Updated May 27, 2024

The topic of DC’s dive bars often leads to lively debate-just see the comment section of Thrillist’s list of top DC dives and this Reddit comment thread. Many self-proclaimed dives have sprouted up throughout town in recent years, a phenomenon detailed in a great piece in the Washington City Paper in August 2014, leading to the term “thrive bar“, as well a persuasive 2013 DCist argument from Benjamin Freed that the DC dive bar is dead. The Washington Post’s Tim Carman and Fritz Hahn even devoted a July 2017 package to dive bars with 3 articles: 1) The Top 8 Dive Bars in DC Area 2) Why a Bunch of Bars are not Dive Bars, and 3) Is the Tune Inn a dive bar?;

To settle this once and for all (ok, not really), Barred in DC’s definitive (and comprehensive) list of DC’s dive bars is here (with apologies to many Ethiopian and Hispanic spots that might fit the bill). Definitions of dive bars abound-though this list eschews any particular definition and instead tracks public perception of whether a bar is a dive or not based on extensive Twitter polls given around New Years Eve 2021 (if the Post weighed in, that has been noted). In reality, most of these would be called just a neighborhood tavern in most cities not named DC. Other bars that are “divey” in certain ways but not full-blown dives are also listed.

NOTE: This ranks/categorizes bars based on % of Twitter voters who have visited each bar and consider, by whatever definition they have, the place a “dive bar.”

Consensus Certified Dive Bars: Raven Grill, Dan’s Cafe, The Pug, Showtime Lounge, Trusty’s, Tune Inn, Jimmy Valentine’s
Certified Dive Bars: Marshall’s, Dew Drop Inn, Solly’s, Ivy & Coney, Jackie Lee’s, Red Derby, Snappy’s, Recessions, The Bottom Line, Lyman’s Tavern
Dive Bar, Maybe: Stan’s, Looking Glass Lounge, The Blaguard, Neptune Room, Last Call, Hamilton’s Bar & Grill, Wonderland Ballroom, Dirty Water, Kelly’s Irish Times

MORE DETAILED LIST

CONSENSUS CERTIFIED DIVE BARS (7 bars)

At least 2 out of 3 people who’ve been to these dive bars consider them dive bars

• Raven Grill (Mount Pleasant) – 1935 (current owner  since  1994/1995)
  • 92% call it a dive bar (85% in 2022)
  • Post Verdict: One of top 4 best true dive bars in DC
• Dan’s Cafe (Adams Morgan) – 1956 (current family owned since 1965)
  • 85.4% call it a dive bar (81% in 2022)
  • Only open 7p-3a Fri and Sat
  • Verdict: One of top 4 best true dive bars in DC
• The Pug (H Street) – 2007
  • 84.8% call it a dive bar (79% in 2022)
  • Post Verdict: Close to being true dive, but loses points due to fancy vending machine (no longer there)
• Showtime Lounge (Bloomingdale) – 2013
  • 78% call it a dive bar (77% in 2022)
  • Post Verdict: Would be due to cash-only policy, $5 beer-and-a-shot combos, a CD jukebox, Redskins wallpaper in the bathroom, a house band, but too new
• Trusty’s (Capitol Hill / Hill East) – 2005
  • 77% call it a dive bar (70% in 2022)
  • Post Verdict: Fritz Hahn says it’s a great neighborhood bar but bus makes it too much like a theme; he said it was on way to being a dive back in 2005
• Tune Inn (Capitol Hill) – 1947
  • 71% call it a dive bar (59% in 2022)
  • Post Verdict: Dispute whether still dive bar post-rebuilding/Guy Fieri. Still Fritz Hahn’s favorite dive bar in DC.
• Jimmy Valentine’s Lonely Hearts Club (H Street/Trinidad/Carver Langston) – 2007
  • 70% call it a dive bar (67% in 2022)

CERTIFIED DIVE BARS (11 bars)

At least 50% say it’s a dive bar, but less than 2/3

• Marshall’s Bar  / Flavors of India (Foggy Bottom (1990s/early 2000s)
  • 65% call it a dive bar (53% in 2022)
• The Dew Drop Inn (Edgewood) – 2015
  • 64% call it a dive bar (61% in 2022)
• Ivy & Coney (Shaw) – 2014
  • 59% call it a dive bar (51% in 2022)
• Solly’s (U Street) – 2006
  • 59% call it a dive bar (53% in 2022)
• Jackie Lee’s (Brightwood Park) – 2017
  • 56% call it a dive bar (54% in 2022)
• Red Derby (Columbia Heights) – 2007
  • 55% call it a dive bar (54% in 2022)
  • Post Verdict: Not a dive due to roof deck
• Recessions (Dupont) – 1996/1997
  • 55% call it a dive bar (57% in 2022)
• Snappy’s (Petworth) – 2023
  • 55% call it a dive bar (new bar)
• The Bottom Line (Downtown) – 1979
  • 52% call it a dive bar (60% in 2022)
  • Post Verdict: Not a Dive
• Lyman’s Tavern (Columbia Heights) – 2014
  • 50.1% call it a dive bar (48% in 2022
  • Post Verdict: Not a dive

DIVE BAR, MAYBE (10 bars)

40%-50% consider these to be dive bars. 2/3 or more say they are divey

• Stan’s Restaurant (Downtown) – 1970s / current owner since 90s
  • 45% call it a dive bar (43% in 2022)
  • Post Verdict: Not a dive bar because food is too good
• Looking Glass Lounge (Park View) – 2008
  • 45% call it a dive bar (47% in 2022)
• The Blaguard (Adams Morgan) – 2008
  • 45% call it a dive bar (44% in 2022)
• Neptune Room (Petworth/Brightwood Park) – 2020
  • 44% call it a dive bar
• Last Call (Union Market Area) – 2019
  • 44% call it a dive bar
• Hamilton’s Bar & Grill (Capitol Hill-ish) – 2006
  • 42% call it a dive bar
• Wonderland Ballroom (Columbia Heights) – 2004
  • 42% call it a dive bar
• Dirty Water (H Street) – 2017
  • 40% call it a dive bar
• Kelly’s Irish Times (Capitol Hill/Union Station area) – 1978
  • 40% call it a dive bar

DIVEY BUT NOT A DIVE BAR

Less than 40% thought these were dive bars, but majority thought these were at least divey if not actually a dive bar.

Italics-% who thought place was a dive bar or divey, but not a dive bar

• Dupont: Trio’s Fox and Hounds (1967 / current owner 2013 – 67%), The Fireplace (1990 – 64%), Larry’s Lounge (1992 – 60%)
• Adams Morgan: Bedrock Billiards (1992 – 80%), Shenanigan’s (2012 – 65%), Madam’s Organ (1992; current location 1997 – 59%),
• Logan Circle/ U Street/Shaw: New Vegas Lounge (1971 – 71%), Kingfisher (2016 – 65%), DC9 (2004 – 61%), Stoney’s (2006 – 54%), 
• Cleveland Park – Atomic Billiards (1993 – 83%), Nanny O’Brien’s (1993 – 68%)
• H Street –  Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar (2009 – 71%), 
• Chinatown/Penn Quarter: Jackpot (2014 – 73%), Irish Channel (2001 – 61%), Rocket Bar (2007 – 60%)
• Georgetown: The Tombs (1963 – 57%)