It's def a dive bar Drinks are strong and bartender 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. read more

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

Something different. Had a taste for Shepherd's Pie & the English Breakfast. Order, sit back & relax.

Diviest of a dive bar. Year round Christmas lights and questionable bathrooms are the ambiance. Tacky would be a compliment. You'll know if it's for you after 90 sec. read more

What a dump! Bottles and cans only. $9 for a can of harp. This place is a $h1tH0l3 . Limited seating just crap . Try the Queen Vic further up the street read more

I'm a big fan of dive bars, with cheap drinks. This place was definitely it. My bartender was extremely friendly and the drinks were strong! They have a lot of Christmas decorations and other odd artwork throughout the bar. Definitely a place I would recommend if you like to keep it cheap, with a dark atmosphere, and good music. read more

I'm guessing that The Pug gets most of its business from Toki Underground customers as they're the focal point of many reviews due to Toki's lack of signage. Because we had a short wait to dine at Toki, we came here for some cocktails. ATMOSPHERE: It's a gloomy, neighborhood-type hole-in-the-wall bar. Décor is a mishmash of anything goes and garage sale items, including the ripped booth cushions we sat on. It just felt dirty all over. MENU: A small selection of beers, mixed drinks, canned wine and spirits. No food was served but a snack vending machine was available if you're desperate, which our friend was as he bought a spread for the table, LOL. BEVERAGE: No bottle wine was served but they did have one canned wine left which was The Infinite Monkey Theorem's brand (based in Denver, CO and Austin, TX) of White Wine. No complaints here as it tasted like it came out of a bottle. Drinking it out of a can was very natural to the senses as well. Because one drink wasn't enough for me, I went back and spotted the Fugu-brand of canned drinks on display. Excited, I asked for one of the two but they were both out. Come on!? Take it off the display shelf then! I ended up with a forgettable domestic-branded beer. SERVICE: Oh boy, where do I start? The sole male bartender/waiter/bus boy had no personality or service mannerisms. While he wasn't mean, he just came across as unfriendly and really didn't want to be there. I'm sure he saw us eating our vending machine snacks and using coasters as plates in which he could've brought us some napkins, but no. TIP: Unfinished drinks were okay to take upstairs to Toki Underground. OVERALL: If Toki ever expands with a bar, this place would suffer, but I'm sure they have their regulars. read more

The Pug - Canned wine was totally fine! - VN - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Pretty much the perfect dive bar. Great music, great decor, great vibes, friendly bartenders and cheap booze. Feels like the best of New Orleans. Really really liked this place read more

If you ever want to go to a bar where the bartenders are legit irritated that you ever walked in the door, forcing them to get up from their tv-watching booths to make you a drink... The Pug will be your jam. I was there one time recently and almost told the bartender "don't worry, I can make my own drink" when he sighed with disdain when I asked for a drink. You don't go to The Pug for good service or nice drinks. You go as a place to hang out with your friends and get non-$20 drinks. As long as you go with that mindset, you'll be fine. While I am perfectly fine going out to bars by myself, this is one of the few places I prefer to go with a group of friends otherwise it's just not enjoyable. I'm not sure if it's because Toki Underground is upstairs so they get a lot of overflow from there, which you think they would be happy about additional money brought in? In any case, with everything in mind, it's good for cheap drinks on the fly especially if you're on H St trying to kill some time. read more

I fug widd the pug xoxo God speed. Great atmosphere, good vibes, bartenders very attentive. Slightly creepy men but the whiskey cider makes up for it ‍ read more

The Pug - a group of people sitting at a bar - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

As dive bars go this one has character it has elements of a relaxed atmosphere, an environmentalist's dream (with recycled beer cans used as tree decorations) and a mixture of seating - but it all works... A very heavily tattooed bar tender (who preferred not to be photographed for my yelp account) was friendly enough nonetheless. The bar is cash only - has great music - and is a good place to hang out while waiting for a table at Toki Underground . read more

