Went for late night drinks during the week. Cool place. Went to the rooftop bar and enjoyed the outdoor experience while in DC! Bartender was friendly and provided great service with reasonable if not cheap prices. I would def recommend to check it out. read more

Can't beat $2 bloody marys! A great variety of no frills but delicious breakfast grub for cheap.

I love this bar and grill. The staff is so friendly. The food is a little different so read the menu carefully or ask questions. They have lots of drink specials and combos. I would recommend the smoked salmon cheese bagel sandwich, crunchy tots, and my friend liked his huevos rancheros. The bloody Mary's are made their and my from a mix. Check out the rooftop when there is nice weather. Bring CASH or your ATM card. It's only a $2 fee. They do not accept credit cards. Great bar and grill. I recommend this place for mixed drinks, shots, beer, and a hungry bar appetite. read more

The only reason why this venue with such a great atmosphere isn't getting a solid 4 or above star rating is the service. Long story short, my girlfriend and I sat down on the rooftop deck to have brunch, we ended up receiving our food closer to linner time. Besides the hour and a half wait for the food on a not overly busy Sunday. The food was good, the people were great and the prices were fair. I would go back again, but probably just for beers and some bar food. read more

I'm definitely a fan of Red Derby. Typically the first place that comes to mind when asked to brunch. It's cheap, basic, and the bloody marys are fantastic. Bring cash, cards are not accepted but there's an ATM machine near the bar. When the weather isn't too extreme, aim to find a table on the rooftop patio. I think the best deal is the omelette which you can customize in the back and it's served over a bed of crispy fried tots. It's a bit of a walk from the columbia heights metro stop, but you can take a bus up 14th street if you're coming northbound. read more

It's a dive bar! Not much to say. The best part is the rooftop. Good for those who live in the neighborhood. Indifferent service. Skip the food and stick to bottled beverages. read more

Tacos were made about as well as I could make them at home. (Chicken tenders with lettuce and cheese, basically) husband's burger was scorched and the bacon was obviously the microwaveable kind. Asked the waitress for sour cream and barbecue sauce and she never brought it. Rarely checked in with us and never gave me a refill after my cup was empty for most of dinner. Disappointed! read more

Salvation! A bar only two blocks from my house. I'm slowly trying to become a regular without getting divorced. A bar that I'm not afraid I'll get knifed going into on 14th street Columbia Heights. A bar that sells $2 Natty Boh's. The only drawback is the army of douche hipsters that hang out on Friday and Saturday nights. You can't move in there on the weekends. Can't they stay at Wonderland? read more

Generally, this is a bit too hipster for my tastes, but I did love the selection of board games. My friends and I got some beers and sat around a table with Apples to Apples. The games add a really fun experience to the dive bar scene. read more

beer. hipsters. crowds. apples to apples. elvis movies. rooftop. read more

Calling the Red Derby a dive bar is not entirely accurate. It is half hipster, half yuppie. Nice rooftop deck and decent menu. I will forever remember getting way too drunk there on my 24th birthday due to $5 whiskey shot and beer combos. They serenade you with a candle on top of an ice cream sandwich. You will have a good time here! read more

Best dive in town! Friendly staff and fellow customers, cheap drinks, and an excellent rooftop to smoke on. I love this place!

Grub and beer/booze are Cheap. Definitely a hipster spot. Great roof deck. Breakfast bowl and veggie bagel were good. Would give them 4/5 for the price, but drinks and patio atmosphere make it a 5 overall. read more

By far my favorite bar in DC. A no frills spot with excellent beer and excellent bar food at reasonable prices. Exactly what the people want. read more

Red Derby has a super fun and bustling atmosphere, plus delicious greasy bar food that goes great with a drunk game of Sorry or Jenga. I had a burger that was really good and they have a super long beer list. The service met my standards and enjoyed the rooftop a lot. FYI they only take cash and the cigarette smoke is a little strong so you might consider somewhere else if you have bad allergies or asthma, but other than that, I definitely recommend. read more

Good, great, cheap. Large choices of beers, shot-beer combo, amazing staff, nice terrace, and games. As good as it gets.

