This place stinks (literally smells awful), looks like a run down, dumpy shack, and is absolutely amazing. If you start your evening here, it is almost guaranteed to be epic. You buy drinks by the bucket, syrup container or squeeze bottle. Please don't ask for a beer. The mixed drinks come cheap. Served family size for the price of two watered down of the same anywhere else. It's easy to mistake as a boarded up shop at the tail end of Adams Mo but a must. It's cash only and get there early or late to find a seat but beware. You will likely not remember much afterwards though you will inevitably return. read more

Finally a dive bar worthy of the category. Dan's Cafe is everything you want in a dive bar, dark with no windows, dirty, cheap raggedy furniture and a staff that seems to tolerate you more than actually want you to be there. Definitely a good place to spend at least part of an evening even if it is just to say you've been. There big claim to fame is the squeeze bottle which while kind of gimmicky is still fun. You're getting an 1/8 of alcohol a mixer of your choice and shot glasses to use in anyway you wish. Staff is interesting, I come in guy behind the counter is just kind of sitting there doing nothing, no warm greetings, no welcome how can I help you, he wants you to make the first move and I don't have a problem with that. I also don't have a problem with him head down on the counter snoozing about 15 minutes later because hey it is a dump and it was slow night so expected. Not much more I can say, if you want to slum in place that is dank, dirty and a little weird then give Dan's Cafe a shot, chances are you'll be happy you made the trip. read more

Two pieces of advice: 1. If you like Dan's on the weekends, make sure you stop by on a slower weeknight. 2. Don't go to the bathroom until you're hammered. read more

Dan's Cafe is a real throwback to the old days of DC bars. It clearly hasn't changed a bit since it was created decades ago. The surly service adds to the charm! I think it's safe to say that is easier to get black out drunk at Dan's than any place in the city. When you're getting served pocket rockets of liquor and a 12 oz can of a mixer, it's easy to imbibe heavily. I personally enjoy the complete distaste the bartender and cashier seem to have for the clientele. I also think the tarp over the pool table really adds some charm. Amazingly, there is a functioning Megatouch machine along the corrugated steel wall. The bathroom is essentially a hole in the ground. It reminds me of the toilets in Greece that are just holes in the ground that you squat over. Thank God they aren't required to serve food here. These may all sound like negatives, but Dan's is a guaranteed good time. It's not overrun by annoying d-bags like the rest of Adams Morgan, and it won't break the bank. It feels good to step back in time and into a different world. Note that it is difficult to find if you haven't been there. Shockingly, the owners have not taken time to repaint their fading sign. read more

Words cannot describe this place. Dive bar would be the kindest way to describe it. Ended up here on St. Patties day, but I assume it is still an absolute pigsty 365 days out of the year. Glamor shot of the mayor drinking out of a squeeze container. read more

Dan's Cafe - The Mayor drinking out of a squeeze container. - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The term dive bar is used way too often. In the case of Dan's though, it applies. Been around since 1965 and won't be going away anytime soon. There is a reason for that. If you like to drink and have any inclination to be in Adams Morgan, you need to go see for yourself. Enjoy! read more

A brokedown dive-y dive bar. I have only been once, and I was quite enjoying the place until a huge group infiltrated on their birthday party/bar golf outing. Still, there was something sort-of charming about its run-down dinginess. I only had a beer--a Sierra Celebration Ale (on February 20th) for $4. And although this perhaps should be a turn-off (Celebration Ale is released in November, I believe, so the fact that it was still sitting around may not be a great thing), I was happy. The real selling point seemed to be the liquor--they give you with bottle of alcohol, your mixer of choice and a small bucket of ice. Klassy. I've pretty much graduated to the beer-only club these days as liquor generally does mean things to me. It was grimy and shady. Nonetheless, I think that this might be one of about two decent places for a Saturday night out on 18th Street. I wish that the fratty bar golf group hadn't destroyed the ambience so quickly, but I plan to be back. Cash only. read more

