Two weeks ago, DCist listed some of our writers’ favorite rooftop bars around the city. Of course, those elevated taverns, as well as a more expansive map that followed, are just a fraction of the outdoor drinking options in D.C. Sometimes its a courtyard, a back porch, or maybe just a fenced-in sidewalk patio.
DODGE CITY: The patio here is comparatively spare given some of the other spots on this list mentioned, but there’s still plenty of standing room and a few raised wooden planks (saying tables would be a stretch) that are perfect for pulling up a stool and having a cozy conversation with another person. But the best thing about it is that every couple of days there’s a grill firing up sausages made by 13th Street Meats. There are also have roughly seven types of mustard available on the condiment bar, along with several brands of hot sauce.
Dodge City is at 917 U Street NW.
Photo by Danny Dougherty
LITTLE MISS WHISKEY’S GOLDEN DOLLAR: Beyond the dark, dank booze chamber of Little Miss Whiskey’s seriously purple front parlor—love ya, LMW, but you’re a little dank, OK?—lies a lush back garden patio, which uncurls its eccentric, debaucherous charm in the the dimming lights of summertime Happy Hour like the delicate tendrils of a fleur de lis. Featuring a gothic fountain and stone bathtub, it opens at 5 p.m. and on weekdays closes at 11 p.m. (midnight Fridays and Saturdays), but for a few magical hours, you’ll feel as if you stepped into a closet and came out in Narnia. A Narnia where they root for the Saints, sweat bourbon, and need a breather from too much grinding.
Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar is at 1104 H Street NE.
Photo by Kevin Harber
BOURBON: Aside from one madcap afternoon when it fills up with white-hatted, mint julep-swilling race fans, Bourbon is itself an oasis from Adams Morgan’s trapezoidal iniquity. But out back, the high-walled patio offers as much quietude as one can find in the hard-partying neighborhood. It’s a warm, pleasant nook to kick back with a book and an old fashioned, or maybe just enjoy some friends’ company without the risk of some drunk banging into you and spilling your drink.
Bourbon is at 2321 18th Street NW.
SATELLITE ROOM: This newest venture from Eric and Ian Hilton features a partially covered, heated-when-necessary patio off the main dining room. And, not to encourage any unhealthy behavior, but smoking is permitted. But don’t go for the nicotine fix. The menu is the draw. Outdoor boozy milkshakes a-go-go!
Satellite Room is at 2047 Ninth Street NW.
Photo by Tony DeFilippo
CANTINA MARINA: Let’s be honest: This place is kind of dumpy, but in a lovable manner. The food? Eh, let’s not expend any more words on the food. But consider the environs. It’s on a dock overlooking Potomac River waterfront, and there’s almost always some kind of happy hour deal, in case the tranquil views aren’t enough enticement. Like today, for instance, when the bar celebrates a decade in business with an all-day happy hour featuring $4 beers (not terrible in Boomtown) and discounted taco platters. Besides, if you’re in Southwest Waterfront and you want to drink outside without going more than two blocks, where the hell else are you going to go?
Cantina Marina is at 600 Water Street SW.
Photo by anokarina
VINOTECA: Entering this 11th Street NW oenophile bar is like stepping into Tuscany, but the Italianisms only begin with the wine list. There’s a full bocce court out back, if that’s your thing. (And, if not, you can always spy on and mock the people who are playing bocce). It can get crowded, but it’s definitely cute.
Vinoteca is at 1940 11th Street NW.
Photo by Craig Moe
POSTE MODERNE BRASSERIE: Enjoying a tasty beverage outdoors in the courtyard at this Penn Quarter restaurant is always a wonderfully surreal experience, especially when coming in through the Eighth Street entrance, which was once a carriageway passage for horse-drawn carriages. It feels as if I’ve been magically transported to Europe thanks to the surrounding architecture of the former General Post Office, built in 1839, which is patterned after the ancient Roman Temple of Jupiter. (Adapted from DCist’s Seven Best Places to Enjoy the Outdoors.)
Poste Moderne Brasserie is located at 555 Eighth Street NW.
Photo by Eric Wilfong
WONDERLAND BALLROOM: The floor on the patio out front is uneven, and the long picnic tables are sticky and uneven, but this is where contemporary 11th Street NW was born. It arrived well before The New York Times ordained the neighborhood the “hip strip.” (Guh.) On the hottest summer days and chilliest winter nights, the patio is humming with people chain smoking Parliaments and Camel Lights, downing pilsners and hefeweizens, picking at the bar food. Oh, and don’t worry, nobody brings their kids there anymore.
Wonderland Ballroom is at 1101 Kenyon Street NW.
YOUR (OR YOUR FRIEND’S) APARTMENT BUILDING: Why go out when your building has a perfectly serviceable courtyard or terrace? Get some friends together, grab a six-pack from the fridge, and head out back and enjoy the day.
Your apartment building’s courtyard is located somewhere in your building. Or, if that doesn’t apply to you, get a friend who lives in a building with a courtyard.
Compiled by James Calder, Elisabeth, Grant, John Fleury, Benjamin R. Freed, Alexis Hauk, Alicia Mazzara, Valerie Paschall, Lynne Venart, and Andrew Wiseman.
