This is definitely a billiards bar. If you're not playing, make sure you stay out of the way of people who are. I was there one night when it was pretty crowded, and there were a lot of people around. There was one woman playing by herself and apparently needed A LOT of room and kept getting angry with people who weren't even that close to her.
The beer is pretty cheap though, and the service is pretty good.
Be warned though, one day I was there and there were only a few other people at the bar...and it was silent. Yup, no music. Apparently if no one is paying to use the jukebox, the bar is just....silent. We asked to have something turned on, and they told us we'd have to pay for the jukebox or basically just sit in silence.
I am not a billiards player, but I have stopped in here a number of times to grab a beer or two, and have been impressed. This is an excellent dive bar - but I need to be back a few more times before I move this rating up.
Now, I'm always there way before peak hours, so it's not very crowded and maintains a very laid back vibe. It's tucked away between some other business, and you'll head down some steps into the basement bar. Cool décor will jump out at you, which I thoroughly enjoyed eyeballing while I was there.
My favorite thing by far was the beer selection; there was a ton to choose from - including some absolutely excellent IPAs.
Recommend, will be back.
This is a pretty cool pool hall in D.C.
A few beers on tap, good music playing, not really crowded, this is just a nice chill spot to throw back a few beers and shoot some pool. Prices are right too. Shout to John J. for bringing me here.
I'll definitely stop back in next time I'm in Washington.
Good peeps meet here.
It's a cozy, friendly joint. Good place to meet friends and have a low-key outing. Kinda "Cheers" like vibe at times. Lot's of regulars and a mixed age crowd, and that's what's cool. It can get busy with AU students on some nights.
I think the drink prices aren't bad. There's no food served, except potato chips or what you bring yourself. If you plan on being a regular, get a membership and it'll save you some loot. Sadly, it's not known for its wine selections, but its helpings of Jaegermeister.
Barkeeps keep changing and some are friendlier that others. It'd be nice if they were all little warmer and recognized their regulars.... a-hem.
Good pool. Good music. Good times.
It's a decent fake dive.
The people who frequent it are at least different from your usual bar crowd, which makes it fairly relaxing (although you might roll your eyes a few times when you hear snippets of pseudo-intellectual conversations, but hey, I'm not going to complain about people actually having conversations with each other.) The bartenders are friendly and they have some slightly unusual drink offerings, which is nice.
Great jukebox and plenty of (unfortunately, oddly expensive) games.
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A billiards bar that shouldn't try to be one.
I generally have an issue with a place that has "billiards" in its name but has less than 10 tables. But, for the location, for the atmosphere, the people that come in, and the ultra cool fact that you can bring a pizza in from the pizza shop down the street, I'll look past this little fact.
The drinks are fairly priced, the crowd is fun, the bouncers are nice, and the size of the location makes it cozy. Only a few times has it started to get crowded enough for me to want to leave the place. I'm generally not a fan of standing room only bars. I'm here to max and relax, which generally involves sitting around and drink a beer or two, or shooting pool. Since this place only has 4 tables, that's hard to do unless you get there early.
But, I'm still giving it 4 stars because overall, it's a cool bar. If they renamed it "Atomic Bar" I'd probably give it 5 stars.
We had a good time here. Â There's not much for atmosphere, but they try. Â We went early enough on a Saturday and got to have some leisurely games of pool and darts. Â It really got busy around 9:30-10:00 and the crowd of people became kind of inhibiting if you were trying to play a game. Â
Decent beer selection. Â Dominion Root Beer was really good, but would have been nice if they had more of a selection for people who don't/can't drink. Â
They don't serve food, but it's my understanding that they allow outside food, plus there are lots of restaurant options very nearby.
Basement pool hall! Â Come on, who does not love a dark downstairs bar with cheap beer, darts, pool, table shuffle board, a juke box, and a diverse crowd from all types in DC?
I enjoy this place because it is loud enough to not have to talk, people leave you and your friends alone while you play pool, you never have an empty drink, even on busy nights, and the bouncers let most things slide, but keep a bit of control so know one ends up seriously hurt.
