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

I have a secret love for pugs so this review may be biased. Rad: Chill neighborhood bar good for weekday drinking. The owner was slamming shots of bourbon with off duty DC cops. Bar safety is important on H-Street post sticky rice stabbing. Bad: Beware of angry flannel shirt "industry worker" girls accusing you of taking over "their" bar. read more

After falling in love with Pug at Yelpin' H Street, I knew I had to return on my own. I had the perfect opportunity when met with a long wait for dinner at Granville Moore's, so we headed next door and settled in. It was a really freaking cold night and the Pug was exactly what we needed: warm, inviting, and chock full 'o beer. We ordered a round, snacked on some freebie popcorn, watched whatever game happened to be on, and chatted with the bartender. There was nothing forced or weird about this place; the whole environment just makes you feel at home. What a neighborhood bar should be, at it's very best. read more

The Pug rules. Any place that 1) serves San Miguel in bottle and 2) has EPL fan scarves hanging up in the interior is an automatic win in my book. This bar is chill, no nonsense and more importantly, unpretentious (if you're looking for some H Street pretentiousness, walk a bit further down the street...) I've never been to The Pug and NOT met someone interesting. Bar patrons are friendly and chatty, as are the bartenders. It's a bit of a downer that there aren't more bars like this around DC. But since they're few and far between, it makes you appreciate the diamond in the rough that is The Pug. read more

My husband and I walked in around 11:30 pm. The Pug only had a small number of people at the bar. We sat down at the bar in front of the bartender however he never spoke nor acknowledge us. We waited 8-10 mins while the bartender ignored us, so we decide to leave. Being that we were the only African Americas in the bar at time it feel as if we were not welcomed because of our appears. read more

"...If you're choosing a generally cheap region of the District, I recommend H Street. It's hard as dragon scales to get to, but once you're there you realize that only 60% of DC's night crowd knows it exists and 90% of that was too lazy to make the trip out there. You'll have to battle a lot of hipsters who already think the area is less cool for me writing about it, but they'll back off if you make up a fake band name and ask them if they've heard of it. Rock n' Roll Hotel is a neat joint: small covers, good shows, but the beer hovers around $5 a bottle. That said, I have two words for you: The Pug... where beer in general stays closer to $3, and even very high-end beers are no more than $8-$9 (we're talking the stuff that wins world beer awards). Don't ask for shooters or bombs or any other drink that sounds like a form of terrorism. They don't serve it. Not because it sounds violent, but because they keep it simple at The Pug. No frills, just thrills..." --from my "Penny-Pincher's Guide to Dive Bars in DC" read more

A great place to chill with good friends. Its small and cozy and has a quarter slots pool table! It is a friendly neighborhood bar with good prices and is completely unpretentious. Another little gem on H street! read more

Almost all of Joe Englert's bars are really themey but this one totally punches you in the face with the boxing theme. The walls are covered in Rocky posters and other boxing memorabilia and when you go to the women's bathroom, Oscar de La Hoya is staring at you while you pee. I met one of the guys who was investing in The Pug at the Red and The Black maybe a year before they actually managed to get the bar open and he gave me really high hopes for it being a "neighborhood bar" since I live in the neighborhood. But instead it's another theme bar. And the beer selection is either a $2 can of crappy beer (they claim to serve Natty Boh but they have been out of it every time I've been there and have had some even crappier substitute) or a $5 bottle of okay beer with no in between. Two good things about the bar... they have Rock 'Em Sock 'Em that you can play... and the bartenders are great. Maybe it's a good choice for a sports fan but I usually only go there when my friends and I are drunk on H St, but not so drunk that we're ready for Crown Fried Chicken yet, and every other bar has a cover. read more

As a person who had visited the best dive bars in new York city , I recommend pug. It's hard to get to h street but when you do it's worth it. Pug has cheaper drinks, a village bar like vibe and no attitude or young college kids. A must stop on the H street bar crawl read more

