A&D Bar

A&D has potential to be a great dive bar but unfortunately its a dive in self-​described name only. The place is hipster central with prices higher than the Rockies. The music is generally way too loud for a place that LOOKS good for a conversation.
Reccomendation: Skip A&D, go a block south to Lost & Found.

I’ve been to A&D a few times for birthdays and whatnot and it’s always a very casual, sort of no-​frills place. I must admit I really don’t love the space, I find it way too narrow. You walk in and it’s basically one big hallway, with the bar on the left. The bar doesn’t extend to the back room, which in it has one-​too-​many high top, big tables, and a foosball table (fun!). So yeah, the space is just sort of odd to me. If you’re standing by the bar, unless you’re sitting, you will be asked to move by people walking by about 5 times per ten minutes. And if you’re in the back, the tables take up most of the space, and when you need to get a drink, you need to ask lots of peeps to please let you through. Meh, there are better bars, in my opinion, on that same block.

Been to A&D a number of times (a blind date, my boyfriends bday – not the blind date guy, drinks with girlfriends) and we always have a good time. I think it’s gotten a little more bro-​ey since the opening of all those apartments by the Giant, but its still a laid back spot to get a strong drink and catch up with friends. It can get crowded because it’s small, but never had a problem finding a spot to sit, and the bartenders are always super cool!

Met a bunch of buddies for drinks and I had a great time. The bartenders were super nice and attentive, in spit of them being packed. Drinks are a little pricey but they make up for it with potent drinks and good food (jerk chick bowl, nachos). The music was old school hip-​hop, so that was fun singing along to Bell Biv Devoe. I found a few customer off putting but that’s not A & D’s fault. Worth a pit stop if you’re in the area.

Three and a half stars. Competitive street parking in the area, thanks to residential zoning allocations. If you peel back the divey ambiance, you’ll find a chill neighborhood hipster bar underneath that’s getting wall-​to-​wall popular. Minyanna’s my favorite bartender here. Drinks are potent, some more balanced than others. Foosball and additional seating in the back. Definitely coming back to explore the menu now that they’re offering more than junky snacks– not that I had a problem with bringing in my own food from Sundevich around the corner or anywhere else.

This is listed as a dive bar and with the drink prices as high as they are, I wouldn’t qualify it as such. We live around the block from A&D and decided to try it out during Art Nuit. It wasn’t terribly crowded… there were 5 of us and we had no problem sitting at the bar. I wasn’t terribly impressed with my cocktail or its price but my husband liked the beer selection and I did like the atmosphere. Their menu was interesting… sort of state fair-​ish. We will definitely probably go back and give it one more try. I wouldn’t say this was going to be our new home bar but it was ok.

So the bartender hates Unilocal… Not sure why, but I told him I was going to Unilocal the place anyway!!! We stopped in to have a beverage before dinner, and what a place! Subdued atmosphere… We were the only people there for a bit, but a few trickled in as we talked and tried a couple of their craft drinks. They were serving an earl grey infused vodka with some other amazing ingredients… Ryan (the Unilocal disliking bartender), came puppy with this concoction and it was delicious! So much so that my wife sipped mine and changed her order from wine. She doesn’t like vodka at all!!!
We left for dinner, but returned after, and the place was hopping! We had another drink-​some mimosa-​type deliciousness… Really, this place is wonderful…

Love love love. Where else can you find gummy bears for sale in a bar? Great drinks, and strong too!

In this neighborhood, you’re better off going to Lost and Found or Baby Wale. During my most recent experience – a weeknight meet-​up with a friend – the bartender had a playlist of loud metal, including Filter, Tool, and other not-​so-​soothing sounds, stuff I like for my workout mix but not for enjoying a drink out with friends. For 20 minutes I kept trying to get his attention to no avail to get my first drink.
When I flagged him down for my second drink, a solid hour later, I asked him to please change the music to something calmer. «Sure, for 20 bucks,» he replied, straightfaced. When I bristled, he said, «Oh, no, I’m just joking. What should I change it to?» «anything calmer.» «Like what?» He continued asking, and I realized he was still sassing me as a demanding customer. I don’t know, friend, maybe we’re not all looking forward to feeding our pet snake and/​or tarantula at the end of the night.
So, here’s the deal: The bartenders are inattentive and don’t take much pride in customer service – fine, not a big deal, a lot of dives operate like that. Except this isn’t a dive. Drinks are on the pricier side and not particularly inspired. The food is okay, but overpriced. This is a place that heard about the mason jar/​chalk board boom and decided to get in on the action.
Others seem to have had different interactions with the service, and the first time I ever went, I had a great server. But each subsequent time it got a little worse.

