Showtime is a lowkey neighborhood dive bar, cash only, which is sure to leave you with some happy memories. The main draw for me is the (roughly) monthly live music Sundays featuring Granny and the Boys. You cannot say you have lived in DC unless you have seen Granny and the Boys at least once. The place is small, the vibe is chill, and for those live music Sundays, they get packed. But it's always a fun atmosphere. If live music isn't your thing, they also have DJs spinning vinyl (no requests) on the weekends, and a much more relaxed environment during the week nights. For drinks, much of the crowd is sipping a beer and shot because the menu hanging above the bar offers a nice selection of beer/shot combos. Got to love that. And if you really want to have a cheap night out, they have Genessee Cream Ale cans available super cheap. read more

Love this place. Bare bones, with soul! Awesome crowd, cheap drinks, amazing music. The juke box is great and they have bands and DJ's. The people and the bartenders are great, friendly and welcoming but with a cool, hipl vibe. Don't expect fancy cocktails and remember it's cash only. read more

Showtime Lounge - Dogs allowed! - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

a VERY intimate space. came here for granny & the boys, a quintessential DC house band. i was aware before coming in but just an fyi before you head in, this is a xsmall venue. bar is cash only. had a lovely time read more

Showtime Lounge - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Very divey cash only bar near Columbia Heights. Cheap drinks and great vibes. Love coming here with my friends on a Friday night- but it does get a little busy and loud at times. Overall, Showtime is a very quintessential DC bar and a great place to haunt especially if you're a local and tired of the trendy places on K Street. Plenty of good times and memories to come with a visit to Showtime. Can't recommend it enough. read more

Big man OG - the bartender/bouncer - has a power trip because he doesn't get any female attention. So he uses his job to pretend he's cool and then denies well intentioned patrons. I was allowed in the bar, then Had to step out for a phone call for 5min then tried to return and he refused. I was not even drunk. Sober as a kite read more

Was dragged here by a friend who lives nearby. Great to see that the staff still absolutely hate the customers, and the regulars just sit around looking angry and depressed. It's like everyone is trying to punish everyone else for being there. Good times lol! The other reviewers who have mentioned this is a "friendly neighborhood bar" must not have ever been to an actual neighborhood bar before. read more

First timer here! This place is very divey and absolutely no frills, so couple things to note. They are cash only. I can't imagine asking for anything other than beer or a mixed drink, but you can try. The bartenders have an attitude that screams "you'll get what you get and you won't throw a fit". No bullshit kinda people. Most people are very stereotypically hipster here, which adds to the vibe honestly, and it seems like they have a lot of regulars that all know each other so it can be kinda cliquey. There will be lots of people smoking cigarettes out front all night. Okay, with that being said and out of the way.. the concept of this place that I love is that they spin vinyls from the 70s and 80s (no requests) and most of it is disco/funk type vibes which is great for dancing! Although, not much room for dancing in this establishment. Apparently the DJs spend hours digging for the best vinyls to spin and resurface forgotten music, so I respect the hustle! The artwork on the walls is so interesting and really gives the place character of the coolest spot in dc. They also play the whackiest movies on their one tv in the bar, which is quite entertaining throughout the night. So if you can get past all the stuff in the beginning, I think you'll really find something you can love here. It's absolutely a great late night spot if you live in the area, so I can see why they have so many regulars. read more

Horrible bar, the service people are on a power trip and are pathetic people. My buddy got in with a Canadian ID and then took a call outside, only to be asked to show a PASSPORT to be let back inside. He did, they didn't care. I've had numerous bad experiences here and have only gone because they are close. Avoid this spot, they will ruin your night somehow read more

its a hole in the wall that only takes cash. but if you want a spot that is a bit more lowkey && neighborhood friendly then this is a go to. again cash only!! i dont believe they serve food but sometimes (like superbowl sunday) someone had setup a chili bar which was cool. nothing fancy but good vibes. they have tv's too read more

