Best Bets
Best dive bars
Fritz | Updated 10/20/2009
No cover charges, no $10 martinis, no dress codes.
Hank Dietle's Tavern
Rockville, MD
A real honky tonk with bags of potato chips and ice-cold beers. Shoot some pool on the worn pool table, or have a cigarette on the front porch, which is decidedly not a patio.
JV's Restaurant
Falls Church, VA
Occupying this location since 1947, JV's provides all the essentials: cold beer, hot chili, barstaff who'll call you "honey" and live country and honky tonk music almost every night.
Jay's Saloon & Grille
Arlington, VA
Cheap beers, a local clientele that spans generations, an Astroturf-covered patio, Classic rock tunes, vintage ads on the walls -- what else do you need?
Lil Pub
Washington, DC
The Lil' Pub lives up to its name, with only two rooms -- one dominated by the bar, the other by a pool table. The jukebox is loud, the beers are cheap and everyone knows each other.
The Raven Grill
Washington, DC
My favorite piece of graffiti in all of Washington is on the Raven's bathroom wall: "If you took a cab here, you don't belong here."
Tune Inn
Washington, DC
Looking like a West Virginia dive circa 1960, the walls are covered with deer heads, the menu's full of unhealthy fare like patty melts and Busch and PBR are on tap.
Vienna Inn
Vienna, VA
Loaded chili dogs -- a house specialty -- accompany cheap draft beers at this community watering hole and restaurant.
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