Went here with my friend on a Saturday night. We only went here because 1) we were lost finding Toki Underground (which is connected by an ascending staircase) and 2)it was suggested we wait there for our table to be ready at Toki Underground. The bar is very divey and has it own charm. I'd call it packrat chic. I loved it!! Reminded me of my days of bartending! The bar tender was an older gentleman can't recall his name but he was super friendly and treated everyone like an old friend. The drinks were so reasonable!! I got a whiskey and a club soda(separate drinks) for about $8!! Maybe this NYC gal has been conditioned to the NYC prices, but I had to make sure he did it misspeak! (The alcohol angels that protect all bartenders would surely give me alcohol poisoning if I took advantage) I happily paid and tipped! My friend wanted to try something new and he made her something spectacular based on what she usually likes. Then he refused to let us pay for it! That man is going into bartender heaven for sure! In light of that random act of kindness, I tipped again! The vibe is just bar chill- TVs are on playing sports, music is playing in the background via a juke box (I think) and people are just being normal. It's so nice to be in DC and not around DC pretentious pricks! I will definitely come back here for the service we got with the genuine smiles. I didn't get to ask the back story on the bar and all the tchotchkes, so that alone is reason to come back! I definitely recommend this place if you want a real drink with cool people. read more

My best friend graced DC with her presence and I took her to the most "hipster" part of town in order to ease the transition from Portland, OR into the DC swing of things. H street had so much amazingness in store for us that I was not prepared for. Not complaining. The Pug was one such place that provided instances of such amazingness. As soon as we entered the building I felt this sensation that everything/one stopped in time. One beat of a Journey song later and movement was back in action. You had to have been there. Following this we were introduced to a girl who stated her whole name and then in her best Vanna White impression displayed and read the entire beer list to us. She then jumped down and introduced us to the bartender with our orders (we both ordered the house Pug brew, naturally) AND her name... both first and last. So, it went a little something like this: "This is Lorna Belle* and this is Lorna Belle." The lines were blurry but it became clear that she wasn't actually an employee as soon as the bartender asked us our real names and said, "she's trying to get a job." My best friend Lorna Belle and I both exclaimed "HIRE HER!" Another "this is so hysterical... but you had to have been there!" moment, fo' sho. Anyway, go to the Pug. Share your stories with me. Perhaps you will also meet the 28 year old dude who wears Harry Potter glasses, for real. Drink the Pug beer. I like pugs, I like the beer (from what I remember), I like this *name has been changed to keep Lorna Belle anonymous and secret so that the mystery will remain if you get lucky enough to meet her one day . read more

I feel like more and more people are starting to frequent The Pug. I'm happy for the extra business they're getting, but I liked it so much when you could walk in on a Saturday night and grab a seat immediately among only a handful of neighbors. Having said that, this place is so incredibly chill. The bartenders are super nice, and it's a great place to have a few drinks while you're waiting for your table at Granville Moore's or Sticky Rice. Drink prices are very reasonable and good beer. A nice neighborhood spot to start or finish a night out on H Street. read more

This was bar #3 on the recon night. It wasn't a bad little place. They actually had some decent scotch though tonight wasn't a straight scotch night. Prices weren't bad either. A good place to have a brew. read more

The definition of "unwind." Based on all the judgement about dive bars and H Street NE, I will not write to convince you that there are true dives or that H Street deserves more recognition. I will instead write about character. The Pug IS the definition of a place that has "District Character:" including broken board games who are still playable through a donation of different pieces, old vintage decor next to season arrangements made from things found in the bar, and friendly service with simple drinks for simple prices. I have had chess on the mind since coming here along with one drink in particular: The Drink Hot Hard Apple Cider (mug) $7: A. There's no dependency that a rum and whiskey mug of steaming goodness for $7 deserves a good review. Now what if that Hard Apple Cider was more than you expected? That, ladies and gentlemen is beauty of the Pug. Pro Tip: When waiting to eat at Toki Underground, chill here before. read more

Came here on a whim after dinner at GM's last Friday night. Loved it. Great prices, great selection, and great atmosphere. Very laid back, cool people, fast bar service, and no pretension. I really dug it. I definitely need to come on one of their nights when they have the $2 domestic prices, Tuesday is it? Whatever the case, I'll definitely be back and will be spreading the word. I need a new neighborhood bar now that Finn MacCool's is temporarily (permanently?) closed. The Pug may be it. read more

