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Be a Jukebox Hero at These D.C. Bars

They're a certain kind of cool.

by Dena Levitz
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All Souls
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by Dena Levitz

How did "Happy Days" audiences know The Fonz was the coolest cat around? Well, for starters, he'd pound his fist on the jukebox and out the tunes came.

Music-spouting jukeboxes might have hit their cultural peak around the time Arthur Fonzarelli's hangout, Arnold's Drive In, did. But they still live on locally, letting patrons be DJs. Bars, especially of the dive variety, keep jukeboxes around — sometimes ironically, sometimes not — so that customers can have their pick of Journey, Marvin Gaye and Madonna songs while imbibing and chowing down.

Here's a selection of D.C.-area joints with the best jukeboxes around.

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Note: Restaurants on this map are listed geographically.

1. All Souls Bar

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725 T St NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
(202) 733-5929
(202) 733-5929
Visit Website

What you’ll find: A small corner bar in Shaw that’s often packed and boasts a small menu of cocktails for less and select bar snacks
[Photo: Facebook]

2. Atomic Billiards

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3427 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
(202) 363-7665
(202) 363-7665
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What you’ll find: A den of games in the thick of Cleveland Park, including shuffleboard, darts and pool play
[Photo: Facebook]

3. Black Cat

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1811 14th St NW
Washington, D.C. 20009
(202) 667-7960
(202) 667-7960
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What you’ll find: The Red Room Bar’s a more low-key side of the live music venue with a pool table and top-notch craft beer
[Photo: Facebook]

4. Boundary Stone Public House

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116 Rhode Island Ave NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
(202) 621-6635
(202) 621-6635
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[Photo: Facebook]

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5. Capitol Lounge

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417 Kentucky Ave SE
Washington, D.C. 20003
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What you’ll find: A no-frills, unpretentious hangout for Hill staffers with trivia, wings specials and deep-fried Oreo snacks
[Photo: Facebook]

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6. Lyman's Tavern

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3720 14th St NW
Washington, D.C. 20010
(202) 723-0502
(202) 723-0502
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What you’ll find: A neighborhood spot in Columbia Heights that’s been around for about a year, with a row of pinball machines and a piano that anyone can play, not to mention kitschy, eclectic decor
[Photo: Facebook]

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7. Showtime

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113 Rhode Island Ave NW
Washington, D.C.
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What you’ll find: A tiny, slightly divey setup in booming Bloomingdale with a mural of D.C. artists as a decorative backdrop
[Photo: Facebook]

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8. The Big Hunt

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1345 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 785-2333
(202) 785-2333
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What you’ll find: Three massive floors of dive bar goodness along with a picnic table-filled outdoor area; some have called it a beer cave
[Photo: Facebook]

9. The High Dive

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2337 18th St NW
Washington, D.C. 20009
202 701-8147
202 701-8147
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What you’ll find: The successor to Pharmacy Bar, which debuted this spring, is going for a low-key vibe and selling snacks such as Combos
[Photo: Facebook]

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10. Trusty's

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1420 Pennsylvania Ave SE
Washington, D.C. 20003
(202) 547-1010
(202) 547-1010
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What you’ll find: A Capitol Hill staple known for serving drinks in Mason jars, featuring an upstairs bar that is a school bus and allowing customers to play board games like Jenga
[Photo: Facebook]

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1. All Souls Bar

725 T St NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

What you’ll find: A small corner bar in Shaw that’s often packed and boasts a small menu of cocktails for less and select bar snacks
[Photo: Facebook]

725 T St NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
(202) 733-5929
Visit Website

2. Atomic Billiards

3427 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20008

What you’ll find: A den of games in the thick of Cleveland Park, including shuffleboard, darts and pool play
[Photo: Facebook]

3427 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
(202) 363-7665
Visit Website

3. Black Cat

1811 14th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009

What you’ll find: The Red Room Bar’s a more low-key side of the live music venue with a pool table and top-notch craft beer
[Photo: Facebook]

1811 14th St NW
Washington, D.C. 20009
(202) 667-7960
Visit Website

4. Boundary Stone Public House

116 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

[Photo: Facebook]

116 Rhode Island Ave NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
(202) 621-6635
Visit Website

5. Capitol Lounge

417 Kentucky Ave SE, Washington, D.C. 20003

What you’ll find: A no-frills, unpretentious hangout for Hill staffers with trivia, wings specials and deep-fried Oreo snacks
[Photo: Facebook]

417 Kentucky Ave SE
Washington, D.C. 20003
Visit Website

6. Lyman's Tavern

3720 14th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20010

What you’ll find: A neighborhood spot in Columbia Heights that’s been around for about a year, with a row of pinball machines and a piano that anyone can play, not to mention kitschy, eclectic decor
[Photo: Facebook]

3720 14th St NW
Washington, D.C. 20010
(202) 723-0502
Visit Website

7. Showtime

113 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, D.C.

What you’ll find: A tiny, slightly divey setup in booming Bloomingdale with a mural of D.C. artists as a decorative backdrop
[Photo: Facebook]

113 Rhode Island Ave NW
Washington, D.C.
Visit Website

8. The Big Hunt

1345 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20036

What you’ll find: Three massive floors of dive bar goodness along with a picnic table-filled outdoor area; some have called it a beer cave
[Photo: Facebook]

1345 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 785-2333
Visit Website

9. The High Dive

2337 18th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009

What you’ll find: The successor to Pharmacy Bar, which debuted this spring, is going for a low-key vibe and selling snacks such as Combos
[Photo: Facebook]

2337 18th St NW
Washington, D.C. 20009
202 701-8147
Visit Website

10. Trusty's

1420 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, D.C. 20003

What you’ll find: A Capitol Hill staple known for serving drinks in Mason jars, featuring an upstairs bar that is a school bus and allowing customers to play board games like Jenga
[Photo: Facebook]

1420 Pennsylvania Ave SE
Washington, D.C. 20003
(202) 547-1010
Visit Website

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