DC Travel Guide  |  Food

Guide to Washington, DC: Popular Happy Hour Spots

You’ve put in a long day and you’re thirsty—and hungry. Where to go for happy hour?

Happy hours are especially celebratory at Penn Quarter’s PS 7’s. Photograph by Christopher Leaman.

At some places, you can squeeze a full dinner out of a few hours of specials. Head to Wolfgang Puck’s the Source (575 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 202-637-6100; wolfgangpuck.com) Monday­ through Saturday between 4 and 6, and you can get three dishes—say, shrimp tempura rolls, pork-belly-stuffed bao, and miniature bánh mì sandwiches—from the downstairs lounge’s izakaya menu for $20.12. Mod-American PS 7’s (777 I St., NW; 202-742-8550; ps7restaurant.com) has half-price flatbreads and discounted beer and wine Tuesday through Friday from 4 to 7 and all night Monday. (Another Monday bonus: The terrific burgers are half off, too.)

Weeknights between 5 and 7, the Southern dining room Vidalia (1990 M St., NW; 202-659-1990; vidaliadc.com) puts out discounted beer, wine, and cocktails and a free spread of bacon-flavored popcorn and garlicky croutons alongside cheap shares such as $3-to-$5 bar bites. If you’re
looking for something fast and filling, the downtown location of the casual American spot Chef Geoff’s (1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 202-464-4461; chefgeoff.com) discounts its burgers  ($5.95) and pizzas ($8.95) all night Saturday through Tuesday and from 3 to 7 pm the rest of the week. And one of our favorite reasons to visit the Clarendon ­brasserie Lyon Hall (3100 N.
Washington Blvd., Arlington; 703-741-7636; lyonhallarlington.com
) is the $5 house-made hot dogs, offered nightly from 4 to 7.

If you’re strictly in a drinking mood, the cozy wine bar ­Vinoteca (1940 11th St., NW; 202-332-9463; vinoteca-dc.com) pours 20 by-the-glass selections for $5 a pop every day between 5 and 7. The Italian-themed hangout Dino (3435 Connecticut Ave., NW; 202-686-2966; dino-dc.com) does $5 cocktails and wine and $4 craft beers every night between 5:30 and 7. Weeknights from 5 to 8, beloved downtown dive the Black Rooster (1919 L St., NW; 202-659-4431; blackrooster-pub.com) pours pints of Budweiser for $3 and imported and premium drafts for $4.50.

Ann Limpert
Executive Food Editor/Critic

Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.