The Tastiest Pubs in Washington

Sudhouse

★★★★☆ 4.4 (231) • $$

"Sudhouse has a awesome bar like atmosphere with great happy hour prices! Most dishes are between $4-9 and drinks between $4-6!! They also have a few tv's that show mostly sports games... we watched a tennis match! They have jamming modern music and bar type food and drinks! *The drinks we got weren't on the happy hour menu because we like to be extra !* Laura and Bridget were awesome! They were very attentive, made great dish suggestions and kept us and the other customers laughing the entire time. We'll definitely return!!Follow me on doseofdev.com for more food, travel, and adventures!"

Looney's Pub

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (385) • $$

"My friend had a birthday party here on Saturday, January 11 in the afternoon. I had never been to Looney's, but was familiar with it as I used to drive for Uber/Lyft and had some drop-offs/pickups here. I thought of this place as simply some rowdy college bar literally a close walk from the UMD campus. I also knew there was another location in Maple Lawn in southern Howard County; that location is roughly half the distance from my home as the College Park one. I also see there's 2 other locations northeast of Baltimore in Nottingham & Bel Air area.My girlfriend & I had gotten here about an hour early as we were already out, hungry, wanted to eat earlier plus we could more focus on birthday party conversations rather than trying to order and focusing on eating. When we walked in, I was pleasantly surprised that this was nice place with wood panel, high ceiling, ample seating, a nice bar area, good decorations like UMD, Maryland flag, etc., and plenty of TV's for sports viewing.We sat at a high-top table. The server was nice. I said we were just splitting on appetizer and asked her recommendations, which she said several things, which server & I surmised crab in general. My g/f had been to Looney's a couple of times before, so she kind had some idea. We settled on the Chesapeake Fries, which were crab & cheese on top of fries, which came out pretty quickly. They were delicious, plenty of crab & cheese on the fries and an ample amount of food for the 2 of us to split.As for the birthday party, our server came around earlier on and switched to the evening shift server, which seemed to do a good job taking people's orders who got food &/or drink as well as water pitcher for tables. I occasionally glanced up at TV for the Texans-Chargers game, but I was mainly focused on conversating with people (a couple of which had been 9 months since I had seen). Also, this restaurant/bar wasn't too noisy, so it was easy to hear people. Restrooms were clean too. Overall, Looney's was solid, and I would return to this or Maple Lawn location."

Nanny O'Brien's Irish Pub

★★★★☆ 3.6 (237) • $$

"I was with a friend group of six hanging out In Cleveland Park when the beer drinkers decided we should check out Nanny O'Brien's. It looks like a typical neighborhood Irish bar, very unassuming. I try to stick to a basic as possible food order in these types of establishments since I know most people come here for the beer...not the food. So one of my friends and I ordered wings and tots and the others in our group ordered sandwiches. On their menu they boast that their wings are their most " popular" item so why not! Wellll...popular they may be but tasty they are not. They weren't even edible. They were obviously old and refried since they were cold and dry. My friend and I aren't big on returning food in restaurants unless it's absolutely necessary but we had no choice. Our bartender assured us he would have the kitchen make a fresh order. Well they did and they were still dry so neither one of us could eat the new batch either. On a better note, the tots with the addition of Cajun spice were fired nice and crispy. Also I had a nice refreshing Norse IPA. My friends who ordered sandwiches were fine with their food. So I'm glad at least they were satisfied with what they ordered. I would come back here to grab a drink but would eat elsewhere."

Union Street Public House

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (663) • $$

"The food, ambiance, and service here are great!My friends and I ordered the crab cake platter, a dozen of the raw oysters, and crab dip. We also shared the bleu cheese burger and some grilled buffalo wings that aren't pictured.All of the food was fresh and seasoned well. The only thing I wished for was the oysters to taste sweeter. Other than that, I loved every dish!Overall, I think this is a great spot to eat at. There is a really good variety of dishes that can be shared and enjoyed!"

Ragtime

★★★★☆ 3.6 (381) • $$

"Solid. While there's limited parking by the restaurant, there's a parking lot a block away so no issues. Waitress was very nice and attentive, and ensured she checked on us regularly. The atmosphere was not bad and I can see hanging with friends here. The food was good and certainly worth trying. I had the chicken and waffles, which was very good. My son the fried oysters, which he enjoyed. And my wife the wings, which she really liked."

