Coalition of the Swilling: Pharmacy Bar & Toledo Lounge

This marks the return of DCist's bar feature, Coalition of the Swilling. Don't forget Poland! Post by DCist contributor Brandon Gentry

It's no secret: 18th Street can be a real mess, especially on the weekends. Drunk folks crowd the sidewalks, angling for fights and hook-ups. Too many of the bars cater to the lowest common denominator ("Shots! Blaaaargh!") or to adults playing dress-up (it's hard to pretend you're on a secret mission when you're puking up a giant slice after four appletinis at Spy Lounge). A simple thing like going out for few drinks with friends can turn into something far more complicated. Sometimes it seems like amateur night every night, and it's enough to make the regular drinker want to avoid the entire area like the plague. Why bother, when there are enough neighborhood spots far from the madding crowd to get a hassle-free buzz on?

But there are a couple of places on the dense strip to attract the discriminating, unpretentious drinker, places designed to provide a relaxed, distraction-free alcoholic environment, places like the Pharmacy Bar and Toledo Lounge. Unlike many of their Adams Morgan brethren, these oases don't try too hard. They're simple and straightforward, bars for people who like to hang out in bars. And they're dives, sure, with the odor of spilled beer, sour mix, and untold Camel and Marlboro Lights (sigh) permanently lingering in the air. But people talk about dive bars like they're a bad thing, when in fact, where bars are concerned, "dive" is usually shorthand for "a fun drunk" and "laughing your ass off with friends," especially when there's a good jukebox.

The Pharmacy Bar is a gem. While there is a shtick of sorts, what with the vintage Eastern European apothecary theme (replete with tables featuring multicolored pills lacquered right in), it's more appealing than distracting. The dark-wood paneled bar is soothingly dim, the bar staff soothingly low key. The service is great: once you walk in and sit down, the easy-going and alarmingly efficient waiter is at your side for your order. Inexpensive, well-mixed cocktails, a solid — yet unambitious — selection of draught beers, and a menu featuring some surprisingly tasty options above and beyond the standard bar fare round out the experience nicely. And the jukebox is, as many will testify, one of the best in the city, featuring a good selection of D.C. and national indie stalwarts alongside the classic rock staples that everyone knows the words to. Monday through Friday you can knock back a $3 Miller High Life, Miller Lite, or PBR from 6 to 9.

We should also point out that Pharmacy Bar boasts one of the best people-watching perches in the city. The counter built into the street-side bay window provides an excellent vantage point from which to assess the foot traffic. It's free entertainment, and the view reminds you why you're sitting in there and not someplace else. This can be especially rewarding during the Pharmacy's weekend brunch, as you wash down bagels with expert Bloody Marys while the Saturday and Sunday walks-of-shame unfurl below for your viewing pleasure.