Cheap with happy hour discounts on top of that running until 8. Food is a little bit on the pricey side but tastes good. Ample seating especially with patio/roof read more

I really like this place! They have a huge selection of canned beer. It's one of the only places I've found in DC that has Youngs Double Chocolate Stout. Their beer and a shot special ($5) is alright except that it has to be Schlitz even though Natty Boh is the same price, but you can get a shot of anything that's at the bar. I hear they even have champagne in a can. The prices are respectable for DC which still makes it way more expensive than most any other city ever. The food is very good for bar food, and the weekend brunch is actually pretty tasty too. The weekends are kind of a madhouse, full of young professionals; the weekdays are usually chill, filled with somewhat attractive people. read more

Went on a Friday night with a friend who lives nearby. She'd been here a few times and this was my first visit. We sat at a table near the front and had burgers and drinks. The waitress was attentive and friendly. I only walked through the bar area once to visit the bathroom but overall it was a cool crowd. It's a small bar so not great for big groups but not pretentious at all. Great place to grab a beer and hang for a bit and maybe even play one of the many board games they keep on hand at the bar. read more

It's a recession, put this on your list, when you are looking for a cool place to have a couple of drinks w/out the extra frills. Bartenders, Drinks, people, simple menu and music make this place. Not a sports bar, not a lounge, not a place to impress the first date...This is a place to have some drinks, some laughs, see a couple of characters walk-in the door. I went there with my ex-girlfriend before and she said "Could I have a fork please?" Reasonable request. The server's response, "We don't serve anything that requires silverware." Hilarious. It didn't take anything away from the taste of the food...just know that it's planned simplicity. read more

This is a neat little place as it has tv's, pool tables, and board games! It's a gem in it's own right however it takes a long time to get drinks on weekends and it gets SO crowded it's hard to maneuver around anyone at all. You can usually never find a seat anywhere either if you go past 9:30pm. It's REALLY loud too but that's to be expected in an overly crowded tight space. read more

This is a cool neighborhood dive bar. Cheap drinks and great rooftop is a great combination and this bar definitely has that. A lot of people have already mentioned about the pros and cons but I'm going to list out mine... just in case... Pros: 1. Rooftop 2. Great selection of beer 3. Cheap beer 4. Good atmosphere. 5. Not over crowded 6. Parking Cons: 1. Cash 2. All beers are can beers. No draft 3. Food selection and quality has room for improvement but I don't come here for dinner so it is not a big issue for me. read more

Great brunch with the heavies Rancheros! Sha-Kayla the bartender downstairs was on point and social. Great dive bar! Good prices and chill staff! read more

Don't let the dive bar atmosphere fool you because this place has some great food. Went with a group for brunch and a few had the breakfast burgers both beef and veggie and they were excellent. I went with the veggie burger because the night before some bartender over served me and last thing I recall was slamming down a cheeseburger late night. Red Derbys Bloody Mary had a good kick to it and hit the spot as well. All cash so be prepared. Disappointed we couldn't sit on the roof but inside worked as well. Oh yeah great service as well. read more

The food here is good from the grill- not the fanciest brunch (no benedicts). The breakfast burrito was awesome and came with a huge portion of tots. The bloody marys are strong. Beware that this place is cash only and has no signs on the door! read more

Went here today for some brunch after a long, late night. Definitely a dive bar and offered solid food served with delicious tots. Wasn't drinking today but the beer list was extensive and I look forward to coming back and indulging. Definitely wasn't loving that they allowed smoking on the upstairs roof deck that was totally enclosed but luckily there wasn't too many people participating. Loved that they offered water as "self service" in a huge gatorade cooler - perfect for my hangover! Look forward to getting back to Red Derby ASAP. read more

Man Do I like Red Derby! They have a great brunch on the weekend. 2$ mimosas and bloody marys. The marys had olive and celery and old bay around the rim. The food is pretty cheap ranging from 7$-9$. I have the breakfast burrito which was well seasoned. I wish it would have been a bit bigger. The inside has very good ac which is a plus in the summer. The roof had a bar on top and a bunch of shaded seating. read more