Overall Rating: 4.5/5 The reason why not a 5 is due to the cash only rule but they have an ATM in the lounge. If you're looking for a chill vibe, this is your spot. This place host great events as well and one of my favorite drinks in the whole city, their orange creamsicle with vodka WHEW. That'll not only be a walk down memory lane but also one too many and you'll be blacking out lol give this place a try! Service: 10/10 such sweet people here! read more

The waitress here was okay with letting me freeze outside tonight because I sent a text message. I got locked out of my AirBNB and found this place frantically since it was 20 degrees outside and my phone was on 3%. They let me charge their phone at their charger at the bar, and finding the security of this charger I was able to text my fiancé that I was safe and I would not freeze outside tonight. But this was a misunderstanding because this charger was "behind the bar", even though it was accessible from the corner seat. I apologize and put it right back, but the bartender aggressively kicked me out for this misstep. Guess I'll freeze to death! If you like cold heartless wenches as your bartender, come here! read more

The bartender was extremely aggressive towards me and my friend (women) . Horrible experience. Will never return

The bartender who was working at this bar on Saturday night (June 24) appears to have serious, untreated mental health issues. His offensive conduct and behavior go beyond rude and unprofessional. This bartender is unable to control and manage his anger and is assaultive toward customers. Skimming through past reviews (on Yelp and elsewhere) it's evident that this has been a persistent issue and yet the owner(s) of Showtime Lounge have failed to take action and address the problem. The owner(s) of Showtime Lounge should not be surprised if their negligence results in a lawsuit. read more

BEWARE OF AGGRESSIVE BARTENDER. When I asked the bartender for the price of a Tekate, he pointed to the menu and yelled, "READ IT FOR YOUR FUCKING SELF. IT'S $5 YOU FUCKING ASS HOLE." I asked him why he was shouting and to please be respectful. When I did that, he rushed around the bar, shoved me, then pushed me all the way across the room and out of the door. (In front of all my friends, which was incredibly embarrassing). I thought about calling the police because he handled me so roughly. When I was outside, he called me a "fucking racist" in front of a group of people. It was honestly a shocking and a traumatizing experience. And reading thru some of the comments on Yelp, it is clear that he has been a problem in the past. Showtime needs to fire this man IMMEDIATELY. AVOID SHOWTIME LIKE THE PLAGUE! read more

This is a small low key bar located in Bloomingdale DC. They offer wide variety of drinks. My usual drink here is bourbon & coke or bohemian beer. Their service is great and the bar is usually not crowded unless they host live bands. Yes, this place is packed when they host small bands. This is a gem of a place for people who want to spend some time alone or would like to socialize with others. Great for small group of people. However, please note that they don't offer food. But the good thing is that you can bring your own food. So we order pizza from the neighborhood and hang out here. It's open until 2am. read more

The patrons and the interior of the bar were as unattractive as I'd expected. 5 STARS

The bartender working the night of Saturday July 22nd was unnecessarily aggressive towards my husband to the point I thought the bartender might throw a punch. My husband was standing in the aisle way at the end of the bar while I was seated on a bar stool next to him. The bartender told my husband he needed to move out of the way. My husband did not hear and the bartender proceeded to step towards him yelling "move the f*ck out of the way!" Unfortunately, based on other reviews it seems this is not the first time this bartender has been rude towards customers. I'm adding to the list of negative reviews about this bartender in hopes something can be done to stop these instances from happening. read more