Wow these people don't fuck around. In the right context this place is kind of great. It can jump start a night with its cheap and plentiful alcohol and the legendary 1:1 ratio of liquor to mixer bottle service deal , which is analogous to a choose-your-own-adventure book but you can't flip the pages back. As you can read in any other review here, this place is about as divey as you can get. Dive like literally no windows or lighting except for neon beer signs. Dive like you can smell the bathroom even outside of the buffer room they put between the bar and the bathroom. The dive aesthetic really works to your advantage here, because it serves as a filter for popped-collar grad students looking to grind on someone while listening to autotuned rap. This is a drinking establishment. I'll give this three, because this is a good place to get the ball rolling and save a few bucks, but I wouldn't exactly make this my hangout. read more

Pretty much the most awesome place in D.C. Its loud, it smells, and its usually packed during the "pre-game" hours from about 8pm until midnight. Super cheap shots, bottled beer only, and my personal favorite, a can of soda, a bottle of your choice of hard liquor, and a bucket of ice for under $20. Just be careful after the first one. The only must-see Dive bar in D.C. Most bars say Dive bar and they just mean that like they don't have polished hardwood floors or decorative lighting for their liquor cabinet, this is closer to a shit hole. read more

Perhaps the best dive bar in D.C. One comment on the bathroom--it reminds me of some of the bathrooms I used when traveling in Africa. read more

This is a dingy, dirty, smelly dive bar and I fucking love it. The floors, chairs and tables all seem to have this film on them and I wouldn't be surprised if this place violated a few health codes. This all but sucks me in further. I love dive bars. I love them because theres only one thing that you go to these kind of bars for: To get blitzed. Drinking until you feel like the entire foundation of Dan's Cafe swirling around is an easy feat to accomplish. They offer a cheap combo of a pint of liquor to your choosing, a mixer, and a bucket of ice. You mix yourself. I've been there a few times and it always does the trick. Not to mention your in the company of some incredibly drunk people who make for some good conversation and laughs...at them or with them, it doesn't matter. They also offer mass quantities of shooters, mixed in a ketchup dispenser, so you and some buddies can pour and shoot away!! They don't let the bartender slow you down from drinking until you can't see straight. To some of the reviews prior to mine, Dan's Cafe is under the category of DIVE BAR...don't complain about it being...well, a dive bar. Its going to be a bit shady. Thats it's charm. The perfume of urinal cakes is a staple. Fear of roofies is at a minimum, the people here are too busy drinking to pay attention to you, prissy. You'd have more of a threat at the bars that are crammed with frat boys. read more

Between the hours of 8PM until 2AM, this place transforms from a true dump with 8 dudes in it to a sweaty mess of early-mid 20 year olds trying to get their cheap drink on. No air conditioning, their pool table is covered with a tarp, and it looks like they pay extra money to NOT do anything to improve the place. Cash only. And it all works. Beers are 3-4 dollars, unheard of in DC, and for 15-20 dollars, they'll pour you the contents of a bottle you'd buy in a liquor store into a cup (and warm too), give you a another cup of ice, and another cup to share. And a can of soda or whatever mixer you might want. It's a great way to drink cheaply and meet people - which is I suppose all that you can ask for when you're out on the town. Well, air conditioning - I'd certainly ask for air conditioning. They tend to ignore the 70-person capacity sign, and there must have been about 200 people in that space. Hot. read more

I'm surprised I haven't written a review of this place, it's amazing. I lived for years in Adams Morgan and just assumed this was an abandoned building -- one story, no windows, the paint was peeling and the sign was fading. One time the door was open and I saw people were drinking, so I went in. The same family has owned it since the 60s, and it looks like nothing has changed since then, except maybe the jukebox and naked photo hunt game. The drinks are ludicrously cheap and hilariously delivered -- if you get shots, they come in a honey-type squeeze bottle, and if you want cocktails, you get a full glass of booze with various cans of mixers and a bucket of ice. Beer is cheap too. They have shelves of different airplane-size booze bottles, and one time I asked why they had them. The answer: "nobody else has them." That's true. It smells awful and the guy's bathroom is horrible, which is saying something since I'm a guy. But that just adds to the charm. The place rules, but can get crowded. Also, the Cafe part is a misnomer -- I think they have bags of chips. read more