This is not the cleanest place, the floor is filthy, the bathrooms are not spotless, I have had a few dirty glasses (stick to the beer bottles), but atomics is exactly what an basement bar should be. Show up in jeans and a tee shirt, and you will fit right in.
Pool table rental is by the hour and prices fluctuate for time of day/night. Be sure to ask because it can get pricey at times.
( I lived in this neighborhood and often frequented this establishment from April 2008 to April 2010. I've been here countless times.)
Hey, look at me. Â I'm a fake dive bar in a fake neighborhood. Â I don't sell beers at dive prices, but you can come here and smell pee and pretend like you're in some trendy neighborhood in a big city.
What's that tourist?
Do you feel like you're experiencing something? Maybe this reminds you of a rock & roll bar that you've seen in a motion picture show. Â Maybe you feel like you can come here and do coke off the bar & rent hookers. Â Maybe you think that coke is South America's greatest contribution to the universe and you just want to sniff those jewels until you get enough courage to drive a flaming minivan across a playground filled with soulless adolescents.
Maybe you think that you're edgy because this is your bar of choice in Cleveland Park. Â You're too hip for Cleveland Park Bar & Grill, but you're too scared to move out of your white enclave. Â You've seen guns in magazines but you can't imagine owning one.
It's tough to be you, I understand. Â That's why you've developed this coke habit and that's why you need to come to pee-filled bars in Cleveland Park. Â I don't judge, really, but I've been meaning to have this talk with you for some time now.
Bottom line: It's not the worst place ever, but I'm pretty confident that nothing cool has ever happened here and I know that nothing cool ever will. Â Spend your money clone, spend it good.
Atomic is my favorite pool hall in the city! It is small and discreet which, to me, puts it above the massive places like Buffalo Billiards where you can barely hear yourself think, much less hear your friends talk. People are often put off by the fact that it is a basement pool hall, thinking from the outside that it will be sketchy or weird. This is a complete misconception: the place is clean, the clientele is typically yuppie, and the bartenders are usually very friendly. They also have shuffleboard, darts, games, a good beer selection, and a very good jukebox.
The only draw backs are that they do not serve food and sometimes you have to wait for a table. But considering these are probably a result of the aforementioned small venue I like, I think these are easily forgivable.
This place holds a special place in my heart as my introduction to the bar scene in DC once I turned 21. The decor is very similar to its sister bar, Rocket Bar, with a space age theme I guess you would call it. They have pool, shuffleboard, darts, board games, and jukebox with a pretty sweet music selection. They don't serve food but they allow you bring in food so that's cool; I would rather grab a couple slices of pizza from Vace and eat those in the bar. They also have a pretty diverse beer selection, which changes every few months.
I am not a big fan of being here when its busy, as it really is just a smaller version of Rocket Bar (i.e. stupidly crowded and kinda douchey). That being said, when there it is less crowded, it is a great place to hang out and unwind.
Came here out of curiosity on a Saturday afternoon after the suggestion of a co-worker. It was about 5 pm and the bar was lightly packed with what looked like several regulars at the bar and a hand full of pool players.
First off, any bar that has board games is a definite win and Atomic Billiards has an extensive list including scattegories, trouble, and pictionary. Beer and board games? Foreign concept to me until lastnight, which I think is the most fun I've had a bar since I moved to DC. Only gripe here is the tables are tiny so you're forced to hold your beers, while playing games that include some type of board.
The tap list isn't that extensive, but they have plenty of bottles in the cooler behind the bar.
Also want to note the jukebox has an amazingly eclectic music selection, anything from Bob Marley to Vampire Weekend, and two of my favorite Beastie Boys albums of all time (Licensed to Ill and Check Your Head).
Ended up leaving around 9PM to head over to H-Street for a concert, but it started to crowd up at that point.
Come to think of it, this place might have the best beer selection in Cleveland Park...if not the best certainly a very close second place. There's drafts and also a huge selection of bottles to look at behind the bar.
I like the bartenders here...considering how packed it is they are quick. They also will make eye contact/acknowledge your presence to reassure you they'll get to you in just a minute...which they do! Â I also enjoy that they've busted my balls a couple times for my ordering habits (I'll alternate between ordering a nice craft beer and PBR) because it shows they remember you throughout the night.
