Perfect Dives

The S&J Restaurant (6108 Rhode Island Ave., Riverdale; 301-927-3977) is really an oddity in the D.C. area. It is maybe six miles from downtown Washington but seems more like 600 miles. There is no visible sign of the typical D.C. denizens (e.g., no rich brats, no lawyers, etc.). In fact, the visible signs in this bar are NASCAR posters. There is country music on the jukebox but it's not a gimmick. It's hard to believe -- a habitat of real, live, Middle-American people has remained undisturbed in this hyper-gentrifying metropolitan area. As of now, S & J is the only non-vacant storefront in Riverdale's quaint town square. But with the very convenient commuter train station here, it seems inevitable that change is coming.

The drinks are cheap and the food is pretty good. Stop in for a beer and help keep this place from becoming a Pizzeria Uno.

-- Jackson Williams, University Park

The Common Share (2003 18th St. NW, 202-518-6881) is definitely the best dive bar in Washington. First, having lived here my whole life, I can confidently identify the Common Share, along with the 42 bus and the Redskins, as one of the few things in this fractured city that successfully integrates people from different racial and socioeconomic groups. Luckily, two groups that are not represented at this bar are hyper-macho dudes in pastel polo shirts with popped collars and females draped in too much makeup and too little clothing. A trip to the Common Share is a welcome respite from the superficial Hide-and-Seek-and-Hookup scene that plagues other bars. The bouncers, the bartenders and the owners are great too. They even picked up my (substantial) tab when I went in after being laid off from my job. Last, but certainly not least: The drinks are seriously affordable. Each night, a different beer (Guinness, Bass, Sierra Nevada and Yuengling) is only $2. I defy anyone to find another bar in town with similar deals.

-- Zachary Kagan-Guthrie, Washington

If you want to talk about an unpretentious neighborhood joint, then let me throw Stetson's Famous Bar and Grill (1610 U St. NW, 202-667-6295) in the mix. I usually go on Wednesdays when they have the 25-cent wings, $2.50 rail drinks and Miller on special. What a great place to hang out, drink and eat for cheap until 8 p.m., when happy hour is over. I also hear the Bush twins have been seen there once or twice for your local VIP flavor. I have a crush on the waitress-bartender on Thursday. With the new swank places being added on the U Street corridor, my dive Stetsons has kept its own personality and vibe. Here the fellas or co-workers can still laugh and have fun after work at the old neighborhood bar.

-- Curtis R. Edwards Jr., Germantown

Talk about unpretentious: The good folks at Dr. Dremo's (2001 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington; 703-528-4660) allow my buddies and me to bring our bikes inside. We lean them up against a wall, out of the way, and click-clack our way up to the bar.

Do you like beer? Go to Dremo's. There are 32 brews on tap, all of them good. You can drink a lot of beer for not a lot of money, especially at happy hour, which really is a happy hour. Dremo's has stopped serving salads, and their bacon cheeseburgers are good and reliable. The cigarette smoke is thick, the writing on the men's bathroom wall is entertaining, the music favors '80s punk but is not so loud as to inhibit conversation, and the bartenders are heavily tattooed, beer-knowledgeable and friendly: They've changed the channel on the TV above the bar to let us watch "The Simpsons." Great beer, nice people. Look for the totem pole outside.

-- Mike Miller, Arlington

While Adams Morgan has its fair share of swanky lounges and crazy dance clubs, it is also home to my absolute favorite down-to-earth bar -- Toledo Lounge (2435 18th St. NW, 202-986-5416). The Lounge, as we regulars call it, is the quintessential neighborhood bar. People talk to you just to talk -- not to pick you up. Whether on a weeknight or weekend, you'll always find an unpretentious atmosphere. The red lighting and the funky Ohio memorabilia on the walls give the bar charm, but the bathrooms make you realize they aren't trying too hard. There's a jukebox that will take you back a decade or two and the framed photos of present and former staff give you a sense of the bar's history while also making the place feel homey. The beer selection has a nice mix of high and low brow. The food is great and includes an amazing selection of burgers (half price on Sundays), hand-cut french fries and hot dogs marinated in beer. It's a chill, fun place to hang out. The staff rocks! The Lounge is definitely the bar that makes Adams Morgan feel like a neighborhood and D.C. feel like a cool city to me.

-- Abby Fenton, Washington