"The feeling of not belonging, of not being entirely worthy, of being sometimes hostage to your own sensibilities. Those things speak to me very personally." -- Anthony Minghella little background: I loved to Bloomingdale about 11 years ago and recently moved into a home in Eckington. I fit the "hipster" kind of vibe that Show Time is going for. Show Time for the past 11 years has been that place where I'd pop in for a cheap Natty Boh and converse with some local neighbor. However, last night I came in (completely sober), paid the troll troll at the ATM, and sat down in an open chair. I've had a tough time dealing with some IT issues at my company this week, I've got a baby on the way in a couple months, and damn it I just needed to be in a welcoming place and leave the worries behind for a few minutes by chatting with some local neighbors and maybe even the bartender. However, Immidialaty when I sat down at the bar and ordered a drink. The bartender pointed at me with and angrily asked the everyone at the bar if they know who I was, I came in by myself and didn't know anyone. I usually order the cheap beer option but this time I just really wanted an aperol spritz. I'm not sure if it was the drink order or what, but he yelled at me and told me that I was not welcome at the bar. He told me to leave immediately. What an amazing experience, right? Is this how you treat 11+ year customer? It was really rude and hurtful. Curious to see if this is just how the culture is generally now and how the management level handles this complaint. Happy to work things out, but I will sadly never support you all again and push for a more welcoming bar or restaurant to replace you after last night. It was that bad. Sucks all around. You shouldn't ever make a customer feel like that both on a business level but on a human level. read more

4.5 Stars Showtime is what more DC bars ought to be: no frills neighborhood joints that don't charge you $7 for a Natty Bo. Sure, Showtime has Natty Bo, and Genny Cream Ale too, but they only charge $3 a can. There are also four drafts served out of a re-purposed water tank that include DC Brau Citizen, and Bell's Oberon, plus their house beer (brewed by Narraganssett) for $4 a pint. They've also got a full bar with a limited, but well chosen selection of libations, including Midnight Moonshine (if it's legally produced, then isn't it just whiskey or vodka?) Showtime is in the basement of a townhouse that once housed a barbershop (and before that a tavern) so the ceilings are necessarily low, but it adds to the intimate feel of the place. There's a small bar that seats eight in the back and banquets along the walls. The floor is concrete, the ceiling is wood, there's funky safari wallpaper on one wall and a mural on another honoring local musicians, including singer Harmon "Mask Man" Bethea and guitarist Link Wray; in any even the interior is not going to win any awards from Martha Stewart, that's for sure. But the thing that really sets this place apart is the (free) jukebox that plays old school R&B and soul with a focus on D.C. artists, such as the aforementioned Link Wray. The icing on the cake? They're open weekdays at 7am to serve coffee and pastries to hungry commuters. One caveat: they only take cash. read more

Showtime Lounge - a mural of jazz musicians painted on a wall - Dive Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Interesting spot and judging by the crowd, this works for a lot of people. It's definitely different and on the dive-y end, which can be a refreshing change from some of the other array of bars in DC. It definitely had a comfortable and neighborhood feel to it. I thought it was cool that they played records and were playing a lot of oldies and it was great being in a spot that had a wide mix of people (a lot of hipsters, but also an older crowd as well). The prices were also great- super cheap! The bar was in the back, which forced you to wade through the crowd. It was on a slight incline, which might prove a challenge for anyone wading through the crowd and unable to see it, or who may have had a few too many drinks. It was obscenely hot, despite it being extremely cold outside. The bar is cash-only, which can be obnoxious for anyone without cash on them. Morever, the tvs were airing some strange Japanese version of Hunger Games/, rather than playoff football, or frankly anything else. It was too loud to have a conversation and too crowded to dance. Again, it seems like Showtime works for a lot of people and draws an eclectic crowd, it just didn't work for me on my visit. read more

Without a doubt one of the best ran BARS I've ever been to. The term "dive" bar gets thrown around way too often. I feel like its been given to anything that doesn't look like something HGTV remodeled with planks of wood on the wall and pennies plastered onto the bar top. First and foremost the bartenders here are extremely attentive, super fuckin cool and overall great people. No pretentious vibes whatsoever and they actually give a shit about getting to know you a little bit and making you feel at home. I spent 4 months in the DC area, so it was a little challenging to find a watering hole where I felt at home until I stumbled into Showtime. The music is sublime. If you're accustomed to a playlist that's befitting of a wedding after party and you need to hear "to the windowwwwww, to the WALL" get the fuck out. If you wanna hear amazing soul, Latin and funk vinyl records being spun while you pound Natty Bo's and Scotch, you are invited. Never change Showtime. I'll be using you as the barometer in which all other bars are compared too. read more