Holy crap I love this bar! $17 for a squirt bottle Red Bull Vodka. Its about 3/4s vodka, then a some Red Bull and a little ice. Get a few shot glasses, share with your friends, and your set after a couple of these. I haven't had so much giddy fun in a while, squirting this mixture in shot glasses and mouths. I felt like an alcoholic 3 year old. Yes, the place is gross, and the bartenders are (delightfully) mean, but the music isn't so loud that you can't have a conversation with your friends. And for A-mo, thats something special. read more

Fun until 10:15, when en masse groups of college students started swarming in. Lots of drunk girls taking pictures of themselves and their drinks. I think I ended up on instagram. Otherwise, it was great. Loved the drinks and casual feel of the bar. Would recommend to a friend-before 10:15 or after 11:30. read more

Dan's may be the diviest bar that I have ever been to, and I loved every second of it. I got to Dan's early (around 7:30) to make sure my group got a table. The place filled up by 9pm, and was hard to move around. Thankfully, we had gotten our drinks early and had done some damage. The way Dan's serves drinks is genius, and makes for a very happy customer (also making for some crazy dancing later on in the night). Dan's loses a star for the hole in the ground that they call a bathroom. Blech. Other than that, I loved Dan's, loved the owners, and loved the completely laid back, unassuming vibe of everyone there. A good way to start, and probably end, a night in Adam's Morgan. read more

Dan's Cafe is the closest honest bar that reminds me of the east village in NYC. the bartender is friendy and the drinks are cheap and strong.. This is a family run bar Don't come here to drink beer or expect fancy service . this is a real dive bar. I love this place. I give this 10 stars for being a real bar. If you like DIve bars you ill love Dan's cafe drink a quart sized mixed drink or do shots here. read more

Amazing. Get drunk for super cheap every time! Plus the employees are very friendly. It's a Saturday night staple

IF you're looking for a classy place with plenty of seating for a quiet evening, this is definitely not it. IF you're looking for a bloody great atmosphere - with the three brothers that own it working behind the bar (their mother used to be a waitress at the ex-Dan's chinese restaurant in this joint) -then GO HERE! Good jukebox, shots in ketchup bottles, order a drink and you get a bucket of ice, glasses - alcohol and a mixer. ie. rum and coke. it's enough for 3 people. Check it out the next time you want GREAT priced strong drinks. read more

Oh, Dan's. How I love you. This is probably the best dive bar I've been to in DC. It's the best way to start of a night in Adams Morgan. How many times have I stepped on those sticky floors to hand over $18 (plus $2 for tip!) to the bartender for a nice big bottle of red headed slut shots. There is nothing better than starting your night off with a few friends and a squirt bottle of shots. I would suggest going a bit earlier to pregame your night out as around 11ish it can fill up with some yacht club douchebags. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is it's cash only. I know its part of the whole deal, but I hate keeping cash on me. read more

This place smells like a homeless person in August. But after one set-up you won't care. You are more likely to crawl out here than walk. But it's all part of the Dan's Cafe experience. It's not a place that I frequent. But it's fun for when you really just want to get drunk and don't we all have those days. Plus the staff is really cool. read more

I have lived in D.C. for approximately five years now, and in those five years I had not been to Dan's Cafe until Saturday night. Okeeey...now that you have picked up your chin off the (dirty) floor of this place.... It was love at first walk in. Love means never having to say you're sorry, and Dan's NEVER says it's sorry. Rather, you will be given a condiment bottle filled with..whatever it is...and shots of...whatever they are. If that is not a symbiotic relationship, I don't know what is. This is one of those places where the phrase "Your expectations are in the toilet...and that's not the worst place for them to be!" definitely applies. Go in with low expectations, and you'll have a great time! read more

