Capitol Hill is a great place. It is the center of the nation’s political discourse. It is also the center of a vibrant social scene for young, upwardly mobile council staffers and lobbyists. If it seems like more business is going on during happy hours than hours, you’re right.
Capitol Hill does not cater to the famous or wealthy establishments often found on K Street. Congressional staffers are notoriously underpaid, so these appointments are served with cheap drinks and excellent food specials. It makes for an odd mix of young people living their college drinking lives. Although these institutions serve worker bees, it is not customary to hold an evening meeting with the general public. In the summer, a few young people throw in the “internal season” and the Capitoline Hill is a great place for people watching.
Located to the south of the Capitol, all of the sidewalls of the House are easily accessible from the Capitolino subway station on the Gold and Blue lines of the South. Most are located on the same 2-block section of Pennsylvania Avenue, while Tortilla Coast and Bullfeathers can be found right next to the Metro station. The blocks on the Senate side can be accessed by Metro from Union Station. All bars listed are within a 2-3 block walk. Parking is difficult to find in this area, so use the Metro or take a taxi.
Home Side
Capitol Lounge
229 Pennsylvania Avenue SE
www.capitolloungedc.com
The “Cap Lounge” is the center of the House’s activities. Decorated with royal marble and a deep wood finish, there are three bars in two areas. This dive bar adorns the walls of personal-political memorabilia, especially from the Richard Nixon era. A sign behind the main bar declares “No Miller Lite, No Politics.” The second rule is regularly ignored, the first is religiously adhered to. There are many pool tables available. People will be angry if you use one floor. Floor areas are often rented out for lobbyists and personal parties.
Happy hour specials include $3 bottles of beer and $4 wells every day. On Mondays they offer half price pizza, while on Tuesday nights wings are 10 cents. Here’s a handy tip: if you’re greeting a drinker, head directly to the front of the Capitol Lounge. If you cross 3rd Street (moving from the Capitol), you will enter another taxi zone and pay $2 more in fare.
Hawk and Dove
329 Pennsylvania Avenue SE
www.hawkanddoveonline.com
The Hawk and the Dove (along with the Bullfeathers) are the quintessential bars of the Capitol Hill. Well-trimmed wood with six-room interior space, you can say you’re steeped in history. Known for being a Democratic hangout, this is the place to listen in on the workings of some of the most powerful people in America. The bar isn’t bad either, with six pints of beer under $3 every night of the week. If happy hour turns into an extended evening, don’t confuse Hawk and Dove – upstairs you’ll find only dancing with a DJ spinning the latest sounds.
Famous for its signature dishes on The West Wing, The Hawk and Dove serves the best food on the side of the House at the Sill. daily specials, including free shrimp tacos and popcorn on Thursdays and Fridays.Be sure to try the caterpillar on the weekends from 10am-3pm.
Boy at Home
319 Pennsylvania Avenue SE
www.pourhouse-dc.com
Managers will always know this site by its original name: Politiki. But a better moniker is dropped in favor of three separate, interconnected entities. The Pour House is on the main floor, and serves decent food and happy hour specials for about $2.50 a drink. The Swan Room is more of a Hill Top, which is often used for political events and official engagements. The foundation is technically called the Scheisse House, and the owners are trying to project it as a European-themed beer garden. In practice, all three levels are roughly equal. You can move freely from one room to another as long as the private office is not kept. After hailing the horse, walk down the Capitol until you cross 3rd Street—enter the cheaper taxi zone and save yourself $2. Just enough to cover one round!
Bullfeathers
410 First Street SE
www.bullfeatherscapitolhill.com
Bulls are a classic Capitol Hill bar. For they are a little overabundant. Opened in 1980 (Hawk and Dove is 13 years older), it is named for Teddy Roosevelt’s favorite curse word. The menu is extensive, the food better than average. However, the bar is a bit overpriced (up to $5 a pint of beer), and the main happy hours are better at other places on the House side.
Bulls’ major liability is reputation. In the summer, the Circles will show the place and show off. Hill staffers usually bring their families here when they visit—perhaps because it shows better than the places they really hang out.
Tortilla Coast
CD First Street SE
www.tortillacoast.com
The real Tortilla Coast neighborhood is there. Many of my Hill friends ate here half a dozen times a week. The food is good, and the 50 cent tacos on Tuesdays are always popular. The friendly staff serves special beers for as low as $2 and the best margarita pours. This is basically a Republican hangout. There are two back rooms that host private parties and semi-official events.
Senate Side
In My Brother’s Place
237
www.mybrothersplacedc.com
My brother’s place is a popular hangout for Catholic University students, but the small age difference doesn’t deter the Hill staffers. This is the least political in the Capitol, and its prices are definitely aimed at students. Thursdays offer $2.50 bottles of beer. Friday’s crack-clock event with Miller Lite starting at less than $1. The most popular is Saturday night $15 all-you-can-drink extravaganza.
Dubliner
520 North Capitoline Street NW
www.dublinerdc.com
Upscale Capitoline Hill bars are also the city’s most trusted Irish Pub. Dubliner offers an excellent selection of domestic and Irish beers, reasonably priced around $5. Breakfast is the best time to visit: traditional Irish food is served under $15 a plate. As happy hour winds down, the crowd tends to move closer to Irish times. Pay attention to the beggars who stay around Dublin and Irish times. They all live in middle class houses and trust me, they take home a lot of money every night.
Kelly The Irish Times
14 F Street NW
(202) 543-5433
Kelly Irish times the activity of the seminary almost every night of the week. This lot is the heaviest drink of the lot. The huge main bar houses 4-5 waiters every night of the week. There is an excellent selection of beers on tap. To know the mercenaries, who are friendly, and willingly drink the most delicious drink. Winter seasons are popular with students from Catholic University, Gallaudet University, and Capitol Hill. Local celebrity Pete Papageorge plays on the weekends, and can really get the place going. Downstairs you’ll find a club-like atmosphere including dancing and un-Irish music.
Union Pub
201 Massachusetts Avenue NE
(202) 546-7200
The recently re-opened and re-christened Union Street offers modern decor, a Tex-Mex menu, and the cheapest drinks on Capitol Hill. Union Pub has a dizzying array of drink specials—countless to keep track of! Suffice it to say that you can always have a drink in your hand for less than $3. Wednesday nights are especially popular, with $1.50 bottles of beer until 10pm. Union Pub is also famous for their margaritas, which come in three flavors for about $12 a pitcher. The Union Pub on Capitol Hill has the best patio doors of all. Overlooking Union Station and the Senate office buildings, it’s a great place for people to watch and soak up huge storms.