My favorite bar in Shaw. Chill atmosphere, good music, great staff, and they work magic with the food that comes out of that tiny kitchen space (frito pie…). It’s big enough to fit a large crowd but intimate enough that it doesn’t feel empty on slower nights. Not sure if that makes sense… Anyway, I wish James were still behind the bar but luckily there’s another James still tending who’s also awesome, so no shortage of Jameses.
Extra points for the sandwich board outside — it always makes me smile when I’m on my way to Reformation Fitness. A&D Sandwich Board should have its own Instagram account.

I want to like A&D. In fact, I did like it the first time I went there after dinner at Thally for a drink. That was a Tuesday night. It is a mistake to go there on a weekend and the last time I was there my wallet was stolen while celebrating a friend’s birthday in the back room. It takes FOREVER to get a drink at the bar and part of me just feels like the whole bar is trying too hard. We are not in Brooklyn, relax. Not my favorite spot but I’m sure I’ll go back soon when someone else celebrates a birthday there…

Nothing says home like a bar that smells like warm nachos.
If you think that’s wrong, I never want to be right.
Aside from how weird my intro to this place might be, this hip, intimate, trendy bar is so great.
Came here for happy hour (5−7pm, I believe) which includes $ 5 house wine (red + white), beers on tap, and $ 8 signature cocktails (excellent craft cocktails with the perfect amount of booze) because what else is DC well-​known for, right?
I haven’t tried the food, but they looked and smelled excellent (portions looked pretty fantastic too).
& if the bartenders were the ones playing DJ for the evening, I applaud them for great taste. The best of Sleigh Bells playing all night!
Heads up:
–The Shaw Sling is basically a better tasting Whisky Sour.
–The nachos seriously smell so damn good.

We stopped into A&D while visiting a friend who had just moved to the neighborhood. I did not eat food or get a drink (after walking all day I just wanted water!) but I immediately fell in love with the place. When you walk in the bar is super inviting with the menu up behind the bar. The snack menu looked amazing (gummmmy bearrrrsss!). If you keep walking towards the back of the bar there are more private and quiet tables and a foosball table which we definitely took advantage of. I loved that you could socialize and hang out in the front of the bar or chill out in the back of the bar. I will definitely be back to A&D!

One of my new favorite local places since moving to DC last April. Love everything from the selection of music, the extensive snack options and the cocktails menu. They even have a simple yet creative assortment of food options that are made in a small kitchenette space behind the bar. Perfect bar food.
I love that their nachos contain cucumbers. Genius!
Bartenders are very hospitable and made my first visit even better by offering a complimentary shot on my way out. Nice!
My favorite thing is the shot and a beer for $ 10.

Love this spot!
Totally chill bar, not sceney at all but still hip with great cocktails sans pretension. It’s the perfect destination for a laid back happy hour, late night drink and anytime in between.
There is a fun snack menu (hello, gummy bears) as well as a semi-​limited food menu featuring savory, hearty small plates and big plates. I stuck with the liquid dinner this time around, ordering a featured concoction on the drinks menu that night that was basically like a Moscow Mule but with fresh mango nectar. So delicious.
Will definitely be working this into the rotation of places I’ll recommend in the future to grab a drink!

Perfect dive. We can never find a chill place to hold our book club (girl’s gotta drink!) and this was finally a jackpot place. Plenty of room, good happy hour (wines, drafts, rails for 5 bucks) and even better cocktails. I also like good mixologists whom you tell what you like and they just make it. Those Are the best kind of bartenders you can get. Food is definitely bar fare/​hipster-​ish (gummy bears, soft pretzels), but you go here for the drinks.

