"Don't miss" beer bars in D.C.?

BA more or less has such a feature. Go to "District of Columbia," select "bars," then sort by rating. There's your top list. It's imperfect - a place with only one review can be misrepresented - but it is easy to skim down the list for places with many reviews.

Do this and Churchkey comes up at the top of the list. I would agree that it's a place you wouldn't want to skip (but beware... it gets crowded).

 

To throw in a possible new entry, City Tap House (original in Philly) opens in DC today. It looks like it's trying to recreate the classic Philly gastropub formula of solid draft list/interesting food choices. Prices are skewing a little high though ...
http://www.citytaphousedc.com/

 

I have only been to three top ten beer bars off the national lists, and they were great, but I also have seen non-top 10s at the same level (not many, but some).

However, DC could easily have a top ten beer bars (DC only list)...

Churchkey, Meridian Pint, Beer Baron, RFD, Bluejacket, and let people argue promote, and demote the bottom 5 for various reasons (example: I would place Big Hunt on the end of the top ten list, but I can see why others wouldn't)

 

Pizza Paradiso has a great draft selection and half off everything during happy hour.

 

ChurchKey is a must. Go as early as you possibly can on Satur

RFD is a joke. I was very disappointed - they were out of the first 3 things I ordered, the staff was disorganized, and my server was clearly clueless about beer. I was shocked with my experience, seeing as how people talk about it as if it's a great beer bar. It's an awfully run place that can't get out of its own way to be even a good beer bar. I'd rather go to a dive and drink PBR than go to a place like that again.

I only bring this up in the hopes of dissuading someone from going there expecting good things. Location is the only thing that place has going for it. Avoid, avoid, avoid.

 

Not a bad opening list, hope it's a good place, this is directly across the street from my office, so I'll be hitting this up for sure. I hope it's good, the place that it replaces what terrible, but this looks promising.

http://www.citytaphousedc.com/menus/314-opening-beer-menu

 

I live near the City Tap House in Philly. They generally have an excellent selection and make a real effort to cover many different styles well, which is somewhat refreshing considering how many "beer bars" seem to have hop-heavy tap lists. They also have access to stuff like KBS, and regularly have some really good special events. They do a Bell's tap takeover every year around Hopslam time that is usually killer. The food is also very good. A bit pricey, maybe, but the weekend brunch is excellent, and the pizza has yet to let me down.

The only knock on it is that the staff is not that knowledgeable about beer. One thing they do that I like is they give the servers and bar staff samples of some of the beers, and the staff does take notes, so they can usually give some basic recommendations, despite it not being a real beer geek-type place. Which may very well be the vibe they are going for, so my complaint may not be a real valid one. Either way, I've always had good experiences there, so definitely check it out.

 

From what I have read in the DC threads RFD is close to the bottom of the list of craft beer bars in DC. People usually say it is in ok spot to go to if you are stuck in Chinatown. It used to have a better reputation when craft beer bars were a lot harder to come by in the area. Now that there are so many choices they will have to step up their game.

 

Apparently you have to add Right Proper to the list.. Just opened yesterday and heard it was legit.. Plan to check it out tomorrow night.

 

World of Beer in Ballston is easily walkable from Rustico Ballston and the Ballston metro station. Any Lost Dog Cafe in the Arlington area. I'm an Arlington guy, but here's a sample draught menu from Churchkey from 1.5 weeks ago:

http://churchkeydc.com/documents/ONLINEDRAFTLIST11-30-13.pdf

to give you an idea

 

My wife does not like it at all, she feels it is too crowded and loud. I am a federal employee, so 90% of the time I start drinking there by 4, and am ready to leave as the 6pm crowd gets there.

I have not had staff issues, but I usually sit at the bar.

If you want PBR go to Penn Social. Hipester Heaven, now with multiple levels.

 

District of Pi is my go to beer spot in Gallery Place, RFD blows goats.

 

Funny how the comments on RFD are now what used to be the problems towards the end of the run of the Brickskeller...(yes I know it's all the same family running it)

 

I go to O'Shaughnessy's in Old Town Alexandria to drink PBR. No hipsters and you can smoke in there.

 

How is O'Shaughnessy? When not at the Legion in Old Town, we tend to do Warehouse, either pizza place (PP or RR), Light Horse, and used to do Bilbo Baggins until we had an okay meal followed by a terrible one. Pat Troy's also got much worse after the sale. Would we like O'Shaughnessy?

ETA: also Hard Times

 

There are a few different parts there. There's the super-divey part where you can smoke, a pool room, and a small live music venue. They don't have much in the way of beer. Unless you like to drink macro lagers and smoke cigarettes, it's probably not the place to go.