Suburban Infiltration: Bridge and Tunnel Bars

Just down the road from the Herpes Triangle sits another quaint area of popular bars where, like its neighbor, the booze runs freely, interns run wild, and new lovers of soccer go to indulge in this sport that they won’t watch again until 2014. Your likelihood of leaving with an STD and being vomited on and/or groped by strangers is just as high at these bars as it is at the bars in the Herpes Triangle — only at these bars, these strangers are primarily your bridge and tunnel crowd. The golden rule at such establishments? Never pick someone up after the metro closes. If you’re eager for a good time that ends before 2:30AM on weekends, enjoy:

• Lucky Bar: If you judge a bar by its sport of choice, in this case soccer, Lucky Bar would rank high. But if you judge a bar by its evening clientele, that’s another story. Lucky Bar is one of the more seriously trashy bars in DC, as it’s known to be festered with interns and sloppy drunk frat boys. It is however located next to the ever-so-delicious Julia’s Empanadas and it does have a lovely outdoor patio area. There’s also the fact that it is a great soccer watching place, so it’s not necessarily the worst bar in DC.
• Madhatter: This spot used to be located in the heart of the Herpes Triangle, but it has moved to a bigger spot on Connecticut Avenue. Sure, the food at the new location may be better, the dance floor larger, and the upstairs space available to rent out for FREE for private parties, but, make no mistake, Madhatter still has its Herpes Triangle vibe at heart and, thanks to its increased convenience to the metro, it now especially attracts the bridge and tunnel crowd. Well them, and, even the infamous Obama Boys, known for their love of all things classy, have been spotted at this bar.
• Public Bar: Public Bar is no different than the bars that surround it, only it supposedly attracts a more “upscale” fratty crowd, whatever that translates to. The bar does have three things going for it: 1) Its roof deck, though absurdly crowded on weekends, is a great spot for a happy hour 2) there are teevees in the booths, which, if you can snag one, makes watching a game an intimate, easy experience and 3) they may not have taps on the table like some fancy bars do, but they do have BEER TOWERS. Basically a beer tower is a portable cylinder with a spout that’s filled with 100 ounces of the beer of your choosing. You bring it to your table, pour and enjoy all for just $25.
• Midtown Lounge and Midtown Loft: These bars are known for their absurdly long lines, overpriced drinks, and stripper poles. What more could you ask for from a bar in our nation’s capital?

Bridge and Tunnel Bars, Connecticut Ave, NW:

View Public Bar in a larger map
View Bridge and Tunnel Bars in a larger map