Brass Rabbit Pub

★★★★☆ 4.2 (151) • $$

"I've been here a few times and recently came this past weekend for brunch. My boyfriend and I loved everything, it seems they were a little busy so we did wait a good amount of time to order but once ordered the food came out within about 10 minutes or so. We ordered the champagne bottle with orange juice, French toast bites, avocado toast and crab cake benny. Everything was a solid 10 for us! Parking is on the street unless you choose to pay for the garage and the service was great! Beautifully decorated and the bar ambiance is top tier."

The Lost Fox

★★★★☆ 4.2 (266) • $$

"After dinner bar, weather was nice and the staff was great. I always have a great time when I go."

Union Pub

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (425) • $$

"Came there on game day. Place was crowded rooting for the Commanders.Being an out of towner I was looking for a screen that had the Texans game. They accomodated us in a room which appeared set up for non Washington fans to watch their game with captions. Great beers. Great service despite the crowd. Clean restrooms too.Food was really good, but be careful with their version of Nashville hot chicken. high level of spice and Iike very spicy food."

St. Arnold's Mussel Bar

★★★★☆ 4.2 (764) • $$

"Food: 5/5 Service/cleanliness: 3/5 The whole menu is online via scanning a QR code. There's a variety of mussels but when we asked our server for recommendations/her thoughts, she wasn't very nice or helpful. She was a bit rude and just said all of the choices are good. All of the appetizers we ordered were good. The onion rings are probably the best I've ever had. It had a light batter and was crunchy. Same for the calamari. The plates were smelly - it smelled like it was wiped with a dirty kitchen rag. St. Arnold mussels & L'Alsacienne: The St. Arnold was better. It was creamier and had richer flavors. Both were overall good though so you can't go wrong with either choice. We added linguine and it was very filling. I didn't even have space for the bread/fries it came with."

The Limerick Pub

★★★★☆ 3.8 (231) • $$

"Louie is amazing. Charming, friendly, attentive and hardworking. Number one reason I'd come back is just because of him. He's a genuinely good guy. The food was good. I came with a group and we had:Old bay wings: GoodThai wings: GoodSheppards pie potato skins: Honestly MEHFish and chips: Were great and would order againSexy chicken sandwich: GoodFish sandwich: GoodDefinitely coming back."

The Pub & The People

★★★★☆ 4.2 (331) • $$

"This is a fun spot! Went here before an event in the area and found this on maps. Have a nice setup - indoors and outdoors. Service is great and lots of options for cocktails and food. Felt like a local spot. We tried La Sagrada Familia and it was good, strong! It was a bit of a dicey walk from Union Station stop to here at night as a heads up, but great experience!"

Daniel O'Connell's Irish Restaurant & Bar

★★★★☆ 3.6 (671) • $$

"Many thanks to the amazing staff for their efficient and professional handling of our tour group of 92 patrons on Thursday night (May 23, 2024)! Led expertly by manager Sam, their team of servers Caleb and Lindy, along with their support staff of food runners Jose, Josue, Miguel, had all of our guest served their pre-ordered entrees in just 15 minutes during a busy dinner time! It's restaurants like these that make large tour group sit-down dinners possible during the hectic Spring tour season within the DC Metro area. Many thanks from my colleague Danielle and I, along with the entire tour company!"

Across The Pond

★★★★☆ 4.3 (226) • $$

"I was in the area for a work trip, and after a long day, we stopped by Across the Pond for a drink and some apps. They have a huge selection of drinks. The staff is super knowledgeable and happy to guide you to find the right thing for you, especially if it's something you don't often get (I'm rarely drink beer, and the bartender helped me find the perfect beer to try)!It's a fun pub, welcoming and not too loud. The food was very good, we were just kind of snacking. The mozzarella sticks were fantastic."

