Perfect Dives

Local Bars With Grit and Personality on Tap

Mike Miller at Dr. Dremo's. (Sora Devore for The Washington Post)

Few institutions are as beloved as the local dive bar. To some, a dive means a scary hole-in-the-wall, but we like to think of them as easygoing joints where you feel as comfortable as you do in your living room (though you have to wear more than just boxers -- usually). A few weeks ago, we asked readers to write in about their favorite dives and were deluged with responses. Here is a sampling of the contributions:

My favorite dive bar has to be Dietle's Tavern (11010 Rockville Pike, Rockville, 301-881-8711). We go inside, walk up to the bar and the bartender asks what we want. One of the women in our group inquires about the wine selection. The bartender, dressed in a tank top undershirt and unshaven, replies: "White or rose" (like the flower) as he leans against the bar. We order beer. We shoot pool and case the place up and down. Everything is old and disheveled. We love it.

-- Bruce DarConte, Rockville

My friends and I began frequenting El Migueleño, (1721 Columbia Rd. NW, 202-328-6190) in Adams Morgan in fall 2001, because its happy hour begins when we got off work. It offers very inexpensive beer (the details get fuzzy after a few, but it's somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.50 domestics and $2.50 imports). The decor and ambiance of Migui's, as we endearingly call it, are nothing to write home about, but the sincerity of the staff is definitely worth noting. Here's my favorite anecdote: My friend Liz, a frequent Migui's guest, became pregnant a few months before the whole Washington lead pipes scare. So by the time the public was quite scared, she was obviously showing. Unbeknownst to the Migui's staff, Liz had gotten the "okay" from her doctor to have one beer every once in a while. During our regular happy hour, Liz had her one beer, served to her by the owner. On our second round she asked for a glass of water. After clearing Liz's empty bottle of beer, the owner replied, "I'd better bring you a bottled water. I don't feel right serving you regular water, because of the baby."

-- A. Gonzalez, Washington

The best neighborhood dive bar is by far Cleveland Park's Nanny O'Brien's (3319 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-686-9189). It's a true Irish pub where you have a good chance of actually hearing folks with Irish accents. It's also unpretentious and the authentic decor includes classic neon beer signs as well as road signs from the Emerald Isle. There are no fancy martinis and most patrons are content to drink their Guinnesses without the need of a dance floor or DJ. The men's room also has "magic" urinals -- they always look like they are on the brink of spilling over but never do.

And the best part about Nanny O'Briens: It's only a 60-second walk from my front door.

-- D. Rusty Shuffelton, Washington

My mom once told me, "Some men join country clubs, your dad goes to Cafaretta's, and believe me it's a lot cheaper." So, in keeping with family tradition, when I moved to Northern Virginia from St. Louis I looked for a neighborhood bar like Cafaretta's. It would be more of a challenge than I thought. Then one happy day I discovered the Sunset Grille (7250 Columbia Pike, Annandale, 703-658-0928). It is a true dive! Improvements are made so gradually and haphazardly that the regulars are never upset that the place is trying to go uptown.

Dart games go on all evening in the back and the juke box can make it a little raucous. Don't go anywhere afterward if you have to smell good . . . smoking is definitely permitted. The front room is quieter and perfect for discussing the world's problems. Several nights a week good local bands play there. The decor in the back is Annandale's version of an island bar, with an unusual license plate collection, featuring, I might add, my daughter's license plate from her college days (TEA-BRD). We feel duly honored.

If you are a liberal, leave your opinions at home or be ready to be outnumbered in a lively debate. The clientele is a diverse mix of professionals, some in biker get-ups, local business owners, and working-class blokes and gals. Everyone is friendly and will usually introduce themselves to someone new. I've been going there for nearly 20 years! Long live the neighborhood dive!

-- Cathy Cooke, Centreville