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(Jay Paul)

Best dive bars

Fritz Hahn  |  Updated 11/29/2012

No cover charges, no $10 martinis, no dress codes.

 

Hank Dietle's Tavern

Rockville, MD

A real honky tonk where the menu consists of 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, honky tonk and classic rock bands 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. Make sure you ask for the house-made $1 Jell-O shots.

 

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

The Tune Inn has cleaned up since a 2011 kitchen fire forced it to close for almost five months. The decor is less dingy, and Fat Tire beer is now on draft. But otherwise, it's business as usual, from the deer heads mounted on the wall to the beer-battered burgers and patty melts on the menu. Did it lose something when the Keno machine was removed? Probably. But grab a can of Natty Boh, a shot of Jameson and enjoy one of the best bars on Capitol Hill.

 

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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