This place is hilarious. The absolute antithesis of a chain, and I love it. It's nice to see that not every place is corporate. I'd totally frequent this place if I lived here. It would lead to fun stories. Service, 5/5. Food, 3.5/5, but I may have just chosen poorly. Definitely give it a try! read more

Don't waste your time there! Very disappointing! We are visiting from California and the bouncer who carded my 23 year daughter claimed her ID was fake and wouldn't let her in. He asked what her home address was and she forgot the unit number and as a response, he threatened to take her real ID away. Seriously who are you to have the authority to do such a thing! We had no problem getting into four other bars. You should train your staff better. read more

Great clean local bar with local bar prices. Live band that raises money for local causes even has five pool tables upstairs. read more

O'Shaughnessy's Pub - Live band - Dive Bars Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I have been coming to this bar every time I visit DC for the past 7 years and it was my favorite hang out spot! And I finally had a chance to stop by on my latest visit to the DMV and the place has completely changed for the worse!!!!!! I loved the old vibe even worse I found out it's still the same owners so that just makes them sell outs!! read more

I have gone here for karaoke daily and it is an awesome venue the staff rocks and the vibe is amazing plus they have very delicious food and drinks and their pool tables are amazing I recommend this establishment for a good weekend out! read more

Good service, and ambiance. Good beers and pool. Staff is friendly and if you want to watch something, tv's on go

Went to the upstairs renovated bar looking for the Packer game and found a fun atmosphere and friendly people.

I can't say enough good things about this place -- it's quickly become one of my favorite spots, and a big part of that is thanks to Sam and Cierra behind the bar. These two are absolutely phenomenal. Sam brings great energy, a sharp wit, and somehow always remembers your drink order no matter how busy it gets. You can tell she genuinely enjoys connecting with people, and her cocktails are top-tier -- consistently mixed to perfection. Cierra is just as impressive: welcoming, attentive, and incredibly knowledgeable. Whether you're asking for a drink recommendation or just chatting between rounds, she makes you feel like a regular. Her creativity with craft cocktails is unmatched, and you can tell she takes pride in what she does. Together, they create such a fun, relaxed atmosphere -- the kind of place where you can come alone and still feel like you're among friends. Great drinks, great service, and two bartenders who go above and beyond. Highly recommend Andy the Mechanic read more

This is probably my favorite place to get drinks with my buddies in old town, the atmosphere is great with the pool tables upstairs and the events like karaoke nights, and the bartenders are incredibly charming and friendly especially Sam and Cierra. Absolutely can't wait to come back soon read more

Beyond the great ambiance! Came to O'Shaughnessys one time and it was great. To the drinks, the food and the service is fantastic! Sam their manager is one of the sweetest and makes fantastic drinks. Remarkable! read more

By far...1 of my favorite places 2 go nn oldtwn...jimmy sam ciera leela mikey frank...is the best bartending crew ever!!

Sam is easily one of the most interesting and funniest people I've met in a long time. It was such a refreshing experience talking with her, and her service was absolutely top-notch. read more

The spot has improved over the years for sure. One of the managers sam brings a lot of good energy. Overall good experience.

One of the diviest dive bars there is- I could tell by just the outside look and the inside matched. Smoky dark corners, one bathroom out of order, pool tables and live music, for a lover of dive bars, this place was exactly what I love. Shoutout to the fairly decent prices and the great bartender downstairs- he was super kind and had great banter. read more

They got rid of smoking inside. It sucks. I hate it. Used to go there all the time now I can't stand it. A cold brew and a fresh camel cured my seasonal depression after the loss of my wife. Now I cannot have my fresh camel. Now I cannot cure my seasonal depression. Please bring it back. read more

Beer just taste better here, way better vibes than the rest of old town. Great prices and better service from the bartenders, will be back.

I wanted to bring my law firm and summer associates; however, I get disrespected and have hateful things being said to me via your bartender, Jimmy. I can't believe that's how you want to do business. read more

the place was ok, nice pool tables upstairs. we didn't get food, young bar maid was less than friendly... average attitude. prob won't be back - overall the experience was just ok. read more

I have been going to this bar for years. Workers are kind, fun, and helpful. The vibes are great. It's a place you can smoke indoors and they always have something fun going on. The food is great and the prices are some of the best in old town. It's the only bar I really go to anymore and I don't see that changing. read more

Walked in, immediately Sam signed me up for Karoake. Wings were diabolically great. Regulars bought me drinks. 10/10 would drink again.

