Not to be confused with Free State Distillery in Upper Marlboro (though many also call it Arthur…read moreWheeler Spirits haha), this place is located just off of the main street in chinatown, and it's surprisingly lowkey. It's a basement bar with a bit of a dive vibe, but it's hard to ignore the nautical, blue crab theme throughout. Turns out that one of the owners is a Marylander, which is cool to see reflected in the decor in a place in dc, even though it is next door. They have a happy hour and they have a great variety of drinks in general. It's bring-your-own-food (BYOF) and there are a bunch of delicious looking Asian spots nearby, including upstairs. It didn't start getting crowded until closer to 10, which, as I said, is surprising for this part of town to me. Everywhere in Chinatown is not going to be packed and busy, and this place is here to remind you of that. Stop by if you're looking for a more chill vibe. Staff are pretty cool.

Free State is perfect for a chill bar in the Downtown area. It's exactly the kind of place you want…read moreto share a few drinks and be able to hear the person in front of you. I had a delicious orange crush drink and my friend had a sangria. The bartenders are extremely chill and nice; they only come up when you need it which is nice for good conversation. I'll easily be back when I want to catch up with friends without a speaker blaring in our ears. Great place to introduce to more people!

Amazing service and incredible drinks! Graham is the best bartender in the city…read more Also the creativity is unmatched! Order what you want from the menu but they are also willing to make you specialized drinks to your liking.

Love this place because it's such a casual spot to drink after dinner or if you're in the area. I…read morehad never been before to a place that allowed outside food and now I think more should!

Great local bar with large rotating craft beer selection. Highly recommend for any beer…read moreenthusiast. They have wine and cocktails as well. They are happy to recommend beer for your taste, and let you sample. It can be very busy and difficult to get a seat at the bar or get a table on a Friday or Saturday evening. We ordered food, and were expecting elevated bar food. The tater tots were a huge disappointment- they were very large squares , bland, and not crispy. The wings were okay. The cheeseburgers were the best- from the restaurant downstairs- mallard. Huge burger, done perfectly medium.

Here's a review written as part of a visit to both Churchkey and Birch & Barley (the downstairs…read morerestaurant -- together they form the "2 Enjoy Everything" concept by Neighborhood Restaurant Group): A DC Gem That Delivers on Every Level If you haven't made it to Churchkey on 14th Street yet, move it to the top of your list. I visited as part of the full experience -- dinner downstairs at Birch & Barley, then up to Churchkey for drinks -- and honestly, it's one of the best evenings I've had in DC. Churchkey itself is everything a great bar should be. The beer selection is absolutely unreal -- hundreds of carefully curated labels spanning every style, region, and flavor profile you can imagine. What sets it apart is that the staff actually knows the menu. Our server walked us through a few options based on what we liked and landed us on perfect picks both times. That kind of genuine expertise is rare. The tavern pizzas from the wood-fired oven were a wonderful surprise -- thin, crispy, and the perfect companion to a cold draft. The smash burger also deserves a mention: simple, well-executed, and hits the spot. The vibe is warm and lively without being overwhelming. Great for a date, a group, or even just sitting at the bar solo with a good beer and good conversation with the bartender. This place has earned its reputation as one of the best beer bars on the East Coast -- and then some. Highly recommend making a full night of it with both floors. You won't regret it. Feel free to adjust the tone or add any personal details from your actual visit!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

At my recommendation, my son and his girlfriend went here after a day of touring in D.C…read more. Apparently, they ordered the blue crab, mac & cheese, and chicken wings. Both reported, it was an outstanding choice. They enjoy the time before they took the Metro back home. There are no complaints about the service, and they didn't really mention what the place looks like. But it could not have been too bad. They did say, it was clean and nice in the 22-year-olds that's a compliment. They also said it was convenient to get to the metro from there.

