Den Of Thieves

I heard it maybe shutdown permanently. Is this true? I wanna come thru but seen and heard rumors of it being closed. Whats up?

The last Tuesday of the year and of the establishment! Perfect ending. Drinks and DJ were on point. I wish they weren’t closing. This was definitely a night to dance away and enjoy it with great company!

Absolutely loved this spot. This Friday was my first time checking out this place that is know as the spot next door to Marvins with a more chill/​smaller crown, same good music & drinks. We arrived early (around 9:30pm) which I am in retrospect glad about because we scored a booth seat and the crowd did fill up pretty fast. The bar turned into a scene straight out of the Brown Sugar movie which I loved. Good music, good people and a dance floor for you to take full advantage of. I saw people dressed every which way, some in full club attire and others casual cute. Restrooms were maybe the worst thing about the place since they only have two singer stall restrooms but other than that… Awesome establishment and I will be back!

I’ve been to Den of Thieves a few times, and most recently was there for a friend’s birthday night out. DOT never disappoints with the music, which is one of the key items that I take into consideration when picking a place to dance/​lounge at over the weekend. They play a lot of old school hip hop, rap, and r&B (at least on Saturdays), and I live for all of it! If you’re looking for EDM and house, this is probably not your place. To me, DOT offers the same experience as Marvin’s, with fewer pretentious folks, less crowded of a space, and quicker bar service.

On a weekend night, the line for Marvin will almost completely hide the door for this lowkey bar. With great music and pretty decent drinks, this bar serves as the chill, relaxed counterpart to Marvin’s overcrowded restaurant-​lounge-​bar next door. This is another Thievery Corporation place so you can expect an eclectic music selection and a diverse group of patrons.
No matter how good the music is, you will not be able to dance in here comfortably because the place is tiny and you will feel awkward. This is a «headbop in my seat» type of crowd.
The first time I went during summer 2014 the security guard wouldn’t let my friend and me in without the password (eyeroll) which I found so pretentious that I almost left on principle. Another girl standing near us got it from her friend inside and told us, so we went in to check it out.
Honestly, we got bored really quickly because despite the good music, the place is pitch black and has a downtempo energy. If you’re already buzzed or drunk this is a come-​down stop exclusively. If you’re coming for the ambiance only, you should have a good enough time chatting with a friend or two over drinks and avoiding the U Street lines and crowds.
They have since removed the password policy, but you should understand what you’re getting here: a well-​executed small bar. That is all. If you are a person who appreciates the intrinsic value in a bar then this is for you. If you’re looking for your venue to do some of the heavy lifting for your experience, or you need to be in a high-​energy atmosphere, this is not for you.

I went to Den of Thieves last week to celebrate my birthday with some friends. I was looking for a place that was filled with a chilled, non-​stuffy crowd. DOT fit the bill! There was also no cover charge, so that’s always a plus! The music was amazing! The DJ was playing all the right music. From current music to the good stuff from college (all hip hop and R & B stuff — no pop, but a couple of reggae hits). The drinks were decently strong. Not watered down or overboard — just right. My only issue with this place is how dark it is. It like someone turned the lights off and said, «let’s party». I could hardly locate my friends faces, but the music was so good, I just dealt with it. My eyes never adjusted to it though lol. By the time we left for another bar, it was about 1 am. The line outside was extremely long. It must be a well loved place!

To echo Nina R.‘s review below…
I came here after getting bored with Marvin’s. Marvin’s is always the same crowd.
Very small, low key, low maintenance vibe. The music was GREAT if you like R&B, rap, old school rap (I do). We got seats at the bar and the bartenders were very attentive. It wasn’t as crowded as I’ve heard it can get, so I can’t speak for the experience when they are packed. I pretty much got there right when they opened, but I’ve heard it can get crazy (was a Thursday night around 10pm).
Looking forward to going back in the next week or two.

Our group (mix of guys and girls, properly dressed, not loud drunk, etc.) got to the door around 12:30 or 1am last night only to be told by the doorman wearing glasses, «no more guys.» We thought, «whatever, they have to keep a gender ratio inside.» Not even two minutes later, we see the same doorman let a group of ONLY guys waltz right in.
I’m not one to easily scream racism, but we probably would’ve gotten in if we were black.