The Ugly Mug

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (351) • $$

"I came here yesterday for karaoke/game night. They have all day happy hour on Wednesdays, so that's good. There are a lot of options on the happy hour menu for drinks and food. The food is pretty bad though. It's bar food, but the bottom-mest of bottom bar food. I ordered the "truffle" fries and a Caesar salad. I put truffle in quotes because there was nothing truffle about it and they used powdered Parmesan cheese on them. Despite this, the fries were actually tasty. Far better than my salad. The main reason I ordered the Caesar salad is because I figured that was something that would be hard to mess up. The first red flag was I saw some cheddar cheese sprinkled on the salad. Lol. I love all types of cheese, but this was unexpected. The salad wouldn't have been terrible if they didn't drown it in dressing. I picked at it, looking for pieces that didn't have so much dressing. In the end I mainly ended up eating the croutons. As for drinks, I kept it simple with a tequila-soda from the happy hour menu. I had two and they were solid. The first one was really strong, which I like. My last critique is that it took a while for us to get our drinks. The food ended up coming out before the drinks. They use a website where you can place your order and conveniently split the bill. I'm not sure if the bartender was backed up, even though it wasn't busy when we first got there. The vibes were cool. The music was very loud, so don't expect to have a lot of conversation. All in all, I don't think that I would come back here."

Jake's Tavern

★★★★☆ 3.9 (45)

"Went on st Patrick's day, food was delicious, drinks had a good pour and fair price, service was great. There's a juke box to play to music and such, was fun for our group of 20-something's, but there was also somebody there with a baby. So I'd call that good for all ages."

Finnegan's Wake

★★★★☆ 3.8 (244) • $$

"Nice, neighborhood place with a decent draft beer menu, bar and food. Usually pretty loud indoor seating; on a nice day/evening it can be more pleasant to sit outdoors. Staff are enthusiastic and friendly. The Staff usually are really busy so it can be a chore to get their attention. The other night, we ordered a dozen wings with old Bay seasoning (a special) and the 3 fish taco plate. Old Bay Wings (10 wings for $14) - the sauce is billed as being house-made, but it's essentially a Franks hot sauce (traditional Buffalo wing sauce), but there was barely a hint of Old Bay. That was disappointing. Also, the wings themselves were scrawny - tiny, with very little meat and pretty hard to chew. For $14, the wings should be a lot better. Fish tacos ($14) - delicious. The server said they were spicy and there was a Siracha-type sauce lightly applied that gave the dish a nice kick. The fish was lightly breaded and fried - a nice sized piece of fish in each of the three tacos. Doesn't come with a side, like fries. Very filling and tasty.I don't tell people how to run their businesses, but I do wonder if maybe they should have more than two people covering the busy bar and restaurant, including the outside seating. At least that's how it's been the several times I've been here. The Staff does their best."

The Queen Vic

★★★★☆ 4.1 (455) • $$

"I loved spending time at the Queen Vic. A fried battered fish Was what I was seeking and they didn't disappoint. The green pea sauce was yummy too. I enjoyed the magners on tap. Come for the battered fish. Throw some lemon and boom. Also, the fish reheats well in the air fryer!"

Sip Lounge

★★★☆☆ 2.7 (15) • $$

"My daughter and I come here often and always have a great time. They've been running a Fat Tuesday happy hour special on drinks, hookah and food for the last month and last week they had a new bartender who wasn't aware of the HH times so because she said there were no specials we left I commented on the IG just to make sure mgmt was aware and immediately Jordan responded apologizing for the mixup. Fast forward a week later and Jordan upheld his agreement of making sure we were taken care of. Now that's great mgmt and customer service. Still one of my favorite spots."

Boundary Stone

★★★★☆ 4 (521) • $$

"Today, my social group DMV Does took over the back bar for the Eagles vs Commanders. Who knew this was the popular Eagles bar!!! The patio is a vibe. The inside is electric and fun. The food was good. I had the whiskey bbq wings and fries for the game watch. I also had a lemon drop and am espresso martini. Olivia was the manager who set up the wonderful accommodations! I want to shout out Kyrin who was our server. He was attentive, sweet, knowledgeable and held down a group of over 30 people! Kudos to him!I can wait to come back!"

Froggy Bottom Pub

★★★★☆ 3.8 (279) • $$

"Outstanding service!! Edward was TOP NOTCH. He was attentive, personable and so awesome with us. We loved the drinks he made us. We got Poutine and the jalapeño poppers. Delicious! Highly recommend and make sure you sit at the bar with Edward."

HEIST DC

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (123) • $$

"Small place but the music was good. We were there on a Tuesday when most dance clubs are closed in the area, so there was not much crowd as locals knew most clubs are closed. Might try again in another day. No cover was a good thing about this place."

