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    Free State

    4.3 (149 reviews)
    Open 4:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

    Free State Photos

    FREE STATE ATMOSPHERE

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    Spiked chocolate
    Una D.

    I don't think of this as a speakeasy but more like a bar And although we were all fashionably late, we still had a good time. They have the advantage of serving hot drinks. So the two that I picked were the hot apple cider which was absolutely Divine and the spiked chocolate which was also pretty good but had a little bit more of a coffee flavor which I didn't care for. It's the one in the picture with the marshmallow. I like that they have big fat stools but I really wish the seating was lower and a bit more comfortable. Basically I prefer a lounge but this is a bar. Oh well. I have some cool decor. I really like the funky light bulbs. Bathroom is clean, surface was pretty much on point and I like the staircase where you have to go underneath. Anyway, I think I'll try trivia on a different day and hopefully we can get our act together and show up on time.

    Paige G.

    Cozy atmosphere. It's in a base and have a nice nautical theme. Service was great and the cocktails were tasty. They have various local beers on draft as well.

    This is my chicken that I made the other night bc I had to upload a photo.

    Not actually open until three, they lied, but that's OK because I still had a pretty good time!

    Mellow vibes
    Dave K.

    Not the best deal in town, but the atmosphere is good, as are the drinks. I got the happy hour beer, which was nothing special. I moved on the the mezcal frozen cocktail which was killer. Ended up having 2 of those and would have loved to have more if I didn't need to drive later. Will 100% be back. Only complaint was that the prices were a bit steep, especially given the size of the drinks. Service was also solid.

    Inside
    Brian F.

    When you arrive at the location, go down the stairs to get to the bar. They have trivia every Sunday at 7pm which we thought would be fun to participate in even though we're both bad at it. If you're either first or second place you get a discount on your bar tab, but it seemed like there were a lot of regulars in large teams so you'll have to bring your A game to beat them. If you don't want to play trivia, there are some bar seats and TVs for entertainment. My first drink was the home stretch ($14) which was a spirit forward drink that was slightly dry from the dry vermouth. My second drink was the all you need is love ($10) which was floral from the butterfly pea and fizzy from the club soda. My third drink was the good doc ($10) which was a refreshing drink, basically a whiskey sour plus ginger beer. The drinks were pretty good and the prices were well-priced too ranging from mostly $10-12. Even during trivia the bar was not super loud, probably because it was a Sunday. The tables were also pretty well spread out so there was enough space to get around.

    Inside bar
    Mariya G.

    A nice casual bar located within walking distance of the capital one arena which is perfect for getting a quick drink after the game. They do have a happy hour and I recommend getting there on the earlier side as they did get busy (especially before a hockey game at the arena) I didn't see a food menu but I did see a couple of people bring in pizza slices so I think outside food is permitted. I only had one drink-grapefruit crush and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys grapefruit! The bar is located underground and I did notice a musty smell when I first walked in.

    Bar
    Shari D.

    Stopped in here on a weeknight and loved the vibe! They have a range of drinks to choose from and our experience was definitely a reason to come back.

    Vijay S.

    Good spot for cocktails in DC that's open relatively late. Love the interior and the vibe/ambiance. There is a trivia quiz going on every Sunday. There's two tv screens but plenty of space to hang out and chat with friends. Got the we go high which was light and refreshing. Overall good experience.

    District Distilling Buzzard Point Rum with a splash of coke!

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    Photo of Eva M.
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    8 years ago

    Quick stop here but a warm welcome from the bartenders who were incredibly attentive, and delicious cocktails. Will for sure be back!

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    8 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Cody is awesome! We loved it, great cab sav (from Maryland which is insane). Great spot to celebrate or grab a quick drink!

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    Photo of Laura C.
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    8 years ago

    A good speakeasy vibe. No food. Awesome drinks. Recommend "perfection." Good for after work small groups and dates. Okay prices

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Love the interior lighting and rustic visuals around the bar. The bartenders made amazing drinks! Jack's Orange Crush was awesome.

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    8 years ago

    Great atmosphere! Cool vibe for drinks and hanging with friends. Great selection of local spirits and beers.

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    6 years ago

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    9 years ago

    I like this place, though it still does feel new and a little sterile. The house shot with cardamom and cinnamon was dope.

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    Photo of Denise K.
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    7 years ago

    Matt was amazing! Thank you so much for your kind hospitality, great convo, and perfectly blended drinks!

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Fine bar with a. Decent cocktail list and a variety of low to mid market wines. Interior is nice.

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    7 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    8 years ago

    This place desperately requires ventilation because it smells like an old, wet gym sock.