I read the reviews before going here, just as you are reading this now. I was hesitant based off other opinions... I went. I got drunk off squeezy bottles. It was fantastic. We got three bottles, whisky/coke first...then gin & tonic... then SoCo and lime. They were all good and (even though the ice watered them down) they were good for quite a few shots each. The Highlights. -The chairs are uncomfortable. -Your shoes may come off due to sticky floor -You may fall through floor in bathroom -Drinks are cheap -Jukebox *may* play your songs -Cash only Just do it. read more

this place is perfect is you're looking to get REAL weird. Hard alcohol in squeeze bottles, dim lighting, the dirtiest bathroom ever, staff that don't give a fuck what you do, it's perfect. Get there early cuz it's not huge and fills up quickly, plus you can save money pregaming here before you stagger out into the world I seem to remember it being cash only, but most memories involving Dan's are foggy at best read more

Contrary to the 4 stars quote, i am not just a "fan", but moreover, "Yay! I am a patron". My tough weeks as a young professional in DC can usually be alleviated by Friday nights that begin, or end at Dan's cafe. I lived in DC 2 years ago, but am now just entering the Yelp culture, and am currently in a Yelping spree of my memorable places over the years. I remember not remembering anything, everytime after exiting the doors to this sanctuary. At a particular time of the night, plastic tarps are strategically placed over the pool tables, and other items that may be compromised due to inevitable projectile vomitation. As i further investigated, this is primarily due to the generosity of this place. Once you order your "cocktail" you are served with a pint of the finest well alcohol, companied by a complimentary soda to add some coloration and bubbles to your liquor. WHEN TO GO: - beginning of the night, if iyou want the rest of the night to be cheap - if you need a pair of beer goggles immediately to start the night - at any day that you may have said to yourself, "FML" read more

Sooo... 1st the ppl and music here not always the move... BUTTTTTTT this is a great establishment. Period. I came with my brother the first time and woke up the next day and said "yo i need another ketchup bottle..." as upset as i was with myself... it had to happen again, so tonight it did. Great choice, EVERY Pregame. read more

Dan's Cafe - The boys enjoying a night out! - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Dan's is by far my favorite bar in Adams Morgan and probably one of the best in the whole city. In all reality there should be a notice of eviction sign on the outside but that's what makes it great. From the outside it looks like an abandoned building and inside it doesn't look that much more pleasant. Probably the worst bathroom I have ever been in so don't go, especially you ladies. I have heard nothing but horrible stories. This was actually the first bar I went to when I turned 21 because of the allure behind it. It's cash only and is one of the very few bars where you are your own bartender. The bar is lined with miniature alcohol bottles which you choose. It is then poured in a squeeze bottle which I love to squirt in my mouth to get the night started off. Great pre-gaming bar or last call savior. I would recommend this place solely for taking a couple of cheap shots and then going elsewhere because the enjoyment fades over time. Hopefully they never close this place down, I want to take my kids here when they turn 21. read more

So, I had no idea that there was a real life dive bar in Adams Morgan. So imagine my surprise when a couple of friends recommended we start our night out here. Squirt bottles for $17, we had two split between five people and we still got drunk... DING DING DING this bar is a WINNER! Just don't go to the bathroom. read more

My sister got pregnant in the bathroom of Dan's Cafe last time she was in town. Oh, there's nothing more to say. Looking forward to being an Uncle in December. read more

I showed up in Adams Morgan with only two friends at 11pm last Saturday, after a bunch of folks bailed. We started out pretty low-energy for beginning a tad late, and were concerned about bringing our 'A' game to a part of town usually reserved for groups engaging in riotous, drunken antics. So we stopped here to build some steam up for the rest of the night. And did we. Between the condiment bottle of SoCo/lime, three $3 domestic bottles, and a well-placed Erotic Photo Hunt machine, in one hour we went from Taco Bell medium sauce to Sriracha. Go here, but not so many of you that I can't still get in, myself. read more

I used to live a block from this place. I used to think Mr. Bings in San Francisco was the all time shitiest bar in the world. This place is. I guarantee if you spend more than 20 minutes in this place, you will leave with a heat on. The first time I went in there, I ordered a vodka tonic. Out came a bucket of ice in a stolen Best Western motel room ice bucket, can of tonic, and a very cheap bottle of vodka. When the guy opened a cabinet to get something, the obvious odor of some dead rodent wafted through the lovely bar. When I told the guy there was probably a dead rat in there, he said it was probably in the walls, as the neighbors put out a lot of poison lately... lol.... read more