Fantastic drinks, fantastic environment.
This Shaw staple is simple yet gives you that quality and consistency you can only hope for in a bar. The vibe: old school, just like the block it sits on. There are chalk boards, fireplace mantles, and a bottle tree in the front window. #Shawsome
Drinks:
Shaw Sling ($ 11): A.
Bourbon meets pear nectar with a perfect balance of flavors that are WAY STRONGER than you think.
Lost in Translation ($ 11): A–
I’m not a fan of Aperol, so I’m a bad judge on this one and going off my friend’s enjoyment of the drink. Definitely a great cocktail in her opinion.
So yes, when I need a break from the gayborhood (s) or want to play a little foosball, I’ll be back to A&D.

BAR REVIEW ONLY
3.5 stars
I’ve been here twice now. Once this passed weekend for my friend’s birthday, and then last night. I have to say that this is your neighborhood bar with an eclectic crowd. First and foremost, everyone in here wears plaid — both bartenders and patrons. This is beyond hipster central for sure. I think I was the one of three exceptions to this rule last night when I visited solo who wasn’t 1.) a hipster with oversized glasses or 2.) wearing plaid. I wore jeans. The first time I came, I didn’t drink and thought I’d owed it the fair opportunity before giving it a review. Unfortunately I am not completely sold on A&D just yet.
Things I like:
— Ambiance and the crowd are chill.
— You can come in here with no judgment and relax without the pretentiousness of the upper crest of the DC crowd trying to make some sort impression. Everyone is here to have a good time. That’s it.
— I love the darkness and intimacy here.
— They have a table games in the back by the bathrooms.
Dislikes:
— Almost every single specialty cocktail has ginger of sort in it. I am not a ginger fan. Not a fan of ginger beer or ginger flavor? This will not suit up well with you. To counter act this hate for ginger — get a glass of wine. The wine selection isn’t huge, but they have a decent Chardonnay. That is what I got for $ 8.
— I am not down for the bar snacks. You sell goldfish? I’d like to see something a little bit more original for small bites.
Alright. So, I think I should come here for the food. I’ve heard from a couple of people that the dining experience is pretty solid. I will have to come try it out and see. In the mean time, my 3.5 stars stand.

A&D is one of the few bars in DC, I will go out of my way for. It doesn’t matter, if I’m at home already in pjs ready for a night in, one text that says «meet me at A&D», and I’m out the door.
The Unilocal classification for this bar is as a «dive bar», I would consider it a slightly upscale neighborhood bar. The bartenders are friendly and easy to talk to, and the locals are just as friendly and approachable.
The cocktails are classic and mixed brilliantly. I love the Ginger Old Fashioned (Rye, Ginger and Bitters) and the Shaw Sling is also another popular favorite (Bourbon, Pear Nectar, Sour, Simple Syrup and Bitters). What else can I say other than expect primo mixology for an affordable price. The bartenders are not very showy in their preparation, but every drink is amazing.
The one down side to the bar which gets no reduction from me in stars is the lack of bar food. Their kitchen consists of toaster oven and a soup warmer, so they are kinda limited. They do offer a snack menu that resembles confections you would get a movie theater or out of a mini bar at a hotel, such as gummy cola bottles (my favorite) or goldfish. If you get there before 9pm you can easily walk around to the alley and grab a sandwich from Sundevich, which is basically my favorite sandwich place in DC anyway.
I may want to suggest that you maybe not order the Istanbul sandwich if you intend to make friends at the bar. I made that mistake. It’s a kubideh kabab ground beef & lamb with onions sandwich and there is no way around it, it just reeks. No one will want to be around you when you’re eating that. Or maybe I’m the stinky one? I don’t know it’s a toss up. The fact is I’m so comfortable at this bar, I really don’t care if I’m the girl with the stinky sandwich.

I love A&D Bar. I’ve been looking for a home bar and while this is probably not it, it’s a close second. I stopped in thanks to Damon’s review — I had never even heard of A&D before reading his review.
The drinks are good, reasonably priced, and strong. Minyana has been our bartender both times and she rocks. The crowd skews hipster, but not so much that it’s irritating. The two rooms are big and dark, yet still welcoming. Music is audible, but at the perfect volume for having great conversations. A&D seems to really get going after 9:30 on a Saturday.
As for eats, you can bring in SUNdeVICH sandwiches (but watch the hours). The small snack menu at the bar includes tasty treats such as Goldfish. It’s easy to get to, via either Metro or car. Parking is also easy, should you decide to drive. I can’t wait to become a regular.