There's not a lot of room in here because of the pool tables and dart boards and what not...I'm not deducting points for that because complaining that pool tables in a pool hall take up space is like complaining a sauna has steam. Don't go if you don't like it.
That said, my friends and I have played some of the board games the bar has without being disturbed, though we were a bit scrunched into the corner.
Atomic is down the street from my apartment, which of course means I never come here. The few times I have, I had a good time though.
A nice selection of beers on tap (other than your usual lights). Some fun dart throwing or pool playing. A great array of music on the classic jukebox. How could you not enjoy yourself?
Sometimes they're understaffed on busy nights (one bar tender) making it hard to grab a drink on a regular basis, but other than that minor snag, Atomic is an A-OK place for anyone looking to have a relaxing evening out at a fun, laid back bar.
Went here on a Saturday night. Â I expected it to be super busy, but there were two pool tables available. Â We'd originally gone because of the board games, but we spent $7 on a half hour of pool for two of us--that's a good deal in my book. Â (Unfortunately, both shuffleboards were taken.)
Huge selection of beers. Â Bartenders were super friendly and helpful. Â They even settled someone else's pool rule debate.
We ended up playing Boggle (all board games are free to play), but they also had Monopoly, Scattergories, Sorry!, etc.
Definitely an older crowd, in their early 30s and older, which I equate to the neighborhood. Â I'd still go back, though, and I'm 23. Â Everyone seemed friendly, no one was particularly rowdy.
Good jukebox, too.
I've visited this place several times this year. Â Nice tables. Â Friendly crowd. Â Free board games available behind the bar. Â And they let you bring in food from outside. Â On the downside, it is a little depressing because it is underground and dark, and pool itself is expensive.
  * Pros: Location, Cool people and atmosphere, Inexpensive drinks
  * Cons: Pool itself is expensive, Venue is small, Underground and dark
Never quite liked this place as much as Bedrock in Adams Morgan. Â Not sure why, since they're very similar: Â both owned by Bedrock Management, both located in basements, neither serves food. Â Maybe it's Bedrock's layout I like better, with the bar island and the feeling of being in a cool friend's basement with Connect Four and all the boardgames and a less serious focus on the pool tables. Â Maybe it's the better beer slelection.
At any rate, Atomic's not a bad option if you're in Cleveland Park and have a hankering to shoot a little pool, play darts or grab a drink (happy hour daily: till 8pm Sat-Thurs and 9pm on Friday!). Â Retro, 1960's Jetsonesque decor, good juke box, and eight beers on tap (Guiness, Sierra Nevada, Yuengling, Dogfish Head, etc.) and another dozen or so in the bottle. Â Pool is a little pricey, especailly on weekends ($14 per hour for two players), so save yourself a little money and buy a membership if you plan on spending much time here.
Highlights:
The Jukebox: One of the best in town, hands down. It's cheap, or at least it costs what a jukebox should cost, and there is plenty of genre and era diversity without trying to be everything to everyone. It is impossible to go on a two-song run of bad music here. If you don't like something, wait a minute and something good is bound to pop up. Unlike those TouchTunes abominations, where you can hear bad music for hours at a time.
Games: Billiards rule the day, all of the 8-foot variety, which is good considering it's a small bar and many of the players here don't know how to hold a cue stick properly. But there is also shuffleboard, which is one of the most addictive bar games there is, and darts of course. And for people who prefer their drunken competitions sitting down, there are board games galore (Connect Four and Candyland come to mind) and an old cocktail style Ms. Pac-Man video game. Very cool.
Décor: It's neat in a 50s era quasi-futurisic way. They have Elroy Jetson on the boys bathroom, and Judy Jetson on the ladies.
Drinks: A nice selection of beers for a small bar. Your old reliables like Millers and Yuenglings, but also fancier ones with more descriptive names, like Dogfish Head Pale Ale. I had mixed drinks here once, (only because I was continuing from a previous bar) and really liked them.
