Oktoberfest is essentially a perfect concept: a festival all about drinking beer and eating glutinous snacks? Yes please. Happily, the price of admission to the celebration does not include a plane ticket to Germany. Lots (and lots) of D.C. bars and restaurants are getting in on the fun. Here, a list of all the best bets for celebrating Oktoberfest in style.
Did we miss any? Be sure to let us know in the comments.
City Tap House
901 9th St. NW; 1250 Connecticut Ave. NW
Saturday, September 22 to Sunday, October 7
Both locations of this beer-centric spot are celebrating Oktoberfest, with cheap, themed beers ($7 - $10) and food specials (like massive pretzels.) The Penn Quarter location is also transforming its patio into a biergarten for the weekend.
Dacha
1600 7th Street NW
Saturday, September 22 to Sunday, October 7
Internet titans Yelp and Zillow will gather in the garden for their annual Oktoberfest celebration at Dacha. Mix and mingle with insiders, sip on a Festbier and receive exclusive Zillow and Yelp swag while supplies last.
Roofers Union
2446 18th St. NW
Saturday, September 22 to Sunday, October 7
Adams Morgan bar Roofers Union will offer a rotating cast of Oktoberfest themed beers for the festival — both domestic brews like Port City’s Oktoberfest and suds straight from Germany’s Weihenstephaner brewery — for $7 - $10. Food options include pierogis with sauerkraut, bacon and caraway and a pork schnitzel dish with spaetzle.
Wunder Garten
1101 1st Street NE
Friday, September 28 to Sunday, September 30
German beer garden Wunder Garten is giving tribute to its name and putting on its fourth annual Oktoberfest event this last weekend of September. The official tapping of the keg — Spaten Oktoberfest — starts at 4pm on Friday. Festivities continue into midnight on Friday, starting back up again at noon on Saturday, with a performance of traditional Oktoberfest tunes. Sunday has “Dogtoberfest,” where dressed-up pets are put on parade and donations of new toys/blankets/dog food are encouraged to support shelter pups.
Bar Roubaix
1400 Irving St. NW
Through October 7
Bar Roubaix has been celebrating Oktoberfest since the middle of September. The bar’s specials are all about the beer. There’s a rotating tap of local and imported Oktoberfest beers; all draft beers are just $4 on the enclosed patio biergarten.
Bluejacket
300 Tingey St. SE
Saturday, September 21
From noon to 5p.m., Bluejacket is hosting its Oktoberfest celebration, complete with four Franconian gravity kegs of the brewery’s own beer. Half- and full-liter pours are available, as are commemorative brewery logo mugs and shirts.
Sauf Haus DC
1216 18th St. NW
Saturday, September 22 to Tuesday, October 30
The biergarten is kicking off its Oktoberfest event this Saturday, September 22 and celebrating clear through the month of October. The fest’s first night sees live music and stein hoisting competitions; a brunch series stars September 29, and “Sautfoberfest” begins October 3. Finally, a costume contest with prizes is going on Saturday, October 6.
Hamilton Hotel Washington D.C.
1001 14th St. NW
Now through Monday, October 8
Spaten is paired with Bavarian pretzels at this downtown hotel’s Oktoberfest, running now through October 7 and then followed by Beerfest from October 8 to November 6. A traditionally-dressed German accordion player will perform at the hotel on Fridays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Food options will include an $8 Chicago frankfurter topped with tomatoes, pickle spear, neon relish, sport peppers, onions, and celery salt; and an $8 Bratwurst with wrapped bacon, DC Brau caramelized onions, sour kraut, and sweet brown spicy mustard.