Washington, DCDive Bars

A two-story Brookland dive with a big back deck of picnic tables, walls covered in beer merchandise and concert posters. It pulls industry workers, weekend cyclists, and parents alike, and Lazy Bones Pizza runs out of the same building.

A Cleveland Park basement pool hall with five tables, two dartboards, and shuffleboard under space-age murals. No specialty cocktails, just cheap games and cheap drinks, with a full bar and bring-your-own-food policy.

An Adams Morgan institution named as a pun on its neighborhood, built for misfits, musicians, and artists. Live music runs from blues to karaoke most nights of the week.

One of the last dive bars left on Capitol Hill, open since 1947 and rebuilt after a 2011 fire without losing its mounted-animal-head character. Cheap beer and greasy diner food are still the whole point.

A basement bar in Silver Spring packed wall-to-wall with oddball decor, known for a deep beer and whiskey list and quality burgers. The Old Bay tater tots are the one bar snack worth ordering on their own.