The Saloon

★★★★☆ 4 (343) • $$

"We were walking toward the Lincoln looking for a place to eat prior to the Sparks show at the Lincoln. I saw names on bricks and the facade of the joint and decided to go in with my son and a friend. First impressions matter. Stuff for sale on the walls and elsewhere for a suggested donation. Quirky and eccentric. Interesting moonshine cocktails and beer. Aged blueberries. Really interesting stuff. We were seated by the window facing U St NW. The guy waiting tables was the only person serving. There was also a bartender. The menu was unique and it took some time to decide what we wanted. When we did I ordered the Western Burger, listed with a choice of beef, chicken, veggie burgers. I ordered beef. Topped with cheese, bacon and sautéed onions and peppers. My son a friend ordered the Turkey Reuben. All included fries. We ordered onion rings as another side. Food came out quickly. Good thing as the house was starting to fill quickly. Food was good. And filling. And reasonably priced considering it was DC. One big thing I appreciate is the Saloon's mission supporting Habitat for Humanity and their work on building homes for the poor in several countries. Another cause is their "Bricks for Schools" initiative where funds received are used to build schools in those countries as well. Those donating get their names painted on bricks outside the building. You can say the Saloon is a bar with purpose as profits go for to these causes. When we left for the show the house was packed. I'm glad we tried this great place. It's quirky, eccentric and different in many ways. The background music was great and played softly so we could carry on our discussions. And kudos to the server who did a yeoman's job of working the room. He was fantastic. When you visit this spot in what is historically DC's "Black Broadway" you'll be amazed. Go."

Makers Union

★★★★☆ 4.1 (124)

"Did a girls dinner here and the food and atmosphere were both great. The restaurant was festive with Christmas decorations and holiday music. I got the burger and it was delicious! Also the holiday cocktails were awesome too! Service was on point as well. I want to go back from brunch next!"

Pizzeria Paradiso Spring Valley

★★★★☆ 3.5 (90) • $$

"Food and people here really deliver. My favorite is the miniera which is three toppings of your choice. Mine are always sundries tomatoes, roasted eggplant and roasted garlic but there are lots of yummy options! The crust is so good! The staff here are friendly and offer good suggestions for wine pairings. There's also a stellar selection of local beers on tap. They have a nice patio and a cheery bar. The paradiso salad is also tops! Enjoy!"

Tune Inn

★★★★☆ 3.7 (555) • $$

"Stopped by for a quick drink and snack this evening. Service was slow, but expected. They had limited beer selections and I got an ice tea. Shared the chicken tenders and tots platter with Ragz. The chicken was delicious - just what I would expect from a greasy spoon bar. The tots were super yummy too, very crispy and light. Came with ranch and we asked for buffalo sauce on the side. The bar has a cool vibe and a lot of the patrons seemed locals and request visitors. I think I might come back again to check out their drinks and other menu items."

Mark's Pub

★★★★☆ 3.6 (96) • $$

"A neighborhood pub with a great atmosphere and outstanding homemade food. The service is friendly and welcoming. Highly recommend any stop here."

Jimmys Old Town Tavern

★★★★☆ 4.1 (611) • $$

"Saturday night Prime Rib. One of the best prime ribs I've had, comes with baked potato, veggie (or side of your choice-onion rings), and a salad for under $25. Super good! Got mine Togo but looks like a nice friendly place to eat even if you're alone."

Arlington Pub

★★★★☆ 3.6 (13) • $

"I can see how reviews can swing both ways for Arlington Pub. It is, after all, a hybrid craft beer bar and coffee bar in the upstairs of the Clarendon Whole Foods. So I'll pose this questions to my fellow beer hunters. What matters to you most ... atmosphere of the bar, or an excellent selection of craft beers on tap, including a few that are hard to find, at rock bottom prices. If you are in the camp of the latter, then you will love Arlington Pub.I stumbled upon Arlington Pub a bit on accident. I was in the area and had heard lots of great things about Galaxy Hut and wanted to check them out. I got there about 4:15PM and found their door locked. Having to REALLY need to use the bathroom, I decided to hop across the street to Whole Foods, take care of business, and then figure out a place to kill time until 5PM. As I headed upstairs towards the restroom, I saw that my search for a place to kill time would be over quickly. Behold Arlington Pub.They had recently had a tap takeover from Oskar Blues Brewing, the brewery best know for Dale's Pale Ale. Tap takeovers are a great way to find and sample beers that you rarely see. In this case, it was the excellent Ninja Cow ESB. I found it a bit dark in color for an ESB, but had that characteristic ESB smoothness. They were on the tail end of the tap takeover, so some of the OB brews were tapped, but had been replaced with some interesting options. They offer a flight, so I decided to sample a few of the other OB offerings - their 10 Fidy Imperial Stout and Gubna Imperial IPA. I also threw in selections from other breweries - Sump Coffee Stout from Perennial and Allagash Curieux, a Belgian Tripel aged in Jim Beam bourbon barrels. These are all VERY strong beers, but the flight pours were generous, and there was no upcharge on the strong brews. The flight, normally $5, was $4 for happy hour. And prices like this is what makes you forget that you are enjoying cheap craft beer on the top floor of a hipster grocery store. My pint of Ninja Cow, normally $3, was a dollar off for happy hour. Throw in a double espresso to finish off after the flight, and my tab was under $10. And the bartender/barista actually functions as a checkout cashier, so there is no need to tip and no place for tipping on a credit card transaction. (I didn't ask if they were allowed to take cash tips ... I didn't have cash, so it was a bit of a moot point.)So if you can get over the fact that the this is a bar on the upper level of Whole Foods, you'll find Arlington Pub is a great place to kill some time and enjoy a great selection of craft beer at insanely cheap prices."

