Be a Jukebox Hero at These D.C. Bars

They're a certain kind of cool.

by Dena Levitz Jun 22, 2015, 11:30am EDT

View as Map

All Souls

| Facebook

by Dena Levitz Jun 22, 2015, 11:30am EDT

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.

All Souls Bar

Copy Link

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]

Open in Google Maps

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

(202) 733-5929

Visit Website

Atomic Billiards

Copy Link

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

Open in Google Maps

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

(202) 363-7665

Visit Website

Black Cat

Copy Link

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]

Open in Google Maps

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

(202) 667-7960

Visit Website

Boundary Stone Public House

Copy Link

[Photo: Facebook]

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

(202) 621-6635

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Capitol Lounge

Copy Link

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

Also featured in:

15 Tourist Trap Restaurants That Are Actually Great

Lyman's Tavern

Copy Link

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

Also featured in:

Showtime

Copy Link

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

Also featured in:

The Big Hunt

Copy Link

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]

Open in Google Maps

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

(202) 785-2333

Visit Website

The High Dive

Copy Link

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

Also featured in:

D.C. Bars With Affordable Beers All Night Long

Trusty's

Copy Link

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]