The Pug - Cool dive bar on the H street corridor - the pug - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Came here with an SF friend, @ekai , back in June. Awesome historical map on the wall. Chill vibe. Friendly staff. Great place to grab drinks with a friend while catching up. :) read more

The Pug - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Theme, yes. But personality, character, soul - a bar can't learn these things. Grit, diversity, and lovability? The Sweet Science? Even less so. And The Pug has these things deep. Not just at one point, but throughout. You want a nice Dale's? $5. Want a local Natty Boh? They hear ya - go wild: 3 bucks. Crap, Leffe is only $6 and Duvel is $8 - you're gonna like the way you drink. I met a Rod Strickland jersey-wearing grizzled old man here. Met a nice young lady who's been cheering on DC United since they were conceived here. Met a bartender who educated my acquaintance on black power and the Stand With Wisconsin symbol. Met a beer list that kept my interest all night. Met a bar I didn't want to leave. Come on in - "YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME HERE" (see pic) - ya heard?! I give this dive a ten, even from the German judge. True. read more

The Pug - So no excuses! - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

My bag was stolen and they could not care less if they tried- I attempted to contact them and have been left in the d ust

If you don't know about The Pug, then I'm not going to tell you. I like it just fine, and as far as I'm concerned too many people know about it already. Nevertheless, they have a very unpretentious Sunday Brunch. This is definitely not the first place that comes to mind when you think of Sunday Brunch. However, the Hangover Hash is money! Plus, $10 bottomless mimosas (if you don't care what kind of champagne you drink). I prefer the beer here, but try the Hash. read more

See all

I'm not always wrong, but when I am, I like to share it on Yelp. And I was wrong about The Pug. I had stopped in here one Saturday night a few years ago and never came back. Why? Well, I was with a diverse group and over the hour or so that we were in there, we all started feeling quite uncomfortable due to stares (let this be noted: of other patrons, not staff). I immediately decided that I would never, ever return. An ex-boyfriend informed me that I was wrong to think that way (he likes the place), but hey...that's why he's an ex. Recently, while we had a wait at Toki, someone suggested we go to The Pug, and I was not in a veto position. So to The Pug I go. And it was my kind of place. Super low-key, casual, with reasonably priced large drinks. And an amazingly friendly bartender with a heavy pour. Plus, I just read that they have Impala Cantina tacos, which I love. And they sell Crunkcakes, which I'm obsessed with. I want to return immediately. So, see...sometimes second chances are worth it (just never, ever give a bad first date a second chance). read more

I think perhaps I may have visited The Pug on an off-night, which could have an undue adverse effect on my rating, but all I have to go on is my experience so I will try not to let other's love for the place sway my voting. I think The Pug could be a really cool little (emphasis on that part) neighborhood bar, it's just hard to get a feel for the atmosphere when you're one of 5 people in the place and 2 of the others came in with you. I must say the bartender was a pretty nice guy, and a native to DC. Granted it's kind of hard to brush off customers when they're basically your only business, but I think he would have still been cool had the place been packed. The drinks were reasonably priced, about the same as any other average bar in DC. One thing I really did like about the place was the decor. They had one and a half themes (Irish + boxing) and stuck with it throughout the place. I was a little disappointed in the draft selection, mainly because the only stout was Budweiser's rendition called Bareknuckle, but I figured it was just a play on the the boxing theme so prevalent everywhere else in the bar. I would definitely come back here and give it a second try, especially after finishing off some mussels next door at Granville Moore's. Hopefully next time it's a little more busy, perhaps later in the week instead of a Monday. read more