My love affair with the Atlas District continues. The Pug is such a cool little neighborhood bar. The last time I visited, my boyfriend and I were waiting for our table at Granville Moore to open up, and the rest of our group to arrive. The benefit to getting there a little earlier than the Saturday night crowd goes out is finding a row of seats at the bar. The bartenders here are really what make the experience. Thanks to a belated birthday present (an art book) our bartender became a fast friend.. buying us all a round of shots and sticking around to chat about his masters degree, art he likes and the current job market. All this in a place that serves Schlitz in a can, makes food on a George Forman and boasts Rock Em Sock Em Robots. read more

This is a great neighborhood joint and Jimmy the bartender really makes you feel at home. I was in there last night with my roommate as we waited for a table at Granville Moore's and it was nice to just chill out. I'm not much of a beer drinker, and my usual poison is vodka. Jimmy let me try a higher end brand from Russia and then topped it off for free at the end of my drink. And, you can't go wrong with a place that will give you a snack of cheese balls! Love it! It's a divey type of place, but chill and relaxed. I don't really care about the theme as I am usually there to hang out with friends and chat. This is a great place for a fun and easy time out with friends! read more

The Pug is a great local bar - providing lots of little ways to entertain yourself. During my visit, I discovered that I suck at the following: 1. Connect Four 2. Fooz Ball 3. Drinking Natty Bo 4. Getting myself out of the bathroom without hurting myself So, not only is this a place of entertainment, but one of self discovery. read more

Here is a list of things I like about The Pug: 1.) Everything. 2.) Wide selection of affordable beer, high-brow and otherwise (Start with Hoegaarden, Newcastle, Peroni and finish the evening with Natty Bo, Schlitz, and High Life). 3.) Tony's taste in music-- never been at the Pug and wanted to switch the music. Toots & the Maytals, Erik B & Rakim, Aggrolites, and Johnny Cash hang out together and occasionally a good old fashioned Irish drinking song drops in to say hi. 4.) Excellent Irish whisky (Ask for a tumbler of Clontarf) 5.) Free cheeseballs. Ask thusly: "Hey Handsome! Let's get some cheeseballs down here!". Works every time. 6.) Next door to great dinner spots, so serves as a great place to wait for your table at Granville Moore's or Sticky Rice. 7.) Diverse crowd. Old, young, black, white, local, international. 8.) No gimmicks. Other H St. bars are fun, but after a couple visits the novelty wears off. The Pug offers a simple neighborhood spot to catch up with friends and strangers alike. 9.) Menu is growing, and pulled pork, chili, and Sunday brunch are deceptively delicious. 10.) Bar staff is talented-- quick service, even quicker wit. Come in on Sunday-Wed nights to get to know them better. Being a regular definitely has its perks. read more

What a cool little joint. I can see this is as more of a neighborhood bar than anything else; I envision it as a place that locals stop in for no-nonsense beer and no fuss company. Beer prices seemed reasonable, the bartenders were really cool, and how can you beat it's proximity to so many other great places? When I make it back to H Street, I wouldn't mind chillin at the bar with an ice cold one. read more

This is a dive-y bar. The layout is a bit narrow, but what can you do with limited space? A good place to grab a quick drink if you're waiting for something/someone. Service is friendly enough. Prices are on-par for DC. beer selection is not bad, but not extensive. Definitely a funky, punk-rock, hipster atmosphere if that makes any sense. read more

I was visiting DC and my friend Deb said "We can go to the trendy places or we can go to a dive bar near my place." Dive, of course. We made friends like you're supposed to do in a bar. I had some hangover hash (dude, add some Spanish rice, and it's gold!). Shots of Powers didn't mean foregoing the mortgage payments. All in all, I had a very good time. I even found the discussion of the pros and cons of various anti-depressants out on the smoking porch a nice diversion for the day. Someone PLEASE refresh my memory of the signs over the bar. "No sniviling" is the one that sticks in my mind. I could tattoo that one. read more

If you like hole in the wall bars The Pug will delight you. I came here for the first time on Saturday and it was a chill spot. The bartender was nice and the crowd was laid back. read more

