Blues takes top billing at this Adams Morgan mainstay, which bills itself as the place “where the beautiful people go to get ugly.” The old-timey hangout serves slow-cooked ribs, calamari, hot wings, and other bar fare on the menu. There’s a fairly consistent pool of blues and soul acts seven nights a week, making it easy to return to see a favorite musician.

The iconic nightlife fixture in Shaw pairs packed shows with a Mexican menu full of chicken, carnitas, grilled shrimp or vegan tacos; barbecue beef brisket quesadillas; and nachos. I.M.P. sibling the Atlantis made a highly anticipated nearby this spring with an inaugural show headlined by Foo Fighters frontman and DMV native Dave Grohl.

This multi-level Shaw club is known for its high-quality musical acts and DJ-led parties. It’s also got a kitchen turning out items like burgers, shrimp po’ boys, and fried pickles until as late as 11 p.m. on weekends. The rooftop bar is a good location to grab a craft beer or mixed drink with views of U Street and the surrounding area.

Adams Morgan’s color-soaked music house relocated to the Union Market neighborhood during the pandemic. The 200-capacity venue continues to please both vegans and carnivores alike at its new home base with veggie or chicken mole quesadillas, beef or black bean smash burgers, and chicken or “fake chicken” sandwiches. Beers starting at $4 join mezcal Palomas and rum punches at the bar.

Around since 1965, the legendary jazz club in Georgetown quickly bounced back last fall after sustaining fire damage. Enjoy instrumental shows alongside a Southern menu starring blackened catfish, shrimp and grits, and bread pudding, plus after-9 p.m. po’ boys and Cajun fries. The nation’s oldest continuing jazz supper club has hosted internationally renowned artists like Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, and Nancy Wilson.

An art deco-obsessed, two-part venue with separate menus and vibes debuted downtown last summer. In the back, white table clothed Carlyle Room revives the Old Town original with a fancy surf-and-turf menu set to live music a few nights a week. Up front, European-style brasserie Brennan’s Bar is a more casual, all-day affair with bouillabaisse, croque monsieur, lobster rolls, beer-battered fish and chips, crab-topped rarebit toasts, Scotch eggs, and burgers. Cocktails include a whiskey sour and twists on classics like a Guinness-infused Old Fashioned.

This multi-purpose restaurant from Clyde’s Restaurant Group offers an array at ticketed concerts at its subterranean Hamilton Live. The kitchen offers a pared-down menu featuring charcuterie boards, crab cake sandwiches, and sushi, with plenty of drink options like bubbles, Sazeracs, and sangrias. There’s always the option to dine in the main restaurant before heading down for a cocktail and tunes.

The 6,000-person venue on the Southwest Waterfront improved upon its menu in recent years with items like chicken masala or vegan falafel wraps, beef and veggie empanadas, pork bao buns, and half-smokes with kimchi mustard, with multiple bars serving cocktails and canned seltzers and wines. Note: the lobby bar stays open after acts start and the kitchen closes at intermission. Head up to its third-floor coffee bar for a mid-show jolt, and its breezy Marquee Bar overlooking the Potomac is a prime place to take a breather.

Union Stage is known for its ticketed shows in a variety of musical genres as well as its beloved Union Pie pizza. There’s a separate tap room in addition to the main underground venue, with the full menu available in both rooms. Pregame a show with lemon drops or green, white, or black tea shooters plus cocktails like a Liquid Death Ranch Water. Jersey-style pizza topped with ingredients like mumbo chicken and hot sopressata comes in half or whole (12-inch) portions. Bar food also includes giant Bavarian pretzels and tots.