I won't be back unfortunately and you should probably keep walking and find something else. Didn't…read morerealize what kind of restaurant this was until I was told to order off an app and then my food would be ran out to me...and that's all you get for customer service. Runners just do that. Run around the restaurant throwing food down on tables and run back to the kitchen. Never checking on anyone to see if they need anything and how the food is. I ordered the SW Salad ($16.50) with a steak add on ($9.00) at medium temp. I also ordered a cup of Clam Chowder ($5.95) as an appetizer. Chowder came out pretty much right on top of my salad, but no big deal. Chowder was decent taste, but only found one clam. Ok whatever. Salad came out looking like a side salad on a large plate with five slices of rare, tough steak. It was so rare, that it was extremely hard to cut through, but again, who was I going to talk to about it. No wait staff would even look my way. I couldn't even get a refill on my water and there is no place in the app to order a glass of water...so that's that. Unfortunately it was just an extremely bad experience for $40. I'll be looking for dinner somewhere else tomorrow night.

Henceforth is a gem of an institution within the H St corridor. There's plenty of good vibes to go…read morearound here. I came here for trivia in particular. I enjoyed the format of the trivia while enjoying my drink. I also thought the service was pretty decent. I will definitely come back!

Came for a live music session over the weekend. First time in the place and it's so cute! Only…read morereally saw the second level in its fullness but the vibes were great. Servers were visible and around, but moving. I was able to grab one to order the lamb pops and the fries, both of which were amazing and so flavorful! I had a strawberry spritz to drink (I think, as it was ordered for me) and it was pretty good. Overall would come back again for an event or nice date night stop!

Awesome spot to spend an afternoon outside! Service is always great and beer is affordable pricedread more

got beer spilled on me, very upset, not worth it.- Ethan Ravlin…read morep.s Beer doesn't grow on trees stop calling it a garden and it tastes like they sprinkled dirt in the beer

Got recommended this place and was really excited to check it out. We ordered the mussels and a…read morechicken salad, and honestly, it was an excellent choice. The lettuce was super fresh, the dressing was the best I've ever had in DC, and the chicken was perfectly cooked. The mussels were absolutely exquisite. I'd definitely come back to The Sovereign!My only note for improvement is the service. It took the waiters a while to get to our table, and attentiveness was pretty low overall. Granted, the restaurant was packed, but if it's going to be that busy, they should definitely schedule more staff. It would make the whole experience complete. Other than that, everything was excellent!

The Sovereign is alright. I went here for a work thing. It was PACKED on a wednesday night which is…read moreimpressive. Not sure what to make of DC crowds but there were a lot of people. I had a hard time making an order. I really don't like standing around at a bar aimlessly hoping for the bartender to call on me. That was the situation I was in here. Once I got the bartenders attention it was easy and quick to get my drink, it just took a while and its annoying when they go to other people who got there after you first. The bar is full of seating too, so you have to stand behind people who are already sat and drinking to try to flag them down which feels awkward. The drinks were good though and the atmosphere was decent.

My boyfriend and I went to Dacha Beer Garden (Shaw) for an afternoon date and it was such a vibe…read more The patio was full but still felt cozy and fun lots of energy without feeling chaotic. The sunlight coming through the big windows and umbrellas made everything feel warm and relaxed. It's definitely one of those spots that feels very DC weekend.We ordered the giant pretzel with cheese and mustard and it was SO good soft, warm, perfectly salted, and ideal for sharing. The fries were crispy and seasoned just right. We also tried a couple of beers (the grapefruit one was especially good and refreshing), and everything paired perfectly with the food. It's casual but still cute enough to make it a real date. You can sit, talk, enjoy your drinks, and not feel rushed. I'd absolutely come back, especially on a sunny day. Perfect for daytime dates, meeting friends, or just enjoying good vibes in Shaw.

