A Guide to DC’s Best Gay and Lesbian Bars

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With WorldPride right around the corner, it’s time to get familiar with DC’s gay scene. To help you out, we’ve compiled a roundup of the city’s best gay and lesbian bars below, with happy hour specials, drag shows, and great vibes galore.

Thurst Lounge

This new lounge is the only Black-owned LGBTQ+ bar in DC. Thrust Lounge opened its doors in December, and its co-owners describe the space as their “love letter to DC’s black queer community.” Symbols of Black queer history and culture decorate the walls, with photos of Black performers and gay activists lining the staircase and upstairs walls. In the light of Thurst’s purple neon signs, bar-goers can enjoy live music events, karaoke and game nights, and more.

Trade

This Logan Circle bar serves up humongous pint glass-sized cocktails and $5 beers and wines during its “XL Happy Hour,” which runs until 8 PM daily. Come for the colossal cocktails; stay for the casual yet convivial dive bar atmosphere, the friendly crowds, and the events ranging from open mic standup to drag shows.

As You Are

Accessibility is key at this Eastern Market lesbian bar, which includes ASL interpreters for performances and accessible restrooms and entrances. Before 9 PM, the space is all-ages and features coffee, small bites, and free Wi-Fi; afterwards, it converts into a 21+ venue. There’s a little something for everyone here, from comedy open mics to dance parties to karaoke. It’s chill downstairs, while the vibe gets a bit more chatty upstairs; there’s also a side room where you can play video games.

Sinners and Saints

This Adams Morgan bar is run by and for queer and trans people of color. Sinners and Saints offers events to build community while dancing, enjoying musical performances, and celebrating queer joy. In May, Sinners and Saints was broken into and vandalized with anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech. “But we refuse to be intimidated,” the bar’s owners wrote after the break-in, bouncing back quickly and reopening the same night. Since then, Sinners and Saints has reached its fundraising goal to pay for repairs.

Crush

At this sleek U Street bar, DJs spin vinyls in the booth and potential new crushes sip cocktails on the back patio. Crush hosts a wide range of events, from drag bingo to Black queer ballroom event Deep Cvnt Party. One of the standout events, though, is the once-a-month “Grizzly Happy Hour,” a reinterpretation of a longtime DC tradition that features $4 draft beers and free hot dogs.

Bunker

If you’re looking for a crazy night out, this literally-underground fabulous fallout shelter-slash-dance club is the place to be. Make it past the 600-pound steel door into the concrete cave, where a bright red doomsday clock flashes behind the DJ and murals of men making out in gas masks adorn the walls. The music leans electronic—though the club brings in DJs from all around the world—and the laser lights are dazzling and pulsating. There’s a cash cover here, with a handy ATM waiting outside the door.

JR’s Bar

A staple of DC’s gay scene, this Dupont Circle bar has been serving since 1986. Showtunes (aka Musical Mondays) brings crowds to the bar to belt out classic Broadway hits and toss back $4 draft beers and Truly’s. And stop by on Sundays for dirt-cheap drinks all day: think $4 Skyys and $7 vodka Red Bulls.

Larry’s Lounge

This unpretentious, laidback Dupont Circle spot is a quintessential dive bar: the drinks are strong, the crowds are welcoming, and there’s even a dog-friendly patio. Pop by and you’re sure to make a new friend before the night is over. Board games and card games are also available to play.

Kiki

This fun two-story Shaw bar is split down the middle by a wall, essentially quadrisecting the bar into four distinct vibes that can range from calm and laid-back to energetic and groovy. Upstairs, there’s a cage on the dance floor so you can make out while the whole crowd watches. Other delights include bowls of Jell-O shots, a vape vending machine, and plenty of outdoor space. Stop by for weekly trivia, karaoke, and drag show events; happy hour also brings $6 house cocktails.

Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant

Barbie dolls, purple lanterns, and flamingos adorn this classic Arlington institution, where there’s even a small jar of sand located atop the bar, should you find yourself wondering where the beach is in “beach bar.” Friendly owner Freddie Lutz is a neighborhood legend, and the crowds are diverse and welcoming. Start off your weekend mornings with a fabulous brunch buffet; come evening, there’s “Freddie’s Follies” drag shows on Saturday and karaoke most nights.

Pitcher’s

Inside this Adams Morgan haunt, darts games and flat-screen TVs evoke the feel of a classic neighborhood sports bar. Drag queens stun at multiple shows throughout the week, including the popular no-cover “Thirst Trap Thursdays.” And if you’re looking for some boot stompin’ fun, the bar partners with queer country dancing group DC Rawhides to host line dancing once a month on Sundays.

Mixxed

Mixxed, an Adams Morgan bar and restaurant, offers a mix of classic and new dishes and cocktails. It’s one of the few places you can enjoy both burgers and smoothie bowls and wash it all down with a specialty cocktail. On weekends, start your day with a bottomless brunch and end it partying hard or attending one of Mixxed’s mixer social events.

A League Of Her Own

This sports-themed lesbian bar is connected to next-door Pitchers, and collaborates with the gay bar on a number of events, including drag shows and karaoke nights. The crowd here skews young, and there’s a fun dance floor to shake it out.

Spark Social House

DC (and the nation)’s only alcohol-free gay bar sits on the bustling U Street strip, right by other classic night-out spots such as Bunker, Crush, and Kiki. The “bar” is perfect for those craving a queer community without having to drink, but it’s designed with an open mind: on Friday and Saturday, it’s open until 4 AM, meaning you can stop by and decompress after spending a night on the town at other bars. Programming includes game nights, drag-race viewing parties, and sapphic socials.