Lowlights:
Size: Its just too small for the amount of people in there on the weekends. If you are actually trying to play pool, you'll have to wait on nearly every shot for someone to stumble in and out of your way. Also, the bathrooms are located behind the darts, so you have to go through a firing line to take a piss. Not ideal.
Prices: The price for drinks is totally reasonable. But pool is just way too expensive. Not out of the ordinary for DC prices, but still, pool should not cost nearly that much. I think it is much cheaper during the week than it is on weekends.
So basically, Atomic Billiards is really cool anytime, if you just want a place to play a casual bar game and get a few drinks on the weekend. But if you take your bar games seriously and/or want more for your money, I suggest you hit up on off nights.
I came to Atomic Billiards years ago, and for some reason didn't really like it. Â Maybe it was that it was a small pool hall and I am terrible at pool. Â Regardless, I decided to meet some friends here last weekend and have a newly found appreciation for this bar.
First off, they now have 2 shuffle board tables, which are far superior to pool. Â (Although they use the WRONG sand, its not supposed to be actual sand, on the shuffle board tables, making them slow). Â
Second, the bottled beer selection here is great. Â There were at least 10 beers I hardly see anywhere else and plenty of beers that I do, but enjoy seeing available at a bar.
The bartender was friendly, quick and attentive to people along the bar. Â He put my name on the shuffle board list and I was notified when it was my turn. Â
The prices here are very decent, no crappy $10 rail rum and cokes. Â Also, they have a stellar jukebox. Â Being so close, this will definitely turn into a favorite for me.
Down, down, down the stairs
To the cozy billiards lair
Shelves of beer, so many kinds
Not like Galaxy, but the price is fine
And what's that tune? Â Some indie-pop?
Pixies and Shins on ye 'ol Jukebox!
If you need a drink and have time to kill
Atomic Billiards should fit your bill
p.s. Ben T. won't save girls from creepers at a bar
After arriving it was only fifteen minutes or so until we had a table.
Somehow I was able to come thiiiiis close to winning a game but two balls held me back. Is this how guys feel? Do they always get in the way and ruin your fun? Hmmmmm...points to ponder.
I have no idea what time it was when we showed up but it wasn't packed. Everyone, except Ben Part II, was pretty good about not whacking people in the head with a pool stick. The other patrons seemed pretty chill but as with any place that serves alcohol, a few can get loud. Seriously, if you're going to yell out the name of the person who is singing a song at least get it right. It was AL GREEN not MARVIN GAYE!!!
The bartenders were really friendly and easygoing. They definitely add to the already chill vibe of the place and they serve cider, Strongbow in a can, so you know that's a bonus for me.
It's right by the metro so I can definitely see coming back.
I've been living in Van Ness for about 3 years now and spent the first 2 trying to find a neighborhood bar that satisfied my desire for good beer, good prices, good music, and a low chance of douche bags. Â My folly was in not looking below street level to Atomic Billiards. Â
I love shuffleboard and cannot wait until I am 67 to play it all the time. Â I want to be badass at pool, but am lucky if i hit the cue ball solidly...that's what it is called right? Â But lucky for me, Atomic Billiards also has Battleship, Connect Four, and other games that I have dominated at since I was 7. Â The beer is good, the games are fun, the music selection is great, and the atmosphere is extremely relaxed. Â
The main drawback to Atomic Billiards is that there is no kitchen and I am a hungry drunk. Â There are some chips and maybe some other bagged snack foods, but nothing hot. Â However, the bar seems pretty cool with bringing in food from outside.
This is where I was at either 12 or 1am this past Friday night. The atmosphere was laid back, the place wasn't crowded. There were a few guys playing pool, some others busying themselves with the darts, and, of course, the classic non-classy bunch of loud-ass girls. who were all wearing white. and I mean ALL white. Seems to be the trend lately; did I miss something? Is white this summer's hot color? Forgive me, I do not keep up with fashion. And if white IS this summer's color, it's a very poor choice! I'm Chinese, so I will always associate white with death and mourning. Lately the city's been feeling like a giant funeral. Or a graduation. Depends on how morbid you are.