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    9 years ago

    This place is crazily crowded on a saturday night so i go here very early and i like it because they have good quality beer

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    8 years ago

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    9 years ago

    This place rules. The bartender welcomed me in at 1:20 a.m. for last call and recommended me a smooth, local rye bourbon and beer. Thanks!

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Cool vibe and good drinks. In the hustle of chinatown this is a fun place to go.

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    Page 4 of 4

    Ask the Community - Free State

    Review Highlights - Free State

    On that note, Free State is located below ground underneath of Bantam King so look for the basement stairs.

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    ChurchKey - Tots, fries, mushroom flatbread and a glimpse of chicken sando

    ChurchKey

    3.9(1.5k reviews)
    1.0 miLogan Circle, Downtown
    $$

    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!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

    Photos
    ChurchKey
    ChurchKey
    ChurchKey - Stairs

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    Stairs

    Henceforth - Waffle and potato

    Henceforth

    4.5(32 reviews)
    1.7 miH Street Corridor/Atlas District/Near Northeast

    We walked to this brewery, but could easily make it on the streetcar as it stops right across the…read morestreet. This former mini golf country club space has transformed into such a cute and classy neighborhood watering hole, while maintaining some of the golf decor. With a large and varied draft beer menu (our group had IPAs, stouts, seasonal ales, and even a cider), plenty of wines (including NA!) and an expert sommelier, and bar snacks for all tastes, I can see myself ducking into Henceforth for any sort of drinking. Their upstairs area had more tables and intimate spaces, but our group took up the comfy couches downstairs. Their staff is incredibly friendly, and just generally seem happy to be there. They also host monthly activities on their calendar, which sounds like a great way to gather!

    What a nice vibe this place has! I only got a glimpse of the first floor because I was meeting a…read moreparty upstairs. It felt like the perfect lounge. You sit anywhere you like and you order from the bar. There was one bartender running to and from downstairs to grab things. I have partied enough for the weekend so I didn't get any drinks besides a soda, but I shared the veggie sandwich and curry mussels for food. The curry mussels were outstanding. I thought they should have provided a separate bowl and spoon to handle all of the empty shells and juices, but that Curry was fantastic. Curry as an alternative for wine sauce should be normalized. The sandwich tasted great, but the veggies were so greasy that the sandwich was very messy to handle. They provide towelettes whenever someone gets wings, they need those for that sandwich too. And I absolutely loved the Old Bay chips that came with it. I would definitely come back to chill for happy hour or the like. The music was at an oddly low volume, but still I'd recommend.

    Photos
    Henceforth
    Henceforth - Triple Fried Fat Fries with aioli verde, buffalo and honey old bay wings, Spicy Chicken sandwich, and Braised Short Rib.

    Triple Fried Fat Fries with aioli verde, buffalo and honey old bay wings, Spicy Chicken sandwich, and Braised Short Rib.

    Henceforth

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    The Sovereign - Mariniere Mussels | Instagram: GaoGirlsGrubbin

    The Sovereign

    4.0(606 reviews)
    2.4 miGeorgetown
    $$

    This place is fantastic! We sat at the bar on a Sunday afternoon. Great atmosphere, beautiful bar…read more I appreciate the hooks under the bar to hang your purse or bags. Thank you for having that. It's a detail that many bars forget but I can relax and enjoy my stay more when I know my belongings are safely tucked away. We got the Smorgesboard and Saffron Mussels. Both were EXCELLENT. The Mister got a few beers. The Smorgesboard had every charcuterie option and it was really fun building the perfect bite. I thought it was absolutely worth the price. I've paid more for less. Let me take a moment and collect myself before I talk about the Saffron Mussels. They were freaking amazing. The broth was mildly spicy, a powerful punch of salty herby flavor that paired wonderfully with the mussels. They were perfectly cooked with a tender chew. Served with fries and chunks of bread to sop up all that glorious broth. If you're thinking about getting the mussels, just do it. Truly, one of the best pot of mussels I've had. We are just visiting the area, but I'd definitely come back the next time I'm in town. What a delightful surprise to find this place.

    Came to the Sovereign on a Friday night for happy hour -- a great deal, cocktails for $6 and some…read morebites. Walked to the upstairs bar and was able to find a seat no problem around 6:30pm. There were still seats at the downstairs bar too. I went for a cocktail off their full menu not featured on happy hour - the tricky tripel, and it was delicious! The bartender did a great job explaining the tasting notes of all the drinks and helped me choose a good one. I also sipped the Belgian sour many of my friends opted for and that's a great cocktail for just $6 during happy hour. Happy hour is tricky -- it's really a great deal making it difficult to justify paying full price for anything but the crowd here is two folds. You have a lot of young college kids mixed with an older crowd so one comes for the deals while the other comes for amazing food and cocktails -- something for everyone! Overall I would definitely come back for dinner. This place has a very lowkey casual vibe but upscale food and drinks. The atmosphere/ambiance leaves a little to be desired with not so great lighting and no background music that I can recall but still a nice spot to pop in.

