Phase One, or "The Phase," as some call it, has that comfortable, neighborhood bar kind of feeling to it. If you walk in early in the evening, you'll find a relaxed atmosphere, a well-stocked bar and friendly staff. There are televisions over the bar, a small dance floor and a pool table in the back. Come in a little later on a Saturday night and you won't be able to see much more than the crowd of women who have come to party the night away.
Phase One is the older sister of the Washington area's lesbian scene, celebrating her 30th anniversary as a woman's bar in March of 2001. On any given evening you may find a rowdy group of friends, tables all crowded together, celebrating a birthday. There will be couples, new and established, tucked away in the corners celebrating more intimate occasions. Individual women in search of a good time (and possibly more) hang together at the bar or around the pool table. You'll find a pleasantly wide range of ages and personalities here. This is a place the newly "out" and recently single come to connect (or reconnect) with the women's community.
The one downside is actually a side-effect of the Phase's popularity. It can at times get literally too crowded to dance. You may find a few men in the crowd, mostly friends of the women who frequent here. Men are welcome as long as they respect where they are. If you're a guy looking for a female partner – or a woman in search of a man – this is not the place for you.
Sundays you can catch line dance lessons and a pool tournament, complete with a cash prize. Second Thursdays are open mike nights and the last Friday of every month is "Leather and Lace" night.
There is some street parking available, and Phase One is just two blocks east of the Eastern Market metro stop on the Orange Line.
– Lyentte Hill