The Pug - beer list - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

4.5 stars I'm digging you Pug. I'm digging you hardcore. I reaaally like this place. Anywhere that serves $3 grilled cheese sandwiches straight from a George Foreman (and has virtually no other food to speak of) is kinda awesome. Floor to ceiling eclectic decor, games, prompt bartenders, and you've got a fan here. Since I've only been here a few times, I will upgrade if this awesomeness to five if it stays consistent. Their prices are all over the place for drinks (I tried their "Black Out Punch" during the power blackout a couple weeks back, $6 a pop! but my vodka collins were $4 or less.) Good beer selection. Much more low key than a lot of other places on H St, which is a plus. Seating can be tight, but I haven't seen it become standing room only/mob in here. Seems to be slight reprieve from hipsters as well. Grab a barrel full of monkeys, connect 4, trivial pursuit, etc when you come here to break that awkwardness of a date. I'm not usually a fan of board games in bars, but it definitely fit this place. read more

The Pug - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I LOVE dive bars; partly because of the no-frills, no nonsense nature of them that makes them so charming, but more so because of the atmosphere. Very laid back and chill, with greasy, yummy bar food and super-cool bartenders that treat you like a bro, or a friend they haven't seen in a while. You know, very un-DC. The Pug offers NONE of these things. It looks like someone's basement or garage (there's "dive-bar chic", then there's what THEY'RE doing... ugh), had a funky smell when we walked in and a bitchy bartender with an even funkier attitude (which is probably where the smell came from). The last thing that someone who has been working all day wants to see is a bartender with a crappy-ass attitude. (Take it from someone who bartended on and off for 10 years and made great money doing it!). I was starting to think the girl was either mute or a little slow, because when we asked about happy hour and bar food she did little more than grunt and point. We were barely there 5 minutes and it was obvious that we were not going to get any decent acknowledgement from Little Miss Quasimodo behind the bar. The messed up part is, the bar wasn't even busy: there were like 2 other people in there. I guess her favorite show was on or something, because she ran back to the TV instead of taking our orders. Needless to say that visit didn't last long. read more

It's true: The bartenders are definitely warm and friendly, and do not require you to surrender a credit card and/or ID to open up a tab. We were excited to play the plastic tabletop boxing game, but unfortunately the head mechanisms (if you know how those things work) were busted. The bartender apologized and lamented the fact that Target no longer carries the game, but said he's looking for a replacement! No worries, we just went to the back of the bar to enjoy a game of pool on their very clean coin-op billiards table ($2 a game). The drinks were reasonably priced, the ambiance was warm, and while some of the other patrons were loud, they weren't too rowdy. A fun place all around, especially if you're not offended by the boxing memorabilia overload. read more

See all

Tony has been the backbone of the best bar on Capitol Hill for years. (The Lounge) Anytime your in our Nation's Capitol take a quick trip over to the newly renovated H St. It's well worth the trip. If you enjoy good music, a few pints, and small Jamos. This is the place you've been looking for. ________ * * * * ________ read more

The Pug - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Cool dive bar with enough stuff on the walls to hold your attention trying to figure out what it all says. Don't ask for a cocktail at this place - beer, cider, and the hard stuff only. Or spiced apple cider if it's cold out apparently. Stopped in here while waiting for seats to open upstairs at Toki Underground. Not particularly spacious and kind of dark, but neither of those facts were much of a bother. This is my kind of place, with decent prices and not a lot of noise. Seems like a bar that would have regulars. Also enjoyable: the Christmas trees adorned with beer cans. read more

I want to give this a four, but when I came they were out of three different beers, essentially leaving me with a pick of all the types of beer I don't like. For a divey bar with no food, you'd expect there to be ample beers. But there you go. That said, it's still a cool divey atmosphere in keeping with the kind of run-down charm of H Street. read more

Nice, chill vibe. Eclectic music selection. Respectable beer selection. My gripe is admittedly petty: prices. $4 for PBR and $7 for DC Brau? Seems a little high for a dive bar. In short: dive bar atmposphere with non-dive bar prices. read more