Present Company Public House

★★★★★ 4.6 (115) • $$

"Went back for brunch today before the Caps game. The smoked salmon tartine is about the best thing I've ever had! Love this place."

Patriots Pub and Grill

★★★★☆ 4 (140) • $

"Exploring the area around GMU.Good service, decent food. Typical of most sports bars: a little loud, lots of TVs, kitschy decor.Tried the fried chicken BLT - generous portion. Delicious but rather dry. Could have used more sauce, seasoning.Onion rings = great. Fries not so much. Large selection of beers!Best part really was the friendly, welcoming, attentive staff."

Murphy's Grand Irish Pub

★★★★☆ 3.8 (864) • $$

"Murphy's Grand Irish Pub; is very solid. I have been here a few times and always had a tasty pint of Guinness. Friendly service. Filling food. Good price points.If you want to relax and enjoy an adult beverage; Murphy's is my go-to place. Nice variety of beers. Always cold and tasty. As you walk in the front door, there is an entrance to the upstairs bar/restaurant and the main bar. The main bar is 40/50 feet long. Plenty of bar seats and tables. If you're looking for sports on TV. You may be out of luck depending on where you sit. Let's say you want to watch March Madness your choice of games may be small since there is one small TV behind the bar and two or so TVs in the main dining room. Which are not ideally placed. The upstairs bar may have a few more TVs.Overall, Murphy's Grand Irish Pub does a great job. Service good. Beer cold. Lots of regulars. Large food portions. Easy on the pocket. Good for groups. Outdoor seating. What else can I say; have fun..."

Duffy’s Irish Pub - Cap Hill East

★★★★★ 4.7 (7)

"I'm an OG Duffy's patron from the days when they were in Shaw! I have always loved their wings so I was delighted to see they had a location on the southside, recently! Just like all those years ago, the wings are A-1! I have only gotten take out but plan to dine in when it's warm. Just like the other location, the service is wonderful. The staff is really accommodating- always modifying my orders per my request."

Blackfinn Ameripub - DC

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (668) • $$

"Came for dinner after checking out the Black Lives Matter Plaza. Food was good. I was very impressed with the shrimp and crab dip. Just wish they gave us more! lol. The crab cake did not disappoint either. Although we could have used more dipping sauce. And the sweet potato casserole was delish.Staff were super friendly and welcoming. The place was busy when we arrived but it was dinner time and happy hour so I could see why. But we had no problem getting a table."

Duke's Grocery

★★★★☆ 4.1 • $$

"I went with my friend and it was loud. The place is small and it can quickly be filled and be super loud. I got a little overwhelmed. The food was really good. I enjoyed the shakshuka that came with naan. I like my shakshuka with the texture of the veggies but this was all blended like a sauce. It was good. My friend had the chicken and waffles and the waffles were a little too crispy for my liking but the chicken it was pretty good the honey chilli sauce. For dessert we had the sticky toffee bread pudding and omg it was so good. I may go back to enjoyed it with coffee. It's huge so you can share it. The service was pretty good, and kind."

McNamara's Pub & Restaurant

★★★★★ 4.5 (310) • $$

"First timer here. Great service by a very responsive team. Excellent beer selection and the menu is exceptional. I ordered the fish & chips and it didn't disappoint."