WHOA! Hello, tangent!
Atomic is a cool bar, located approximately thirty to forty minutes from where I live -- by foot. I had never patronized any of the businesses in Cleveland Park despite my proximity to the neighborhood, so Atomic was my first and it made a good impression. I'm glad I decided to take my friends there that night; the three of us were really tired and just wanted to have a drink and relax. It's a definite plus that it wasn't busy. The service was good; the barman was attentive and friendly. At one point he noticed us zoning out so he poured us a shot of something that tasted energizing. Not sure what it was.
Hmm. I'll be back!
By the way, they have Bell's Two Hearted Ale on tap. Good stuff!
I find it difficult to write a review of a place I frequent so often and love for no good reason than it is my local watering hole. Â So I guess I will simply recount the reasons why I love the place:
1. Great jukebox. Â Good selection of the upbeat funky let's get drunk tunes (i.e. Beck's Midnight Vultures, James Brown) and depressed I want to drink myself into a coma tunes (i.e. I'm generally too depressed to remember).
2. Good beer selection. Â Sure they have your Bud light, Highlife, and tall boy Tecate specials, but they also have Dale's Pale Ale, Dogfish head, and Bells for the more discerning palate. Â
3. Shuffleboard... 'nuff said.
4. They let you bring food in. Â With Vace, Nam Viet, and Indique in short walking distance, a bar that will let you munch while watching the game is key.
5. Rich, one of the the bartenders, is awesome. Â Sure I've met him around 40 times and he doesn't ever remember my name, but he is a really nice guy, who is quick with a quip and drink. Â Unlike Bedrock Billiards where the bartenders seem to take it as a personal afront when you want them to get you a beer, the men and women here are always on top of their game. Â Like Cheers, but with more tattoos and not in Boston (thank god).
6. Connect Four... the drunkard's chess.
7. 2 person sit down table arcade game (I forget what it is, Pac Man? Â Asteroids? Â I'll update later when I remember).
This is my kinda place. Â It could be dingier, but the tacky sparkles almost makes up for it.
I helped coordinate a happy hour here for 40 people and it worked out fabulously. This is the type of place I would also come back just to hang out at on my own. The people who described it as your best friend's basement/rec-room (in a good way) were right on.
Firstly, Atomic Billiards is like a cozier version of Rocket Bar. I like bars that recognize what their strengths are and don't try to put out mediocre food. They let you bring anything in, which is great since Cleveland Park has good options. We ordered pizza from Vace (so good) and got wings delivered from Wingos for our event, and everyone loved it. Their party guy was really nice, made sure everything was going well, and helped clean things up.
They also have happy hour specials every weeknight until 8pm, and the Friday we went they had $4 rail drinks all night.
Finally, there's lots to do. Like everyone has mentioned, there are the pool tables, shuffleboard, darts, and boardgames. I particularly liked this for a big group because everyone found something they liked to do. Everyone's a fan of the jukebox and I like that they play it at levels where you can actually still talk to people. Â
I've passed by here so many times since first coming here a few years ago--pre-smoking ban and it was all smoky inside. I'm glad that I came back and could enjoy it and breath again.
Definitely a good place to go if your looking to play pool on a weekend. Despite the small size of the place, it's packed full of tables and they seem to run in a pretty good rotation. Â You'll get a table without much wait.
However, if your looking for a place to just to hang out and chat, it can be tough finding a spot without getting hit with a pool stick. Standing/sitting room seems to be somewhat limited.
Other notes: Cheap prices, nice bartenders and a total sausage fest. If you're wondering where all the guys go on a Friday night in Cleveland Park, I've solved the mystery.
After a few late nights at this joint, I must say, I have grown to like it a little bit. Â
Dark, musty, basement-like, slight smell of smoke, classic rock on the jukebox, some dart boards, maybe two shuffle boards, and about four pool tables. Â Not a bad place. Â It seemed to have some pretty good weekly pool deals too. Â Not bad and with a full bar, hey, it serves its purpose.