I went here for Saturday brunch with my friends. The menu is quite simple and filled with all of those breakfast goodies that you wish you could eat every day but shouldn't. I had the special - cajun chicken with french toast. Btw, the french toast is soaked in whiskey. Yum!!! It doesn't seem like the place has a kitchen. They have a skillet. So be patient. Don't go here thinking you'll be in and out. Come, expecting to spend quality time with your friends and meeting the great folks at the Pug. They also have $10 bottomless mimosas! Other menu items I remember: Half smoke, spam, sausage, or bacon with fried eggs and hash. Whiskey french toast. They have a couple other items. I think most of the plates are about $8. read more

This is the most beautiful place I've ever seen. It's small, sketchy and I was served a pitcher of mimosa. There's also a Roc N Soc Em robots game on the table next to me... Oh, brunch was cooked on a griddle in the side of the bar. It was delicious. read more

See all

This is the only bar I trust to stumble out of lol. Chris is the man and genuinely the best bartender we've ever had. They ain't fancy but they're ~quality~ Saturday's are the NIGHTS to go and get treated for some no-BS drinks. read more

It was pretty low key around happy hour time (they don't have specials) but there are lots of beer options, from PBR to local breweries like Flying Dog. The beer list is on the wall opposite the bar, it's a little hard to read and I don't think everything they have is on it because I saw a few people drinking beers that weren't on the list. They offer a limited food menu now (mostly small snacks/apps) which is a partnership with Toki Underground. Just go upstairs to Toki to order and then they bring the food to you downstairs in the Pug. The lumpia and steamed buns were both delicious. In summary: the beer is cold, the decor is random, and the music is great, what else do you need from a bar? read more

The Pug - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Most unprofessional, dirty place I have ever been. Horrible drinks and service. Do not waste your time.

The grimey dive bar you're looking for in NE. Definitely my favorite watering hole. They don't serve Irish Car Bombs. They don't serve Donald Trump. They do have a vending mahcine with pork rinds for sale in it. read more

Liked this little hole in the wall bar! We went on a Thursday night around 7 and it was pretty low key. The decorations are definitely different, you'll even get to see a Christmas tree with that as the ornaments! Would recommend this location! read more

The Pug - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I've been going to The Pug intermittenly for almost a year now, but I didn't become a FAN until I stopped by for sunday brunch. Hashbrowns and bacon drowning in gravy for 6bucks? Yes, please! Sausage and steak cooked on a George Foreman grill behind the bar? Don't mind if I do! $10 bottomless mimosas served in a pint glass (instead of those bitty wine glasses)? GET IN MY BELLY! I went there expecting nothing. I left satiated and sleepy, with a plenty of money in my wallet. read more

The Pug (short for pugilist) is my bar of choice on the H Street strip. My first visit to the Pug, during the YELP H Street Pub Crawl, was an absolute blast. Thank you Kevin and Miriam! I felt right at home in the small dive bar vibe. This first visit also yielded two kick-ass PBR t-shirts and a PBR mouse pad. The last time I found myself at the Pug was the evening of my birthday after laughing at some premium raunch comedy from Dave Attell at the Improv. Upon overhearing that I was celebrating another year, the bartenders at the Pug whipped up a nice little shot on the house. If you aren't familiar with a Four Horsemen, it is a brutal combination of Jack, Jim, Jose, and Johnny. These horsemen in the form of an oversized shot did in fact portend an apocalypse of sorts for me that evening. Blaaaaaahhhh! I like the pictures they have amassed at the Pug, though it does bring a faux-memorabilia cheese factor to the bar. I hope maybe the photo of Chris Webber throwing down a thunderous dunk over Alonzo Mourning contains enough positive mojo to keep other Georgetown buttholes away from H Street. It's only a matter of time though... read more

If you stepped into my soul, it'd probably look a bit like the Pug (minus most of the sports stuff on the walls). Dark and divey yet friendly. Bartenders are attentive and give good recs for their beers. Black Santa's, a million stickers, police patches, weird tchotchkes, and a lone Christmas tree decorate the place. It's weird, it's perfect, it's one of the truest dive bars in DC. read more