This is just too fun. Squirt bottles with your choice of hard alcohol plus mixer or you have the option for an ice bucket with a glass of hard alcohol plus mixer. Great jukebox too and fun, at times random, crowd. Hole in the wall you might just miss it! read more

Female Friend: "The funky bathrooms create an intense odor in that place." Me: "Maybe it's a little rank but for Dan's prices and the freedom to mix your own drinks I'd booze it up in the embalming room of a funeral home." read more

With the small number of true dive bars in DC, we really have to cherish the ones we have. Dan's is a great dive bar. I'm sure everyone else has explained the whole bucket of ice, juice glass of liquor, bottle of mixer thing. That's pretty much all there is to it. Don't arrive after 10 PM on a Friday or Saturday night because there won't be room for you to sit and you'll just annoy the people who already have seats by trying to jam in around them standing up. read more

Are you serious? This is basically a college bar masquerading as a dive bar. The clientele is awful, and the service is even worse. An "employee" STOLE MY (FULL) DRINK and mixer from its spot on the bench next to me, which I assume had something to do with the $5 deposit associated with the ketchup bottle. I walked across the bar and stole it back; he denied stealing it. As I walked back to my spot, I got comments from patrons. Guess what- it's a crowded bar, sorry I brushed up on your Northface vest as I walked by you. If you think this place is a fun bar, I feel bad for you. read more

Something with this many reviews means you know the deal. A few pointers: - Gin and vodka are cheaper than whiskey - Be ready to order. The bartender will move on quick and make you wait. - It gets really, really hot in there. - You are more than allowed to have a good time. No one's going to judge you here. read more

Here's what you need to now about this place: Dive bar Cash only Jukebox cost $0.25/song Beers cheap $4 and under Squirt bottles... I still don't understand No dancing And because the place looks super divey, I did not attempt to use the bathroom... So no comment here. I think it's a good meeting spot to start off the night... But don't think I can stay here all night. read more

The complete definition of a dive bar. Dan's Cafe should be a landmark. I think it's the only place in DC that you can be blackout drunk in five minutes. I agree that this place isn't the most beautiful on the inside, it kind of reminded me of my grandma's place because when you look up at the ceiling all you see is wilting ferns and other hanging plants. But it was the "bottle service" concept and the juke box that won me over. There was a point of the evening where I had to step outside because of the crowd (I recommend if you're going with a big group of people show up at 10p (no later). I ended up talking to this dude outside (who I later found out was the owner) inherited this bar from an Asian guy named Dan and now runs it with his dad and eight siblings. Real nice guy and super talkative. Overall great time and loved the concept the only recommendation I would give is ladies, maybe bring a roll of toilet paper....cheers! read more

A great place to start the night but an awful place to end one. That's how I would sum up Dan's Cafe. No where else in the world have I seen mixed drinks being served as a hip flask bottle of liquor, some ice, and a mixer. You make the drink yourself. I'd say don't order anything with more than one ingredient. Not the place to try your first mojito. The service is grumbly and quick to brush you off. The bathroom is disgusting. But that's the kind of place you want, right? Go in, have your pint of gin and then leave to find some trouble elsewhere because a few more rounds at Dan's and it will surely find you. read more

Dan's Cafe is a DC institution. If you order a Jack and Coke you get a bottle of Jack Daniels, a bucket of ice and a can of coke. People don't go to Dan's for a quick drink. People go there to get sloshed. And by "sloshed", I mean that this place should be call Black Out Dan's. The place is run by a father son team. Cash only. If you tip well, you'll get better service. So, basically, people overtip at this place. You're into decor and atmosphere, this place isn't really for you. I don't think they've changed the interior since the 1950's. The bathroom... Oh man, the bathroom. I've been all over the world and I'm talking truck stops in Brazil that have better bathrooms than this place. It is by far the most disgusting bathroom in the entire world. I feel sorry for anyone that has to kneel down to throw up in this place. Just thinking about it makes me want to vomit. I have NEVER seen the men's room have toilet paper and thank GOD that I've never had to care. Usually crowded, but always Dan's. Black Out Dan's. read more