Sunday nights are super crowded for Granny concerts but it's so worth it. Cheapest beers you'll find and great tunes. A timeless DC experience. Go. read more

Intimate, swanky, and serving up decent drinks. The Showtime Lounge is definitely the pure definition of a Dive. A local neighborhood bar. If you get there early enough you can get a seat and if you arrive late enough you can catch decent tunes and get a full loud bar experience. You can bring your own food in if you so choose. Be prepared to walk to take lyft. There is no parking close by as the parking closest is zoned. It's on Rhode Island which puts it in close proximity to other venues and is easy to find. Diverse group of patrons. read more

I had a very negative experience with the doorman and the folks hanging out near the door (I'm guessing they were his friends.) I won't be going back. read more

The staff is always super friendly! I love when they do different pop ups at the bar, I've seen a thrift shop night and a pop in Chinese restaurant doing super spicy dumplings and noodles. Such a fun place to hang with friends and relax. They usually have a good dj as well read more

Love this place. An old haunt for me and my friends. Ultra-divy, with also a nod toward the bohemian. Floors are dirty, drinks are cheap, vibe is precious, and best of all, the random-AF films playing on a television. *Cash only read more

Dive bar perfection. Patrons all seemingly live "right around the corner." Nonsensical layout. Cash only. Wish my every Sunday night was comprised of Nattie boh for $4 and the best damn house band the world has ever seen. See granny and the boys on Sunday nights - funk fusion, heavy on the funk. read more

Would love to rate this place a lot higher as it is my neighborhood bar that I've been to on other occasions and has been great. But I just had a really disappointing experience that will make me never go back. I was with a friend from out of town, I stepped outside with a beer in hand, right next to tables full of beers, and got immediately accosted by a bouncer who literally yelled at me, grabbed the beer from me and was quite aggressive and unable to communicate the boundaries. I put the beer inside, put my friend in a cab, and then cried because it felt so physically and emotionally threatened (I'm small and soft spoken and not accustomed to such aggressive interactions). Such a disappointing way to end the night. read more

I was enjoying my night but the service was extremely disappointing and the bartender was being exceptionally rude for no reason. I don't know what was wrong with her but I went back to drink and dance with the girl I was hanging out with and she and I had a great night. But I'm never going back. There's just no need for rudeness. I'm not gonna go to a place where I'm treating like crap read more

Showtime is a small dive bar with cheap drinks and beer. The bartender is pretty cool and talkative. He pretty much told me and everyone there his whole life story while I was there, but I didn't mind. Can't remember his name, but he's from PG County, his mom was a gospel singer, some record place on 14th put his mom's record in the 'free pile' outside on the curb, he went to Riverdale Baptist school but later transferred to Roosevelt in Greenbelt, and he is in a band with his wife (who is also an artist. She painted the musicians on the wall) and has toured the country. He also has a page on Wikipedia and several images on Google images. (Yes, I googled him. I like googling people). But anyways, cool bar and there's a jukebox and you can play free old school songs like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Duke Ellington, etc. The place has an old school Mo-town theme so it fits. WARNING: It's really small and gets cramped, and it smells like death and despair when it gets crowded. If you don't mind the smell of sweat, you'll love it. read more

I walked in on a Sunday night to try and grab a quick beer, the bartender paid me no mind - I literally had to wave her down to grab her attention. When I finally received her attention (after at least 4-5 minutes) she spoke to me in a condescending tone and I then proceeded to walk out. First time I've experienced such rude service there. read more

This place is a joke. The bar is a corner table enough to seat 5 people uncomfortably. The beers are overpriced and selection limited. It's someone's basement-turned-"bar" that is much needed for the neighborhood, but once the area picks up this place will have no luck. read more