O'Shaughessy's is the epitome of a dive bar. If that's what you want, and you want to be a regular, I'm sure that's an option. They were very welcoming. If you're looking for something else...well... Smoking: It is not overwhelming but this is a smoking bar. I was reticent to write it, because it is what it is, and the clientele want that. If you're not a smoker I would wear easy to launder clothes. Diversity: I'm only mentioning this in contrast to the smoking, it's one of the more welcoming places regardless of XYZ, if you smoke. No one is going to ask you to leave if you don't - you'll blink first. Stage Door Deli is associated with O'Shaughesy's. Possibly how they keep smoking legal. At the moment they are one of the only places that has an actual ruben sandwich. read more

On Monday nights O'shaughnessy's Pub hosts an open mic. There is a lot of good talent playing a variety of great songs. The musicians all seem to be quite friendly with each other and even jam out together after solo's. In particular, I would recommend trying to catch Stephen on the piano. He has a wonderful voice that fills the room with energy. He even had the whole room laughing with a few jokes. Pros: good music, pool tables and jukebox upstairs, nice staff Cons: not all artists and musicians are created equal. read more

O'Shaughnessy's Pub - Stephen pianist and vocalist. - Dive Bars Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Was here today and tried their new grilled wings with the sweet chili sauce. Delicious. Wings had a great smoky flavor from the grill, and the sweet chili sauce was a great blend of spicy and sweet and perfectly excellently grilled. Shout out to Chef Q! I'll definitely order them again. read more

Great dive bar. I enjoy being able to grab a sandwich and fries from the deli next door.

Go to for the food and live music, quick staff, and local folks. Don't forget to tip your bartender, and they will take care of you even better. read more

Great prices in this little dinner. If you're in the mood for some a nice divey meal... come check this place out. read more

O'Shaughnessy's Pub - Pastrami Sandwich - Dive Bars Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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To call this place a dive bar is the understatement of the year ... whether it's diving away from Jimmy and his obsession with killing you with alcohol or dodging Erin's spicy cabbage farts this place has you covered. Some bartenders are slightly more than a "not so good bartender " as previously stated in a not so pleasant review from a not so good patron who makes out with everyone.. except Joe.. sorry Joe ... the true draw to oshos is the music ... lead by Sweet D... his sultry singing and orgasmic guitar rifts are enough to get a grown man pregnant .... you are the father Sweet D In all honesty.. the patrons stick together and are best dysfunctional family that stick up for one another and the bar .. so don't be a dick and come hang out read more

O'Shaughnessy's Pub - Slightly better bartender... slightly - Dive Bars Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

this place!!!! the cheesesteak, the mozzarella sticks and the late opetating hours. must go please go, because you won't be mad. promise . read more

O'Shaughnessy's Pub - Menu - Dive Bars Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

ok so i used to come here and use the jukebox and have some drinks that was fun later i saw they had open mic night on mondays and that was a really good experience i did some solo guitar and vocals on maybe 4 or so occasions (damian was a nice enough host i paid and tried to help whenever i was around getting drinks or doing a tip or something) but since then i've had excuses for not coming around there these days also i've had the food everything here is great good food good nightlife read more

The people are terrible. The bands are loud. Everything breaks. But you can smoke. 12/10 would go again.

Local spot with live music. Friendly staff and locals! Super chilled. Upstairs is a chill spot. Downstairs is live music more social.

This a great place to to spend your money at! But it definitely depends on who is working, I would say the customer service is bad.

One of the best bars in Old town. I'm African American and I always feel welcome here. The Bartenders are awesome, friendly and make you feel at home. Big ups to Michelle! Great addition to an amazing staff! read more

This place is a trip back in time. If you have forgotten the joys of dive bars with live music, this place is an amazing throw back. It appears to be held together by spit, glue and the love of the staff for something long gone... the neighborhood bar. And the fact that they can keep it going in the high rent district on Kings street simply isn't plausible. Plus, The smoke, like the bars' atmosphere itself, is either an annoying bad habit, or a pitch perfect love affair with the past. It's the ultimate subjective call. You'll hate it or love it. But you owe it to yourself to check it out. read more