I've only been here once, but mostly because I NEVER frequent the Cleveland Park area. Â But I really liked it here, since it's on the dingy/dive side of bars. Â It has a nice laid back feeling, and if I find myself in Cleveland Park, I'd probably stop by.
I met up with a friend for a beer and a couple games of shuffleboard. Â Granted it was a sunday evening, so there was pretty much no more than 8 other people in the place. Â So no wait for a shuffleboard table/pucks. Â
With Janis Joplin blaring out of the jukebox, pint of stella in one hand and a shuffleboard puck in the other and a side of playful trashtalking to my opponent... I'd say I had a pretty good time. Plus I won both games ;)
Oh, the only downside to this place was it took awhile to find parking. Â It's alot of residential streets in the area, so I still ended up a few streets away for the closest spot. Â Perhaps there are certain streets in Cleveland Park that have more parking that I haven't discovered yet?
I'm a stranger to the Cleveland park neighborhood, and I don't really know what it's about. But, if this place reflects the neighborhood, then it probably does so accurately. This is a DC-style dive bar, which gets big bonus points for having pool, two shuffleboards, darts, and a old-school pac-man machine. It also get's points for having a couple of different Bell's Ales. The jukebox was interesting, but I imagine it could get obnoxious on crowded weekend nights.
The great thing about the place is that it is one of the most laid-back, most unprententious, most "I dont care what I'm wearing or how I look today" bars I've ever seen in DC. Which is great.
So I'm writing this review for two reasons:
1) I have been there and I want to tell you about it;
2) I also want to go mano-a-mano with the Wayne Gretsky of Yelp who just posted the previous review, aka Rich L the gorgeous one. I know I am way out of my league here - but give me a chance.
There are three pleasures this place brings me:
1) Stepping off the pavement and into the basement. Not a sad sack basement like Chadwick's where you can still see the street, I am talking darkened, neon strip lighting, greasy stairs basement. Â I'm fast forwarding here, but the corollary to this is when you leave - I honestly think there is no finer feeling when you're on the lash than emerging from a basement, after a few beers, into the cold harsh light of day. Sun is shining, everybody has been working, pushing society forward and I have been on one glorious magnificent multicolored bender ! And it's not over yet ! Â I can feel the adrenaline surge now just from thinking about it.
The other aspect of the basement is that as you descend the stairs your antennae are working a bit harder than normal - what will the place be like? who will be there? Â is it crowded or empty? The anticipation builds within you and before you know it you are enjoying the sensation - what should be a 5 or 8 second descent down the stairs becomes a full on tactile experience. Maybe you will linger, maybe you will savor it a little bit - or maybe you will just go on in.
2) Pool. Yip this place has pool tables, and it is a fine spot to come- Â preferably with your pals, and play some pool.
3) Beer. It has good cheap beer, excellent service, and a killer jukebox. Or maybe the jukebox is largley crap and it is just that the people I have been with have had excellent taste. Hmmm. there could be a PhD in that one.
I could imagine Atomic Billiards in Adams Morgan. Â But then it would be a Dive Bar plus some dirty change filled with drunken meat heads trashing the place and getting into fist fights over Connect Four. Â And they'd fill the jukebox with some BAAAAD music.
And then, well, it just would NOT be the same four star worthy  kitschy rec room.
I like it just the way it is, in Cleveland Park. Â I think the fact it's a neighborhood bar in upper northwest (I call it 'mini Georgetown') helps keep its charm.
An underground pool hall. Â Not much of a hall, and not really underground, but it is downstairs.
Note: Â cellyphone service in this joint can be spotty. Â Also, smokers stand just outside the door, and sometimes the smoke wafts down there. Â It's not like they're smoking inside, but it is a smell that we've all gotten used to NOT smelling in a DC bar in a few years.
But that's all the bad stuff, the good stuff is that the drinks are solid, reasonably priced, made by friendly staff, and the jukebox is very good.
They've got board games, as several people have noted. Â That's not a big deal to me, but everybody else seems to like it. Â There are a couple of dart boards, and they recently put in a pair shuffleboard tables. Â That's pretty cool, especially for a place of this cozy size.