Two words: Cheese Balls. The Pug is like that crazy girl everyone went to high school with who never wore a bra or brushed her hair, and always has mismatching socks: Dive-y, oddly self confident, and doesn't give a shit about what people think about them. I have never had an amazing night that didn't start at The Pug. read more

"Put away your credit card. We're grown-ups here. You'll pay when youre ready." That was how I was greeted when I first went into The Pug. Wait. Back up. Actually first I was offered a handshake and hello, and asked my name. It was then that I reached for my wallet and was told that wouldn't be necessary. Whaaa? Yeah. Exactly. It's that kind of place. Which wouldnt be something. Except this is the D-Sizzle. And it is. $2 Natty Lights, cheese puffs and microwaved goodies for the eating. Plus a pool table. What more could you want? read more

Short chubby bartender is the rudest guy I've ever met. Doesn't know a thing about customer service. My BF ordered a drink, and when he asked about local flavors, he pointed at an arrow and said "look at the arrow". The pub wasn't busy, so I don't know why he was being so rude. Anyways, I went to Toki the ramen place and the worker at Toki told us "they don't care if you eat there just make sure you buy drinks", which we were willing to do, but left after one drink because the bartender made us all feel so uncomfortable. Do not recommend this place. I opted to stay outside in 30 degree weather so I didn't have to be in that place. Avoid at all costs.. read more

The Pug - On the door of The Pug. However, bartender (after POURING a drink) says "by the way we're cash only" change your sign then it's business 101 - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

When I hear someone call this place the Trusty's of H St, I totally see it. No-nonsense bartenders, forget the mixology, just belly up to the damn bar and have a beer. Granted, the price point is scaled up slightly to approach H St norms, but the variety is fairly commendable. Aside from the barstools having seen better days, it's a comfortable dive. I sipped from Mike's Porkslap ale and pounded my Lancaster Strawberry Wheat beer due to the overestimated time. Much more comfortable here than the fan-cooled Toki upstairs. I was too busy gaping at the segregation map on the wall to notice the board games, but next time, Pug. There will be a next time. read more

It's hard to believe there is a place like this in DC. I had the same experience as Sean G. when my co-worker -- who was trying to convince me to buy a house near H street -- took me to this bar. The bartender greeted me, shook my hand and asked my name. He also remembered it, and seemed genuinely grateful for my patronage. This is a truly rare find and says a lot for what is happening in the neighborhood. PS...Thank you everyone for the ROTD. I should add that I went back to this bar about 3 weeks ago and things got even better. There was a different bartender there this time. There were 6 of us there and he asked all of our names and remembered all of them. Also, he remembered our drinks over the course of the night (4+ hours) and we all noticed that the bartender knew sign language. Not sure if he learned because of the bar's proximity to Galludet or if he just happened to know it, but he was signing with two deaf patrons all night. That makes this the ultimate neighborhood bar...the bartenders even learn sign language to cater to the locals. Incredible. read more

This is solely for the brunch. I am having a hard time with my star assignment of this place so I'm starting at zero and will figure it out as I go. I'm not a dive-bar kind of girl...I can go to one, I can be fine in one, I can have a good time but dives are just not my favorite place to have a drink...they're just not. So what was I doing in one? And for breakfast at that? Both good questions plus 1 star because I had set this place up to fail just by going. Over the course of brunch I learned some important things about myself: 1) that while I don't mind drinking in a divey setting I do not like to eat my food in one and 2) I especially don't like to eat in a divey setting with good lighting. There are some things I just don't want to see or smell with a sober mind. Minus 1 star The food was...edible...I mean...okay...errrrr....did I mention that I'm not a real dive bar girl? I had the "All American" which came with this hash thing that was just too mysterious for me, it also came with a bisuit (which was fine), sausage links (fine), cheesy eggs (not very cheesey), and gravy (again with the mystery), Minus 1 star. I loved the waitor/chef/bartender...he was awesome. He was chill, attentive, and added to my experience. Plus 2 stars. My food was CHEAP. Plus 1 star. read more