Stopped in before the recent Nats series against the Phillies to "pre-game" (excuse the pun)…read more Directly across the street from the stadium, good luck finding ANY street parking, so unless you live in the area, do yourself a favor and take the Metro to the Navy Yards neighborhood. Dacha Beer Garden is an interesting set-up. Walk up to the host stand and get your hand stamped before gaining entry to the dining area; more on the hand stamp later. The interior is ginormous and the "walls" are heavy duty plastic with the center of the room having an open ceiling for natural lighting. This being summer, it was a thousand degrees, but all of the fans on the highest setting, did a good job of circulating the air. Dacha does have one of the better Happy Hour deals for DC (see picture for current specials). I came with a large group of 10+, so we all ordered a bunch of items to share. I sampled the blood orange hefeweizen, which was slightly citrusy and added brightness to the smooth wheat beer. The fried shrimp was surprisingly delicous and tasted quite fresh. I was expecting reheated previously frozen and heavily battered shrimp; but this was not the case. Each piece had a nice snappy bite and lightly battered with good seasoning. I would've liked more of the dipping sauce, but a squeeze of the roasted lemon gave some needed acidity. Also snacked on some of the curry wurst, which tbh was waaay too sweet. Fries were good though and not soggy. Service was a bit slow, but to be expected since I only observed three servers for the entire dining space. The runners did an admirable job of delivering food/beverages after we placed our orders. Regarding the hand stamp, the restrooms are located directly across the courtyard at Jackie (https://www.yelp.com/biz/jackie-washington-4?osq=jackie%27s). So you'll need to show the host at Jackie the hand stamp to use the facilites and then again to return to Dacha. Even if I wasn't in Navy Yards for a Nats game, I would return to the Dacha Beer Garden. We all had an enjoyable experience, but the only slight detraction is the non-Happy Hour prices are on the higher side. But this is only a minor gripe since that's any place in 2025 when dining out. Of course, Dacha is expected to be loud, service somewhat slow, and usually crowded. All the things a good beer garden should be.

I recently visited Jackpot Bar and really enjoyed the overall vibe. The ambiance is super chill…read morewith a speakeasy feel--dim lighting, cozy atmosphere, and the kind of place you can actually relax and have a conversation without shouting. It feels tucked away in the best way, like a hidden gem. The service was solid--friendly, attentive without being overbearing. What stood out most was their beer selection. There's a great variety, so whether you're into something light or want to try something more unique, you've got options. Overall, it's a great spot if you're looking for a laid-back night with good drinks and a cool, low-key atmosphere. Definitely a place I'd come back to.

Friends and I were looking for a bar for a drink before an event at Capital One Arena. We found…read morethis Jackpot (pun intended). If you're not paying attention, you'll miss the door for this downstairs bar. With happy hour every day from 4-8pm, you can't really go wrong. There isn't food for purchase but you get a free basket of popcorn to munch on. The location is small, so it did get pretty packed / busy when we were there. Patience with the bartenders as they try to get everyone's drink orders. Super easy spot for a quick drink in general or before a show at CapOne.

This was such a fun night. Stumbled upon them having bingo on a Monday night, such a fun group of…read morepeople! The bartender, Rich, gave us a history lesson and we took his recommendations and enjoyed each place we visited. We loved that they had board games, free popcorn, you can bring outside food and then the best part: no talking about the outside world!

I've been hearing about this place for years but never actually stopped by. They're currently on my…read morelist of weekend happy hour spots, having it all day on Sundays. I made a last minute change to meet a friend here, but much to my surprise... they had a PS5 and Tekken booted up at the bar. I am by zero means a Tekken player. Yes, I'm a huge gamer, but I'm terrible at Tekken. But the mere concept of being able to watch and play it at a bar is incredible. That aside, they got a bunch of board games like Trouble, Uno, Trivial Pursuit... the classics man! Oh right, the bar part. Their drinks are great. The staff are great. The specials are great. And they give you popcorn! And they have a whole little table with all the popcorn fixings if you don't want to eat it plain. You can literally bring in food from anywhere on top of that. I'm not sure if it's a Sunday thing, but the place really doesn't get too busy. It's quite a vibe. If you've never been and you're in the Logan Circle area, go.