MAN has this place changed quick. I used to be a "keep the lights on level" regular last Summer. That was when Sarah was working there and made you feel like family. These days...there are a couple good bartenders and a couple not so good ones. I won't name names, but some people are just there to put in the time--not to give you customer service and friendship the way previous employees did. A bar like this is all about having a family atmosphere. It's the place where everybody knows your name. Owners and management continually come in and ruin that for everyone. Not to mention the slacking on basic things...the divey-ness is the charm at Oshos, but the safety hazards that take forever to fix are not cute--plastic bags over the ceiling? Umm... Maybe if the powers that be put a little more work into fixing the broken stuff instead of the breaking the good stuff this place could really shine. It's in a limited genre that desperately requires representation on King Street--but whatever Napoleon decided to drive this place into the ground did a terrible disservice to the formerly excellent staff and loyal regulars. read more

Place is HANDS DOWN the greatest. The atmosphere is great, and the staff are down to earth,funny, and kind. Great music to vibe to on an almost daily basis. Great people,great,food,great energy. Bartenders are friendly and can make you laugh. Solid 10/10 Can't go wrong here read more

Listen. The place is okay put if you are a billiards junkie like me this is NOT the place. Tables are shit. I've played a friends houses who have had better tables than this place and for 8 dollars none the less. read more

If you were a movie producer and called Central Casting to send up a dive bar to the set, O'Shaughnessy's Pub is exactly what they would deliver. It has all the grunge and character that you would expect along with a far reaching cast of characters to keep the place interesting. The bartenders are amongst the friendliest anywhere. The table behind the bar has this serious sag, order a few drinks and start wagers around if it will implode on itself before the end of the evening...or before you yourself do! This place is set right in the middle of Old Town Alexandria, in the heart of old world charm and beautiful. So you will probably miss it (how can one hide a dive bar in the middle of all of this??). The entrance to the place is a set of old stairs positioned behind the always open front door. If you stand at the door and look straight up, you will see the sign for the place. Google Maps is your friend, turn on the walking navigation thing and listen for the voice to say, 'Your destination is on the right!' After you climb the stairs, you are greeted by one of the bars in the place. It is entirely likely that the bartender will greet you like a long lost friend before you even scope out a seat. You order, they strike up a conversation almost to the point that you ask yourself if maybe you don't actually know this person. When you leave, they also display a certain sense of sadness (or maybe that was my exorbitant tab that they were going to miss) but tell you to hurry back. If you are a smoker, rejoice. Smoking right there at the bar, the same bar that has a pool table and a broken pinball machine. And plenty of ashtrays. If you are not a smoker, well, you probably aren't going to love this section. So yea, of course the place has vibe because of what it is and the people who work here. But, the locals that climb into this place really seal the deal. There are few, if any, other places in Alexandria where the locals are this friendly. And diverse! Think of a demographic and you will find it here for sure. If you grow tired of the Colonial Pretention that is Old Town Alexandria, stop in here and recharge your soul. You won't be sorry. read more

O'Shaughnessy's Pub - Check out how the table sags in the middle. - Dive Bars Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

O'Shaughnessy's Pub should have a T-Shirt printed that simply says: O'Shaughnessy's...No Apologies. This smokey little pub is the ultimate Dive Bar. However, I have only ever been to its 2nd floor bar, so I can't speak to its live music, but I understand that its bands are very good. With cheap beer and unpretentious decor, O'Shaughnessy's knows what it is and doesn't try to be anything else. It boasts a cast of characters that one might find in a Charles Bukowski novel. I wouldn't be at all surprised one night to find some Mikey Rourke-like character tossing money at the bartenders, saying, "Drinks for all my friends!" Well, maybe not, but if you have ever seen the movie Barfly, you get the idea. This place is anything but boring and much of that is due to the love the bartenders and regulars have for this dive bar. (Bartender Lisa N always knows how to bring out the best in her people.). You just never know what people are going to say or do here and that alone is worth the price of any shot. Last night, Lisa wasn't working, but her co-worker, was equally attentive and made sure that my beers were icy cold. Regulars discussed such topics as failed relationships, U.S. Embassies, and how e-cigarette holders can blow up in your mouth. Ouch!!! Conversation that was much more informative and entertaining than the line on the latest football game or what's the special for the day. And let's face it, you have to love a bar where the regulars take a shot Jagger, Bourbon, or whatever without make a school girl production of it. Yup, a real bar, not some plastic imitation of the same. Yeah, it is cozy, eclectic, and fun, and will remind you of a time when bars didn't try to be something that they aren't. read more

Had a bad/good experience last night. Was having fun with my gf and while I was waiting for her to return from the restroom, I started talking with a woman at a table of about 10 people. The dude at head of the table said to me, "This isn't your party, fuck off." We exchanged words and the owner came and calmly asked me to step outside. Which I did. Of course the dude probably has a small penis. The owner handled the situation well. Great management! read more