If playing pool/darts/shuffleboard or sitting at the bar isn't your thing, there are couches to group around, and for the non-players rolling with groups who play pool, etc., there are lots of seats around the perimiter of the room.
This place seems to peak between 10pm and 1am most nights.
UPDATE: Â they have added at least one video game, the cocktail-table style Mrs. Pac-Man ... and that's way cool.
Also, my friend moved away and had his send-off party here. Â He got in touch with Atomic ahead of time and they pulled one of the albums off of the jukebox and let him put his own in. Â When people started to arrive we slipped a ten into the juke and *voila* we set the atmosphere! Â The bartenders and other patrons were happy, whomever counts the money in the jukebox was happy, and except that our friend was leaving, we were happy. Â (this review was upgrade +1 star for that act of coolness. Â Thanks Atomic Billiards!)
Okay, I used to live in Korea. Â A lot of things there I could live without. Â The smell, the crowds, the beondegi (look it up on wikipedia....I rate it one star). Â But one thing they had there which blew my mind was the Board Game Bang (pronounced as it would be in english, but the bang is with a long "a"). Â These were brightly lit rooms crowded with tables where a waiter would take your board game order and show you how to play. Â Awesome. Â Add in a few drinks and it was a fun night out before the bars or after the movie.
Welcome Atomic Billiards. Â I've been looking for something like this since I got back to the states a few years back. Â Its dark and basement-like which totally adds to the convivial atmosphere, you have pool tables a plenty, dart boards, one of the few shuffle board tables in the city (the only other one I remember seeing was in their sister bar, Rocket Bar), and most importantly BOARD GAMES!!!! Â So many bars are so much the same thing, it's nice to get something different.
I love Atomic. I only recently found it a few weeks ago with some co-workers. After a long night of waiting tables in Friendship Heights, a bunch of us like to wind down by playing pool and having a few drinks here. It's a cool little place - very chill, has a funky sci-fi feel and if you're not too into pool, they also have board games for you to play. Drunk boggle is pretty awesome, I have to say. No food...well, bags of chips, if that counts. Friendly bartenders :-)
Update: They now have shuffleboard!!
Atomic does the job in a pinch if you are looking to play pool. Â It's fun, kitschy, and small, and they have a decent bar (no food, though). Â
I've had a good time here, and it's great for low-key pool games.
I believe all of the pool tables are 8-footers. Â If you want 9-footers you'll have to go to Bedrock or Buffalo. But sometimes you just want to play and hang with your buds, and you can most certainly do that here.
Why is it that up until a few weeks ago, I remembered this place being upstairs? It is totally downstairs. So, keep your eyes peeled for the stairs.
Anyway, it is odd that the same peeps own Buffalo Billiiards cause Atomic is so low key in comparison. And the drink prices are great three to four bucks for a beer. And table prices aren't bad -- just $8.
There's darts and board games to play while waiting for a table, and some cool things to look at with all of the 50's sci fi posters and such on the walls.
I had been in Cleveland Park about a zillion times before noticing this place. Atomic is right across the street from the Uptown, and it's located in a basement with only a modest-sized sign to mark it.
Atomic is a pretty sweet lounge-type pool hall. This would be a great place to take someone on a casual, weeknight date. It's close to the red line and is laid back with a good selection of games and beers. Atomic's 1950s/science-fiction decorations remind me of that really bad movie with Brenden Fraser and Alicia Silverstone (when he's locked in a bomb shelter for 35 years or something).
I would love to spend more time here, because it's just really relaxed. As far as I've seen, no creepy guys/girls trying to hook up, no dancing on bars, no one trying to do a body shot off people's chests. As far as food goes, I would suggest eating before you come here, unless you enjoy having potato chips for dinner.
I love townie bars, and DC doesn't have too many real townie bars (except the occasional bar sprinkled in the middle of nowhere that no one goes to because it's in the middle of nowhere), but Atomic absolutely is, and it's great. Â It's never packed, you can almost always get a table (pool) pretty quickly, and the drinks are cheap. Â Exactly what a townie bar should be.
If you want to laugh, have a few drinks in Atomic, and then go next door to Bardeo Ardeo and compare.
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