Photo by Alan Zilberman.

By DCist contributor Alan Zilberman

Located in the heart of Bloomingdale, Showtime Lounge is a terrific neighborhood bar with an even better jukebox. It has one of the best combo deals in the city; at any time, not just during happy hour, you can get a shot and a can of Natty Boh for $5. The other drinks are similarly cheap — a cash bar helps in that capacity — and the free jukebox offers nothing but soul and R&B from the 1950s and 60s. Showtime Lounge is the sort of place where it’s great to knock back a few, and it’s also the sort of place where you want your debauched evening to end. Like the small barroom space, Showtime’s bathroom is grungy yet thoughtful, although its central conceit may push DCist’s editorial policy to its limit.

+3 for artful graffiti: A lot of bar bathrooms have dumb art on their walls, whether it’s nonsensical or a dick drawing. In Showtime’s bathroom, the graffiti integrates with the wallpaper in a way Andy Warhol might admire. The wallpaper itself, on the other hand, is less than ideal.

0 for an overabundance of memorabilia from Washington’s football team: If Dan Snyder ever went to Showtime Lounge — he never would, out of fear of encountering the unclean working class — he would love the shit out of Showtime’s bathroom. The wallpaper is retro NFL stills, and there’s a poster for a former star player nicknamed “Secretary of Defense.” Everything in this bathroom celebrates Washington’s football team. It gets positive points for knowing the team’s history — no RGIII shit here — and negative points implicitly using Snyder’s “tradition” argument to justify its aesthetics.

+2 for ADA compliance: There is a step between the main floor of Showtime and its bar/bathroom area. There is also a wheelchair ramp, and the bathroom is similarly designed for people with disabilities. There are several poles inside, which means that being in a wheelchair cannot stop a drunk from shitting with confidence. More bar bathrooms should have the same ease of access.

-2 for limited supply: Showtime Lounge has exactly one bathroom. Granted, it’s a small space, but I’ve seen the place get packed before, and the bathroom line is no fun to stand in. If it stretches all the way toward the ramp, patrons might as well bring along a beer and/or shot for their wait. I understand space is limited, but two toilets should be a mandatory minimum or something.

+1 for an overabundance of toilet paper: I find that each subsequent toilet paper roll makes my bathroom comfort increase at an exponential rate. When I visited Showtime, there were three extra rolls. They’re an implied invitation, or perhaps a dare, that says, “Go ahead, you drunk asshole. Do your worst. I can take it. I want to take it.” Similarly, if there was a lack of toilet paper, my butt would clench so fast that only urination would be possible.

-2 for the Washington football team light switch: Most of Showtime’s bathroom is discreet in its love for our local NFL team. The decor is practically a history lesson, and the only way to glean what the walls reference is from context. These bathrooms walls reward attention, in a sneaky way — and then there’s the light switch. It lacks discretion altogether, celebrating Washington’s racist team name in all its (questionable) glory. The bathroom was nearly tasteful right up until that moment. At least it creates a disincentive to interact with/turn off the light.

Overall score: +1. Showtime Lounge is one of the best bars in the city, and its lone bathroom is a complex testament to football fandom. Offense will vary, depending on your aversion to the Washington football team, and it’s a reminder that, yes, there was a time when fans and news outlets said the name without reprisals. It would be a mistake to forget that.