then was nowhere to be found, and another man came out and asked for our drink order. He took our order and the drinks were handed to us a few minutes later. This is after 20-25 minutes waiting. This man made a comment that we could use the little straws they just got in for our drink, but "don't worry, they're not little coke-type straws or anything [not something that had crossed my mind, that I'd be using the straws for cocaine that night, but I digress], so you should try them out." Is it not common to use short straws with small cocktails...? Just added to the weirdness of the place. We had our drinks outside, which despite it being a super-beautiful location, was totally empty (can't imagine why! had others experienced the same service we had?), and since we'd already told a friend of ours to meet us there for dinner, we committed to the dining. The same original bartender was also our server, so he had to acknowledge us! Success! The food itself was good. The service left much to be desired. It felt as though we were an irritation to him (and as one of three tables with people at it, in an empty restaurant), I'm having a hard time understanding this. This place is gorgeous. Beautiful rooftop, nice ambience. Good food, good drink, TERRIBLE service. I frequently upper NW DC restaurants and bars and have a lot of friends who do, as well, and I was especially hoping for a positive experience since I workout at Equinox several times a week and thought this could be a great place to go afterward occasionally. I have several friends considering joining the club (for the pool). I will advise them otherwise, if the service does not change. Not that I'll be coming back any time soon to try it. If City Ridge Club wants to be a presence with those of us in Upper NW DC, the server needs to drop the attitude. My friends and I left after dinner, laughing about if maybe he just didn't like us (?), was he just in a bad mood? Did he not feel like working that night? It became an ongoing joke, because he was just SO rude and I still am appalled that we waited nearly 20-25 minutes for a drink. Not sure there's much else to say... hope this changes. It's too bad. Had a lot of potential. Don't be so snobby.

This is a nice poor bar. We play APA 8 ball league on Tuesdays and stonewall league on Mondays…read more Bartenders are very nice especially Tony on Tuesday nights as he makes fun of everyone and keeps us entertained all the time. They also have pool membership where members can play between 4 to 7 pm everyday except for tournament days for no additional cost. Membership also includes discounts to drinks. You can bring food from the outside. Parking is easier to find after 6:30 pm. Pool tables are nice. They got new felts recently. Ball rolls amazingly well. Rails are soft though. If you're planning multiple rail shots, you have hit it harder. They also host some tournaments on some weekends.

So, funny story. I genuinely thought Atomic was a pizza place. For weeks I kept hearing people talk…read moreabout it, and I just assumed they meant Comet. Imagine my surprise when I walked in and realized there was no pizza in sight, just pool tables, dart boards, and a solid basement bar scene. It is literally in a basement, and it feels like the kind of place you would go to after being snowed in all day. If this were Chicago, it would be the perfect neighborhood bar to duck into after a winter storm. It has that cozy, slightly gritty, someone's-house-basement energy where you go to hang out, not to party. The service was fine, nothing standout, and the drinks are about what you would expect for a neighborhood bar. Not fancy, not bad, just dependable. Overall, Atomic is one of those chill spots that feels good when you want to unwind, shoot a few games of pool, and not think too hard about the world outside.

We stopped into Zeba for a drink before dinner. The downstairs bar gives off dive bar vibes. It's…read moredark, kind of small. They were playing college football and a Spanish sitcom on the TVs. The service was good! The happy hour deal is unreal for DC! They have happy hour everyday, including weekends, and it goes until 8pm. The cocktails during happy hour are $6! We each tried 2 cocktails. I had the Perfect Storm (3/5) and the Strawberry Lemonade (4/5). My partner had the Zeba Iced Tea (5/5) and the margarita (5/5). My fiancé accidentally spilled his drink, and the staff was super nice about it and helped clean up. We felt bad that we made a mess. We would definitely recommend checking out Zeba. They have an upstairs that we didn't get to check out, but they are open late and apparently have Latin dancing (Friday) and EDM (Saturday).

Owner is a gem! Had a really good time at this super cute and safe located bar! Food was yummy too!…read moreThe wings, score! I had the pizza too. Looks super small but it's 2 levels and a Patio. So so fun on Wednesday. Definitely coming back! Great music too!

It's not just a bar--even though they have bright creative cocktails…read more It's not just a pool hall--even though it's by far the cheapest place to play pool in DC. It's not just their amazing service--which by appearance and practice they're the friendliest. It's that TORO represents a Community of the neighborhood, the pool community, and is diverse with all walks of the good life.