I got a Whiskey Sour here on a Friday night. The line next door at Marvin’s rooftop was OUT THE DOOR so my friend and I stopped in here. My drink was good but I wouldn’t come back here due to the lame ambience.
The DJ did play some good music, but not good enough to get everybody dancing.

Came here on a Sunday night during Memorial Day weekend to dance since I could hear good music outside.
Music is definitely great here but its a bar and it was crowded with people waiting on two extremely slow bartenders who would not give me the time of day.
My first can of beer took me 10 minutes of waiting. When I went back for a second I stood at the bar trying to get the bartender’s attention-​he would not listen or make eye contact with me. I stood there holding cash up for 15 minutes-​still no response.
I got impatient and after looking around and seeing others in the same position I worked myself to the end of the bar where I said «hey» to get his attention. He immediately turned around and told me to not call him out that way and that he doesn’t serve drinks at the end of the bar. I told him I had been waiting in the middle of the bar but he wanted to argue and would rather be a total asshole than serve me a drink and make an obligatory tip.
He ruined the vibe of my night and I promptly left. That behavior of a bartender to a female customer is inexcusable and I would never go back if I was in DC again.

Stopped here after becoming bored at Marvin’s rooftop, came here for change of scenery.
Its a chill, low-​key, lounge type of place. The music was really good. A mixture of old-​school pop, r&b, songs that everyone knew. People were dancing, the dj is right in the very front, and the bar extends throughout the length of the bar.
I actually want to go back and skip Marvin altogether. Less pretentious.

DOT was one of my favorite spot during a recent stay in DC: it offered us live music, DJ, no cover, quick affordable drinks, an eclectic crowd…
With booth and bar seating, it seems like a cool date spot or happy hour spot. Would def go back on my next visit to DC.

Hip, slightly older crowd, less of a clusterfuck than most of U St has become on weekends. You can actually dance at this place without feeling like you’re doing a two-​step in a broom closet! (Anyone else remember when it didn’t take 25 minutes to walk from one end of Dodge City to the other?)
DJ Spotify Playlist didn’t seem to know what mixing was or that you usually don’t play all 5 verses of Big Pimpin but the song selection was pretty on point otherwise. Kind of surprising that a place partially owned by Thievery Corporation would would hire a DJ who apparently first found out what Serato was literally the afternoon of his gig but hey, that’s none of my business as the kids like to say.
Signature Caribbean Service at the bar, that’s just how the place is.

I wanted to love this place.
I love it because: DJ plays some awesome stuff (think Biggie, Ice Cube, Tribe, Jackson 5, Beastie Boys). I love it because the specialty drinks are affordable at $ 8 (Take note! Happy hour price is only $ 5!), and *bonus!* the specialty drinks Honor Among Thieves and Moscow Mule are delicious. Really cool, underground vibe. Not too crowded (everyone else is probably waiting and waiting for drinks at Marvins/Policy/St.Ex).
I didn’t love this place because the bartender service/​attitude was spotty. To keep it short, I think one bartender was having an off-​night and was not attentive and brusque with a few patrons including my friend and I. Didn’t get our first drink for 10 – 15 mins even though we were front and center at the bar with empty seats on either side. He «apologized» 1.5 hours later by offering a shot for my friend and I. Another bartender, Ricky, was friendly, fast, and made up for that weird experience.
The spot filled up, and was a fun atmosphere. It is narrow, though, with booth seating opposite the bar. Just wish there was a bit more space to dance to this great old school hip hop music.
FOOD: Unknown
AMBIANCE: ⁵⁄₅
SERVICE: ²⁄₅
VALUE/​EXPERIENCE: ⁴⁄₅

Chill bar to go with friends. DJ played old school hip hop which was refreshing. The place is pretty small with booths lining one side and the bar lining the other. Not much room to dance and there weren’t a lot of people dancing anyways.
Signature cocktails are reasonably priced at 8 dollars each and they also seem to have drink specials that are priced lower at 5. The drinks were decently strong — tried the jack and coke, gin and tonic, and an old fashioned. The bartenders were friendly and were able to get drinks out pretty quickly.

