The Food: The Hawk ‘n’ Dove is best known as a post-work Hill staffer stop for burgers and wings, but it offers a full dinner menu, plus daily breakfast and weekend brunch. For lunch and dinner, the menu includes simply prepared seafood, steaks, and pastas.  

The Scene: Dark, dusty, and historic, the four-decade-old Hawk ‘n’ Dove is a DC institution. Portraits of the country’s founders and popular leaders decorate the walls, and many of today’s decision makers (or at least their staff members) fill the bar stools and old church pews. But the stain-glass-windowed pub sees more than just government workers—many neighborhood residents are longtime regulars,  and on weekends, a twentysomething crowd shows up to drink cheaply at one of the four bars and dance upstairs. 

What’s Nearby: Situated between the US Capitol and Eastern Market, the Hawk ‘n’ Dove is a central spot on the Hill. Along Pennsylvania Avenue, you’ll find boutiques and bookstores, coffeehouses (Firehook; Starbucks), restaurants (Locanda; Sonoma) and more bars. The Capitol South and Eastern Market Metro stops (both orange and blue lines) are easily walkable.

Insider Tips: A large chalkboard over the entrance is a cheat sheet for daily food and drink specials. Happy hour runs weeknight from 4 to 7 PM, and includes free hors d’oeuvres starting at 5. Burgers are half-price Sunday and Monday nights from 6 to 10.
In the mood for morning grub at midnight? A late-night breakfast of an English muffin with french fries plus bacon, sausage, ham, or a five-ounce steak is served between 9 PM and 1 AM on weekdays, and between 9 AM and 2 AM on weekends. You can get burgers and sandwiches too.

Starting at 9 PM on Friday and Saturday, a DJ spins on the top floor.