This is a fun dive bar when you want a cheap drink. They have Hendricks and tonics for $7 which is a deal! It is cash only though. They do not have food. But you can get pizza delivered from the place around the corner. It is not as trashy as I thought it would be. They have some nice posters and lights. It is kind of small and the bar is the back. They do have a good number of tables where you can sit and chat. I'm surprised at the comments about people's altercations with bouncers. I did not even see anyone on the door. But then I went early on a Saturday while I was waiting to meet someone at Boundary Stone across the street. I could see this might not be the best choice later on a Friday or Saturday when it is crowded, but I had a great time here. read more

I LOVE my neighborhood! On one side of Rhode Island you have the best restaurant in DC (Red Hen) where you can easily drop some good $$$, then head over to Showtime for a cash-only, cheap dive bar! Both unpretentious, and both representing the diversity of our hood! There is at ATM for those of YOU who dont always carry cash (kidding, i literally had forgotten my ATM pin for the last 6 months and always had to ask my boyfriend or friends for cash like a kid going on a field trip. But I digress.) Showtime is my favorite place to start, and especially end, a night! There's no better spot in DC for some loud music and cold beer. read more

So, I saw this place opening on Friday and was so excited because I wanted another bar in my neighborhood since my favorite, Boundary Stone sometimes gets taken over by swarms of people from outside of the hood. I stopped in Friday night with some friends for their opening night and it was packed. I didn't stay long because everyone I was with was exhausted, but it was really fun while I was there. They have a free jukebox that is stuffed with amazing music... seriously, it's a great collection. Also, they are not trying to do anything fancy, just serving cheap drinks and giving DC something it seriously lacks, a true neighborhood bar. Opening night had a few setbacks with a broken ATM machine (and it's a cash only bar) and running out of a few things, but that is to be expected with any opening. I think it is a really neat spot and will definitely be hanging around it a lot! Welcome to the neighborhood Showtime! read more

If you don't love this bar, something is wrong with you. Soul and psych rock pulse through this minimal dive bar on any given evening with happy pups running around greeting the customers. During the weekday, you can chat amidst a game of scrabble and on weekends, you'll find people dancing on the seats with their combo specials in hand. read more

This is my first bad review, and I feel bad writing this, but I had a terrible experience the last time I was here. Keep in mind, it is a cool little dive bar. That being said, the bouncer should be fired. I made a joke about my friend's id being expired, and the bouncer barred me entry. Following which, the bouncer threatened to assault me, and told me "you better watch your back". I brought this up to the management the next day, and they stated that they reviewed the footage and found nothing. I am not sure if I believe this, as that would have constituted them reviewing several hours of tape, and I suspect the tape would not contain audio. EDIT: Wow, so reading people's responses below, it is clear that this place has terrible issues with its bouncer/s, and the management routinely ignores customer's concerns regarding these issues. read more

Yup, this place is the best bar in DC. Cash only, $3 cans of Natty Boh. No drama, just booths to hang with your friends and catch a drink. Truly great music DJed by you via jukebox, not some jerk in a $75 Nationals flatbill who went to GW. Sometimes two giant dogs roam the place freely and it's awesome. read more

The most hole-in-the-wall, funky, & character filled establishment left in the District. Walk in to Showtime and you will see at least 3 (if not all) of the following things: Yellow safari wallpaper Someone playing their own music on a jukebox A strange mural along the back wall by the bar not really visible unless walking to the bathroom Dogs along with patrons relaxing Cheap and simple drinks I absolutely LOVE IT and find it as a true testament to dive bars in a city that lacks them. Also, they apparently have sandwiches from DCity Smokehouse and breakfast for those who know to stop by on their commute to work. Will report back soon. read more

I'm ALWAYS a fan of a solid neighborhoood joint, and that's exactly what the Showtime Lounge is. A nice alternative to some of the swankier bards in the increasingly-trendy area, the Showtime Lounge is a the kind of place where you can go to specifically NOT be seen, and enjoy an adult beverage without fear of being judged by the trendy crowd. I also really appreciate a bar that allows people to bring in their own food, as there's no kitchen. So if you're looking for a dim, divey (but not ironically so), neighborhood place to have a drink or five, and maybe talk to people or maybe not, this is your place. Cash only, for sure, but prices are good. read more