The Pug has a variety of beers that are cheap. The Pug has crunchy, Planters-style cheeseballs you can eat whilst drinking the variety cheap beers. The Pug is generally not filled with annoying people, ergo, I like The Pug. It's not an exceptionally large place, so it can fill up pretty quick on the weekends, but I'm somehow not as annoyed by its fullness as I am when other bars fill up. I reckon it's that the people tend to be chill and the fact that no one is yelling at me for bringing my Popeye's chicken sandwich into the bar. Dig this place. read more

Definitely has that neighborhood divey bar feel as soon as you walk-in. Not a bad waiting place when you got an hour or two to kill before getting your seating at Toki Underground. I liked the fact that they were promoting a spiked hot cider (called a Flogging Molly) on a blustery winter day. While the cider wasn't exactly hot, more like tepid, it still tasted pretty good. The service was friendly and quick. read more

In a Wikipedia entry about dive bars a link to The Pug would be found at the bottom for further reading. They do it right here kids. Reasonable prices and a great selection. Its cozy with minimal seating but its very comfortable. Lots of interesting junk on the walls if your date is a bore or you're stopping by to wait for a table at Toki or Granville. I don't have much to say and I have nothing to complain about. I hope this place is around forever. read more

Had a blast playing connect four and where else can you get cans of boh oh wait just about anywhere, but still had fun catching up w a friend and meeting the local patrons. I have to say I dig their t-shirt in Commie fashion. I heard good things about the food, staff was laid back and nice. read more

The Pug is so cute! It's kind of a grungy "neighborhood bar" as some of the other Yelpers have mentioned in previous reviews. The bartender (Jimmy) is a sweetheart - kind of rough around the edges but really nice. It's a fun place to chill out and have a few drinks if you're in the area. They also have a pool table in the back, which I wasn't able to try but I'll definitely be back to have fun with it. read more

I think the first thing that came to mind when I entered this desperately "divey" hipster circle-jerk in the middle of H Street was the outrageously and inappropriately loud music. I was here to meet up with a large group of people so we can try that noodles joint upstairs that you can never ever get a table at and after a lot of yelling, we all agreed the music made it impossible to maintain a group conversation. Overall this is not a bad bar. They have their specialty cider which was supposed to be alcoholic but the only thing alcoholic about it was that it was served at a bar. I think because of DC's vast shortage of decent bars, cafes, restaurants, and hang-out spots, this place has become popular and thus too crowded all the time for the size and type of place it is. And anytime you have a annoyingly massive crowd of "Hipsters" - each one of them more self-important than the over - you will have people who refuse to move out of anyone's' way when they need to get a drink and give you snarky looks if you are not dressed in tight jeans, flannel shirts, or pseudo-intellectual-looking glasses. This could be a much better place if it wanted to be but first it needs to get over itself.... read more

been to this place a few times, usually when waiting to be seated upstairs at toki underground. the drinks usually aren't very good, and the service isn't any better. every time I have gone there's the same overweight bartender with a man bun and teenage girl attitude problem servicing the bar. tried going to toki underground with a friend a few days ago, went to sit inside at the bar because it was pouring rain outside. I'm not big on drinking on an empty stomach. my friend and I had been sitting for not even a minute when the bartender shouted to us, "you all gonna order?" my friend and I looked at each other and back at the bartender and said we were fine, thanks. he shouts back, "well if you're not gonna drink, you need to go. this is kind of a BAR," he said with the snarkiest tone ever. I get they're trying to make money but c'mon... I've been several times and typically order drinks before heading up to toki but just wasn't feeling it on this particular night and I get booted just because we wanted to keep out of the rain? there was plenty of available seating left, for the record, so not like we were in the way. long story short, there are lots of better bars in walking distance to this one, all with better service AND better beverages. I'd head to one of those instead, even if you plan on grabbing food at toki underground. read more

The Pug is a one-stop shop if you're looking for a genuine bar to belly up to and meet great people from the neighborhood. You can also grab one of the tables in the back. Get ready, you'll be sharing that table with other Pug goers soon enough. Head in for Brunch on Sunday morning and let Billy pour your drinks. 10$ bottomless mimosas for a few hours is pretty hard to beat. Don't leave without getting a great dish from Joe who will serve you up some serious eats. Get the special. It NEVER disappoints. read more

