Can't Beat the Heat? Join It.

In the past, confusion about service meant that customers who wanted drinks either had to flag down a waitress from the restaurant's outside tables (not easy) or go inside to order (a pain). That has changed with the addition of a small satellite bar, where customers can choose from seven wines by the glass or five beers. It's not cheap (a bottle of Oberon, a fantastic summer wheat beer, costs $7.70), so take advantage of the "4x4@4" happy hour: $4 beers and $4 glasses of red or white wine.

The Big Hunt

1345 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-785-2333.

Those of us heading for a Dupont Circle happy hour snicker as we stroll past the intern-heavy crowds at Lucky Bar or the Front Page. Why would you want to be packed in like sardines when the sun is shining? "Cheap beer!" the crowds would cry. Well, you can drink cheap beer at the Big Hunt ($2.50 house beers and rail drinks, and $1 off other drinks every day from 4 to 7 p.m.) while enjoying one of the neighborhood's most attractive and secluded patios.

People are surprised when they find out that the Big Hunt has a tiki-themed second-story deck, probably because it's so hard to find: From the main room, go up the back stairs, walk past the bar, hang a right, head through the door and up the stairs. There it is: a collection of long picnic tables, with a canopy of trees just overhead. The high walls are wooden, giving it the effect of a child's tree fort.

Servers bustle around, bringing trays of beer, pizzas and bowls of wings. All food and drink specials, including half-price pizza on Mondays and 15-cent wings on Tuesdays, are available on the patio as well as at the bar.

Looking Glass Lounge

3634 Georgia Ave. NW. 202-722-7669.

When the owners of the Wonderland Ballroom took over Petworth's '20s-themed Temperance Hall in December, bloggers were worried about what would happen to their neighborhood tavern. Change came fast: Some employees were let go, the beer selection became more pedestrian, favorite items disappeared from the menu (so long, mini sloppy Joe sandwiches) and there were rumors of DJs and live entertainment.

But a few months later, a lot of fear has faded.

The Looking Glass Lounge, as it's now known, remains an off-the-beaten-track saloon with plenty of regulars, one of the city's finest jukeboxes, spotty service and great drinks. Another reason to make the trip on the Green Line: the not-fancy-at-all basement patio.

Looking Glass's cozy basement bar is a great place to chill, but even more so when the staff opens one wall, which leads to a paved back yard with picnic tables. It's not a scenic destination, but with a pint glass full of Dan's Arnold Bawlmer (that's rye whiskey, lemonade and iced tea), it's absolutely perfect for a sunny day. At happy hour, which runs from 5 until 8 p.m., most draft beers are $3, and rail drinks and imported beers are $1 off. Entrees come with a free glass of wine or draft beer Tuesday through Thursday.