RECESSIONS
1823 L St. NW

If you’re down to those last few dollars in your wallet and are jonesing for a great happy hour, Recessions is a good bet. Recessions is located on L Street between 18th and 19th streets (next door to Mackey’s Public House).

Once you’ve wandered down the flight of stairs and past the conference rooms, the bar welcomes you to extended happy hours (5 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday), cheap drinks and cheaper eats.  Happy hour drinks include $2 Miller Light bottles, $3 rail drinks, and the signature house King Kong 28-ounce drafts for $4. Food choices don’t stray far from any standard bar menu — including burgers, wings, fries and nachos.

{mosads}Dart boards, pool tables, jukeboxes and projector TVs showing playoff baseball and hockey are all additional perks to an economic evening at Recessions.

LUCKY BAR
1221 Connecticut Ave. NW

A favorite of young professionals, this Dupont staple remains consistently crowded with its 3 to 8 p.m. happy hour specials, including drafts from $2.50 to $3.75 and rail drinks for $3.50. In warm weather, the Monday night 50-cent tacos paired with $12.75 buckets of Sol beer are great for sitting on the Connecticut Avenue patio. 

Weekends at Lucky Bar are dedicated to football and soccer. Satellite feeds satisfy soccer fans of varying allegiances, while NFL and college viewing packages appeal to the football crowds, across over 20 televisions including three projection TVs. If football and soccer don’t appeal to you, Lucky Bar offers a pool table, small lounge area and numerous booths and tables. And for those Monday customers coming for tacos, salsa dancing lessons are offered to burn off those extra calories. 

PUBLIC BAR
1214 18th St. NW

A relative newcomer to Dupont Circle nightlife, Public Bar now occupies the area formerly home to the famed dance club Five. In establishing itself on this hallowed ground, Public Bar dips into the sports bar classification, but with seemingly refined taste. On the first floor, the two massive walls of exposed brick are home to eight TVs each (over 30 total, on first floor) displaying almost any sports game, match, or breaking news you could ask for while seated at the U-shaped first-floor bar. The second floor becomes more of a lounge, as leather couches sprawl and booths line the perimeter, with individual TVs at each. 

The top level is where Public Bar truly makes its mark, with two bars to service the rooftop deck.  For all the space this loft-style bar appears to provide, crowds quickly fill the area, often crowded by 10:30 on a given Friday night. Good music, live DJs, dancing and no cover make this venue worth the wait time.

Drink specials include happy hour from 5 to 8 p.m., including $3 domestics, $4 imports and $5 rail drinks. Food includes appetizers like the Philly steak nachos, as well as burgers and sandwiches.

SIGN OF THE WHALE
1825 M St. NW

At the long wooden bar, 30-somethings fill the main room, following a day’s work at the law firm, while others sit at tables while they await restaurant-style dining. Sign of the Whale has delicious burgers and appetizers ready to please a tired palate after a long Monday at work (rotating half-price specials). Draft beers include Guinness, Newcastle, Bass and Sam Adams, and you should expect to pay about $4 per glass.