In some ways, this place is so NOT DC, it's laid back, it's a regular place, but it has enough personality to keep you coming back and feeling cozy. And yet, this place IS SO DC: they had presidential debate viewings, etc. I guess it's just more of what DC needs. Pretty small to medium sized, hard to fit large parties on the weekend. Lots of games inside (like trivia cards). Good beer selection and you can eat Toki Underground's food down there. read more

This is a low key no frills divey bar right in the middle of the H street corridor. It's not a great spot, but if you're looking for something simpler/quieter than the surrounding bars, this fits the bill nicely - we came while waiting for a table to open up at Sticky Rice next door. The guys behind the bar were quick, friendly, and make larger than average mixed drinks. That works for me. read more

I've been here a few times now. Jimmie the Bartender [/Owner?] is really cool and likes to talk *ish, but in a funny, like-he's-known-you-for-years kind of way. He makes this joint work. Drinks are cheap (just how I like 'em) and most of the locals are pretty tame. It's not the kind of place you would say, "Oh, you're visiting DC? You've gotta go to ____." For a neighborhood bar; however, this place rocks. Auf. read more

If you are like me, there are times you want to go out with a friend or two, and just hang out in a really chill bar. The Pug is probably the best place I've been for this kind of down-to-earth experience in DC. I went with a friend on a Friday night, enjoyed some Hoegaarden on tap, and even got a free shot from the bartender. The other reviewers were right; they treat you well here. It was pretty quiet, but that is exactly what I was looking for that night. My friend who lives near there says that he can always get a spot at the bar when he goes (a plus, in my book). The boxing decor is pretty cool, and they have a pool table (along with one of those Rock'em Sock'em boxing games you can take over to the booth). The cheap cans of beer you can get are the kind of thing I love; when I was there they had Schlitz. If I lived around H St., it would be one of my frequent hangouts. I'll definitely be back sometime, though. The bars on H St. are starting to grow on me. read more

Favorite dive bar in the neighborhood. No matter what day or time of day we go, we always have the super stoic Samoan guy serving us. He may be quiet but he wears hilarious t shirts and makes a mean cocktail. Let me be clear though - this place is clearly not froufrou and has a great beer selection and usually some weird stuff playing on tv. The walls are covered in the most random paraphernalia ever (mostly sports related). It's a nice spot to kick back and chat with good company. Also, $5 well drinks = I'm pretty buzzed after spending $10. read more

Ahh The Pug. It brings me joy on so many levels. A dive bar on the verge of perfection. Cheap beer and a friendly staff. One of the bartenders always remembers my order and which tab it's under which I always appreciate. He also makes some killer homemade salsa. You can't really go wrong with a $3 pint and some table trivia. We even brought in our own board game once and had a ton of randoms join in. Good times! read more

H Street's the hottest food destination in town, with tons of new joints getting lots of love from critics and the public. But instead of rushing with the herd to whatever new kitchen is trending on Twitter, try dropping by The Pug for brunch on the weekend. Quietly, The Pug's menu is getting it done and done right. The food is good, plentiful and cheap. They do bottomless brunch mimosas and have baked goods to boot (whoppee pies are fantastic). Ask for the Eggs Earnhardt--think eggs benedict, but with pulled pork resting on top of a hash brown. It's fantastic. Be amazed at the magic Joe works up on his grill. Plus, the entire staff makes you feel welcome. A nice change from so many bars in this town that can't be bothered to learn your name or what you drink. read more

I was here for the Yelp event few years ago, but I guess I hadn't been back since. It's really really divey like even the bar stools were falling apart. They had Starhill Oktoberfest on tap which was great. There was a good crowd at the bar but it got so loud, we had to leave for a more quiet place to chill. read more

Love it. They have Natty Boh. They have PBR. It's not quite a dive, but it's very chill and totally unpretentious. On a Tuesday night you can go and get any domestic canned beer for $2, and that includes Dale's Pale Ale. That's awesome. I guess it's a bit hipster, based on what they serve, but it doesn't have that vibe. Bartenders are cool and it's incredibly relaxed. Just a great neighborhood bar. read more