Toro is a lot of fun! I stumbled in with a small group as I was in the area and am glad that I did…read more It was Cinco de Mayo weekend and we were attracted by the bumping music coming from within the spot as well as the fun decor used to decorate their patio. We learned that they have happy hour everyday from 5-9 and offer $4 rail drinks, $3 shooters, $6 margs in addition to other beer options. Great prices for a Sunday Funday for sure. Toro does not have any food options so definitely make a plan to eat before or after you stop by (there are plenty of solid food options on the same block). This appears to be a Puerto Rican bar - there are flags all over the place, the DJ was blasting Bad Bunny throughout the day, and each margarita came with a little gummy coqui frog (If you've been to Puerto Rico, you know). The vibe is fun, youthful, and high energy. Definitely stop by if you're looking for a vibrant, electric spot. There is also a pool table in the back of the bar which offer another activity that is great for groups. My friends and I really liked their virtual 'deal wheel' behind the bar - after scanning a QR code, you can spin a wheel that offers costumers various discounted drinks/shots. Fun marketing scheme - who doesn't like the feeling of winning something? I can definitely see myself returning to Toro next time I'm in the area.

I had so much fun at illusion. The DJ killed it, and I really was dancing all night. I went on a…read moreFriday night but it wasn't too crowded. I would highly recommend going with a group. I typically like to feed off of other people's energy, but it's kind of hard when not a lot of people were dancing. If you and your group are lit it'll be fun. The lounge is also very cute and there's a good amount of seating. Also a full length mirror in the bathroom. They hav hookah + they're friendly Music: throwbacks, Afrobeats, Hip Hop

A real gem in petworth. I love this place they have really good hookah and great food. The music…read moreplaylist is always elite. The owners are really great people.

It saddens me to write this because I've been coming to Moreland's for years, but after my Father's…read moreDay experience, I won't be returning. My African American military family arrived at 11:00 a.m. sharp on Father's Day. I mention "military family" because I want to paint an accurate picture: we weren't a loud or unruly group. We were five adults, five well-behaved children, and two infants looking to enjoy brunch together. The restaurant was completely empty. Not "a few open tables" empty--completely empty. No one was even sitting at the bar. When we told the hostess we didn't have a reservation, she went to get a manager. What struck me immediately was how flustered he became the moment he saw our group. He came out red-faced, visibly agitated, and immediately launched into how they were completely booked and there was "no way" he could seat a party of 12. We even asked if we could split into two groups of six and were met with the same response: impossible. We stood there looking at an entirely empty restaurant while being told there was absolutely no way we could be accommodated. The whole interaction was honestly bizarre. Confused, we simply said "okay" and started walking away. As we were already down the sidewalk, a hostess came after us and explained that we could sit on the patio, which was first-come, first-served. We could order through a QR code and have food brought to us. That was completely fine with us. In fact, with children and infants, the patio was arguably a better option anyway. The truth is, by that point we stayed more out of convenience than anything else. Getting five children and two infants back into three separate vehicles and finding another restaurant felt like more of a hassle than it was worth. Looking back, I wish we had simply left. Which raises the obvious question: if the patio was available all along, why wasn't that the manager's response from the beginning? Why did he act as though seating us was impossible instead of simply saying, "Our indoor dining is reserved, but you're welcome to sit outside"? I do not make accusations of racism lightly. However, after reflecting on the experience, I cannot escape the conclusion that race played a role in how my family was treated. The manager's reaction upon seeing our group, his immediate insistence that there was "no way" to seat us despite an empty restaurant, and the fact that available seating existed all along created an experience that felt unmistakably exclusionary. The interaction nagged at me throughout the meal, especially when my children and nieces and nephews started asking, "Why didn't the restaurant want us to eat here? The place is empty?" That's not a conversation I expected to have with children on Father's Day. When we left about 90 minutes later, both the dining room and patio were still far from full. I counted 8 open tables inside and 5 open tables on the patio at 12:30. I understand reservations. I've dined all over the world. But Moreland's is not a Michelin-starred restaurant with a months-long waitlist. It's a neighborhood pub--closer to an upscale Applebee's than fine dining. Yet somehow my family was made to feel unwelcome from the moment we walked through the door. After years of being a customer, that is deeply disappointing.

Excellent food! Excrement service!! Great ambiance! Nice rustic neighborhood bar with a great beer…read moreand bourbon selection!! And again, the food is amazing! This place continues to be our family favorite, every time we have family from out of town we bring them here because everyone loves the food and the atmosphere. Today they were able to accommodate a big group of out of town family at the last minute and did an amazing job!!

All Souls is the legit neighborhood bar-- even when new trends emerge in the hood. Amazing cocktail…read moregame (menu is 50 deep)

Great ambiance, great drinks - I just wish it was bigger! I love the All Souls combo, but the…read morecocktails and standalone wine are all great, too. Definitely worth a visit, especially when the patio is open and there's a bit more space.