    Photos
    The Sovereign - Bottle room

    Bottle room

    The Sovereign - Steak frites & eggs, saffron mussels (ig @fanaticdiner)

    Steak frites & eggs, saffron mussels (ig @fanaticdiner)

    The Sovereign - The bar

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    The bar

    Dacha Beer Garden - Grilled Chicken Sandwich with purple kraut, Havarti cheese, pickles, LTO and famous sea salt fries at Dacha Beer Garden (Shaw), DC

    Dacha Beer Garden

    4.1(508 reviews)
    0.9 miShaw
    $$

    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.

    It has been nearly 11 years (!) since my initial review, so an update is sorely in order. This…read moreplace is still going strong, stronger than ever in my view. They have slowly made changes over the years that make this an absolute must visit. What hasn't changed: the outdoor vibes and string lights are as pleasant as ever, and without the crushing crowds and lines that typified this location in their early years, it is a much nicer vibe most days. In my first review, I complained that the menu was very light on German beer options. They offer far more now, including a beer that I do not believe you can regularly find at any other bar in the city: the Weihenstephaner Korbinian, the world's finest doppelbock. It is one of the most delicious beers I have ever had, and they have it here on tap for a very reasonable price. Another positive change: they have a kitchen now with a full menu of food options. Their giant pretzel is a classic, of course. If you're a weekend happy hour chaser, they sell $5 High Noons all day Sunday. One final note: the location is absolutely perfect. Baan Mae has opened next door to the north (a 5/5 dining experience, amazing Thai food), Ugly Duckling is across the street to the south (a 5/5 happy hour and cocktail experience), and Ivy & Coney is right across the street to the east (a DC icon and 5/5 dive bar and football spot), so Dacha is essentially the centerpiece of the perfect night (or whole day) out.

    Photos
    Dacha Beer Garden - Brunch at Dacha Beer Garden is iconic.

    Brunch at Dacha Beer Garden is iconic.

    Dacha Beer Garden - Guinness is served in a pint glass and Das Boot at Dacha Beer Garden.

    Guinness is served in a pint glass and Das Boot at Dacha Beer Garden.

    Dacha Beer Garden - Cocktails are crafted to order at Dacha Beer Garden. Refreshing.

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    Cocktails are crafted to order at Dacha Beer Garden. Refreshing.

    Kingfisher

    Kingfisher

    4.3(125 reviews)
    1.0 miLogan Circle, Downtown
    $$

    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.

    My go to spot once or twice a month. Straight to the point with great aesthetics. Love the wood…read morelook and clean dive bar vibes.. they have a huge variety of beers and kozys to put them in since they don't have draft beer. The bartenders no matter what day it is always execute with divine hospitality!! Oh yeah forgot to mention the popcorn machine free popcorn is a plus, it also has a huge selection of seasoning to get that popcorn right. See you soon!! Say what's sup if you see me there!!

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    Kingfisher
    Kingfisher
    Kingfisher

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    Garden District - Chicago dog and onion rings

    Garden District

    4.0(345 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    Came here after a lingering afternoon across the street at the beer garden. Hankering for some pub…read moregrub, my daughter and I shared some pickle spears and we each had a burger. Service was good from this eclectic bunch of waitstaff, but it was pleasant and efficient. The fried pickle spears were not breaded enough, but the remoulade dipping sauce was a nice change from the typical ranch dressing. Our "standard" burgers were char-grilled, greasy and perfectly seasoned. The double fried fries were crispy and tasty. Will have to return to try some of their BBQ offerings, but if you are in need of a burger, don't overlook this spot either!

    Awesome spot to enjoy food and drinks! And the COVID system is awesome. You add your name to a…read morewaitlist to be seated outdoors. You also place your order and pay online so they try to keep it as contact free as possible. I had the rose cider and ordered mac and cheese, hush puppies and fries...because I was trying to be healthy. I enjoyed everything! My friends ordered the burger and onion rings and enjoyed it as well. Prices are very reasonable. They also have outdoor heaters so they'll be well prepared for winter and colder weather. We were also treated to a round of the offshoot hazy ipa since the brewmaster happened to be here. He bought a round for everyone and it was really nice of him! I look forward to coming back!

    Photos
    Garden District - Pickle spears with remoulade dipping sauce

    Pickle spears with remoulade dipping sauce

    Garden District - Char-grilled burger with fries

    Char-grilled burger with fries

    Garden District - Our 16 seat bar

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    Our 16 seat bar

    Free State - wine_bars - Updated June 2026

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