I've been to the Red Derby numerous times, as it's a relatively short walk from my house and it's one of the places many of my friends can agree on when picking a destination to meet up for drinks. As with many places, the atmosphere varies pretty widely depending on the time of day and day of the week you go here. If you go early enough on a Saturday afternoon for brunch or on a weekday evening, chances are it will be relatively quiet and you'll be able to get a seat and have a conversation with little difficulty. It invariably fills up on weekend nights, and since the bar is right near the door and the path through it is pretty narrow, it can bottleneck quite a bit. It is very dark indoors (day or night); there is only the bit of natural light leaking in through the windows towards the front of the bar, and the dimmers are perpetually on low. I don't necessarily mind, however, as my eyes adjust eventually and it doesn't bother me too much. The walls are a very deep red. There is a very nice roof deck that is open seasonally; it is quite a pleasant place to pass some idle time on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. The music selection is quite variable depending on who has control of the stereo (I don't think there's a jukebox, and I assume the staffers pick the tunes). There are board games on a shelf for those so inclined, and there is a fairly large projector that will often be playing a classic film or an obscure b-movie, without sound of course. One of the last times I was there, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre was playing. It gave me nightmares. The staff are all super friendly and pretty attentive (though I don't usually sit at the bar, I'm usually at a table, so I don't really know the bartenders as much) and the place has a very laid-back, casual, comfortable feel to it, very unpretentious. The owner is often seen floating around and she is quite friendly as well. The beer: I hope you like it in cans, because that's the only way you're getting it (though they do give you a plastic cup as well for pouring). There is quite an impressive selection and something for everyone, whether you like it cheap and domestic and in the $2 or $3 range, or imported and expensive. I had a molasses stout from Japan last time I was there called Tokyo Black, and it was super delicious. I'm not as familiar with their liquor selection, but if you want a mixed drink you can certainly get it. Food: Very basic, but good enough. Mac and cheese wedges; you can't really go wrong with fried mac and cheese now, can you? The Derby Burger comes with avocado and sprouts, which is nice. They have sweet potato fries, which I always appreciate. If you come for brunch they have tater tots, something near and dear to my heart. Brunch fare is again very basic; they've got a "morning burger" which is basically a burger with an egg on it, a bacon, egg, lettuce and tomato on multigrain which is good enough, and a few other things I've never bothered with. If you like bloody marys and mimosas, you're in luck; If you get one with your food you only have to pay $2 for it. The bloody marys are decent, but not great; perfectly fine tasting but lacking in the olive and celery accoutrements I usually look for in a good one. When I get a bloody mary I'm looking to do a fair amount of eating from my glass in addition to drinking, though perhaps that's just my taste. I consider this a nice neighborhood place with friendly staff, though it's certainly not going to set your world on fire. But if you like decent beer and are in the mood for something unpretentious and a little less expensive, it's worth checking out. read more

Great neighborhood dive bar with extensive beer selections and a rooftop bar. Hipster vibe. Also great for Sunday brunch.

Best bar in the city. Good beer, good food, friendly staff and great prices.

I used to live fairly close to the Derby and still frequent it. Brunches are pretty great -- can't beat the cheap mimosas that consist mostly of champagne. The brunch food is rarely miss, although its happened a time or two due to the ridiculous amount of times I've eaten brunch there. Rooftop brunch once the weather is nice is particularly awesome. They have drink specials Monday through Thursday which are always fun. I believe it is $3 or $4 for that evening's particular drink. There are two options each night which are alliterative with the day of the week (Margaritas on Mondays, White Russians on Wednesdays, etc.) Service has always been pretty good, even on crowded nights. Would definitely recommend. read more

Home! Just bring cash, your roommates and don't expect the food to be better than the frozen meals you got from trader joe's.

I love the red derby! It's a fantastic dive bar, great roof top, they play movies all day, board games available, food and CAN beers only and great staff. It's cash only which is why I only gave it 4 stars and not 5. There is an atm but being able to use credit, however drinks are pretty cheap and happy hour it's dollar off. So you could go during happy hour and get dollar budweiser! Great place to visit. read more

Went looking for a spot to hangout on a Saturday night and get away from the club scene. Red Derby was a great spot to chill and have some fun. The staff was friendly and helpful and the bar was a nice mix of relaxed and up beat with cheap drinks and a fun atmosphere. A definite must for any local or visitor alike. Pinball machines made for a sweet throwback! read more

The food was okay, but I mostly enjoyed the environment and the inexpensive drinks. It's definitely good for brunch.

Kick ass beers in a can and patrick is awesome!

This is for locals (or those of you who are visiting Washingtonians). I never feel pushed or hurried when at the Derby and there's always an awesome selection of beer. The food is some of the better pub grub that you'll find in DC, too (and it's affordable). I highly recommend the grilled cheese. read more

Visited a friend in DC and it was all our first time. Went back for brunch and everything was amazing. Great beer selection, good tunes, and awesome food. read more

Okay, so the people who go there are good, the place is cool, the drinks (no drafts, all cans) are serviceable and inexpensive... ...but there's nothing that jumps out about this place. It's a place where mediocrity comes to thrive. And I don't mean the people. That's condescending. I mean the place. It kind of mehs the cutesy little Dave & Buster games (hey! Simon says!) and it mehs the drinks (we've got all these beers but they're all in cans!) and it mehs the ambience (good music but we're not going to set up a proper dance floor!). Try harder, please? I know hipsters are all about being ironic, but come on, there's a lot of importance of being earnest. Be a good bar already. Own it. read more

I love dive bars....and this is the best in DC! The can beers keeps all the trendy yuppies away. If you want a GOOD time and happen to be in the Columbia Heights or Petworth area...Stop by and grab a beer or two! read more