Okay okay, you got me. I’m not big on bars. I can’t dance to save my life. I don;t like buying $ 10 shots of whiskey when I can buy my own for a much better deal. Nonetheless, this place had a great atmosphere.
I don’t do «girls night» because I think it’s silly, however, on my first said night, we found ourselves here and it was pretty fun. Mostly, it was the music. Biggie, Beyoncé, I mean I was in heaven. It felt a bit small, I mean this place is really a bit a hole in the wall in the best way possible. In line for the bar next door, we got impatient and hit this place up and it was great. As soon as you walk in, you see posters all over the wall, and you essentially walk onto the dance floor.
Further back, there’s some booths and seats against makeshift shelves that are used as tables against the wall. However, when you see the bar you;re not so frustrated about this. I didn’t order anything, so I can’t speak to the value you get for what you pay, but we were able to get in for free and i enjoyed the music and the atmosphere. And honestly, that was all I needed to enjoy myself.

After dinner on U Street, we decided to embark on a walking tour (mini bar crawl). We landed at this bar and it happened to be Samba social night, which is held the 2^nd Thursday of the month. I was delighted because I absolutely love Samba music with its Brazilian & African roots. The DJ was engaging and to make things even better, there was no cover. A few people were dancing. Initially, the bar wasn’t crowded so I had the opportunity to take in the décor. It’s dark (red & black) and art reminded me of pieces from the Italian Renaissance. Feels like this place was designed for the grown and sexy. If you have a tendency to get in bar fights, don’t come here.
Mixologists were on deck to craft whatever you wanted and a few bar bites were available. My French martini was perfect. Thanks so much Toya and Chris for showing me a good time. I appreciate you guys!

Stopped by Den of Thieves randomly on a Friday night. The line for Marvin was down the block but Den of Thieves was walk right up entry so I decided to give it a shot. No cover charge is an added bonus.
This is not a large spot, it is narrow and was crowded when I arrived, somehow my group was able to grab the last remaining free table. They have a DJ that was playing a nice little mix but unfortunately there isn’t much room for dancing. The tables and the bar appear to be the place to be. Bathrooms are all uni-​sex and one person at a time. All were clean and well maintained.
The prices are on point, their signature cocktails all run 8 dollars and I was able to get some other drinks in the 5 dollar range, so definitely on the cheap side for DC. Bartenders were very friendly, they only had two working but they were moving fast and making strong drinks amongst a decent sized crowd.
It was my first visit but I doubt it will be my last, Den of Thieves was a nice experience and I look to experience it again.

So far, I’m liking this place. I certainly predict that it will fare better than its predecessors, Hanoi House and Blackbyrd.
Located near The Gibson, and in between Marvin and Dunkin Donuts, this place is bound to draw a crowd. When I came on a Friday evening at 9-​ish pm, it was not crowded. In fact, it was practically empty (with the exception of a couple of people). Fast forward an hour later, and it was completely packed, without a single open seat in the place.
For food, I tried the pork spring rolls and the chicken wings. Both were priced very modestly (only $ 3 for two spring rolls– pork or shrimp). They had some other things on the menu that looked good as well, but I think they should focus on making this more of a bar instead of a bar/​restaurant because, although the spring rolls and chicken wings are good, no one wants to continue on with their night smelling like they sprayed on chicken grease cologne.
The drinks are very cheap for this area, at only $ 8. With that being said, you get what you pay for. You are not going to get Gibson quality drinks unless you pay Gibson prices. Nevertheless, the drinks are still good. I was concerned that the drinks may be a little on the sweet side, so when I asked the bartender about it, she volunteered to cut out most of the sweetness for me (and she did so without an attitude, unlike some of these douchebag faux-​hipster «mixologists» these days). I tried both the Honor Among Thieves and the Martinez. Both were good, but the Martinez is stronger (a take on a Manhattan). I also tried a few of the craft beers, my favorite being the Sweet Baby Jesus (like a peanut butter cup in a bottle).
The real star of the show, however, is the music. The music is fu**in’ awesome! Of course, being owned by Thievery Corporation, you should expect nothing less…

Cool new spot to try in the U street area. It’s right next door to Marvin and is definitely worth visiting.
As soon as you walk in they have some mural on the wall beside the DJ booth and some tables. The bar is in the back. I didn’t see anyone dancing when we went but there is plenty of room for that. It’s dark with candle light on the tables and some dim lights built into the side of the wall.
Drinks were $ 8 and the specialty drink is $ 6! What a deal! Other bars in the area charge about $ 12 for drinks so the prices here are awesome!
I would definitely come back here for drinks. I think this place would be good for late night drinks or a date with your special someone.