I love this bar. Great outdoor area, which includes a patio! Decent dance floor, and the people are usually pretty cool. Not full of douchy frat boys, always a plus. As my friend Rodney said "Best place to pickup hipster girls".
Warning: On weekends it does get a little to packed late at night. I can't blame the venue for that though.
In the past ten months Dodge City has become my go-to bar on U Street. The two floors play different music, and there's a decently spacious outdoor patio in the back in addition to another one upstairs. I like the diverse options here: if you don't like dancing to the typical hip hop/remix music downstairs you can head upstairs, and if you'd rather have a conversation you can take your drinks to one of the patios in the back. They have heaters during the winter.
The bathroom lines can be a pain, since there are only two of them. But overall, good times every time I go there. Drinks are reasonably priced and they have a what I think decent beer menu.
We went for an afternoon party and it was really packed, so I'm not sure how this place usually is, but I liked the patios a lot. I ordered a moscow mule and at first I was worried because the bartender poured what looked like 3 shots, or more into my glass and the vodka definitely wasn't top shelf, but despite that the drink still tasted good and it was well worth the $8.00. I'd definitely visit this place again.
Review Source:3.25 stars. Â "There is something funky with my Monkey" is what I wanted to say to my dear friend Laura after nearly spitting out the usually reliable Victory Golden Monkey on draft at Dodge City, but that would have been too weird. Â So instead I turned my attention back to Family Guy while attempting to ignore the mysogynistic comments from two Army guys who simultaneously were homo-erotically petting one another and the happy Ethiopian chatter between a drunk guy and the owner. Â While ordering another drink at some point seemed like an appropriate idea, the bartender teleported more frequently than the girl giving scorpion gifts on Game of Thrones (Season 3, Episode 2 for the uninitiated). Â And what the hell does the name of this bar have to do with Kansas, anyhow? Â The DJ was playing random cuts from the Ethiopian classic, Yekermo Sew, which always reminds me of the Bill Murray film "Broken Flowers." Â Somehow, that song was strangely appropriate for this night at this bar. Â
Dodge City is a random small town in West Kansas which (un)fortunately I have had the privilege of visiting. Â That place is relatively barren, modestly racially diverse (meaning it is almost solely comprised of Hispanics and Caucasians), and has one of the worst bar scenes I've ever witnessed in my entire life. Â Perhaps there is another Dodge City reference I am missing?* Â Or maybe they are attempting to play off Dodge City previously being noteworthy as an outpost in the Wild West days? Â I wasn't aware that cowboys back then had a penchant for high end beers and Ethiopian music. Â But I digress. Â
The aforementioned beer list at Dodge City is impressive. Â While the Golden Monkey I ordered on draft on this occasion tasted poisoned, I've never had that problem previously at this bar. Â In fact, it generally has been quite reliable with an assortment of options from some of the best breweries within the States (think Victory, Southern Tier, etc.). Â The bartender and owner are friendly enough but the crowd can be a mixed bag. Â
Bottom Line: Is this your first option on U Street? Â Probably not. Â But if you don't want to watch sports at a gay club serenading as a sports bar (Nellie's) or take in a random indie band in a venue that smells like what I assume Axe Body Spray smells like (DC9, Velvet Lounge) or you aren't in the mood for C level BBQ (American Ice Company) or you don't want to drink shitty organic wine (Dickson's), then.... wow, maybe U Street is just overrated.
*Actually, the bar is apparently DC's nickname during the crack days. Â Plus 0.25 stars for having an awesome name.
We were walking past and the DJ was playing Mary J. Blige - which then turned into all my favorites - Biggie, Naughty by Nature, etc., - that was just after midnight on a Saturday. Â
Drinks were strong, but I didn't buy, so I can't speak to the price. Â Clientele was mostly white hipsters, with some yuppies thrown in. Â So basically, white men poorly dancing to hip-hop. Â Once the music changed over to dubstep, about an hour later, we bounced. Â One bathroom on the first floor, while nice inside, created lines. Â The long, narrow dance space never got uncomfortably crowded, but the bar area did. Â I'd stop in again if the music was my style and I was with a group of people.
Two floors of narrow dance space! Â We came in here at the end of our night (11pm, we're getting old) and everyone was in a good mood. Â Some people were dancing to 90's rap on the first floor and some kind of folk rock was playing upstairs. Â I noticed outdoor areas too but we didn't go out there. Â
I got to try the DC Brau here so that's a plus!
So hipsterville dive it hurts. Saloon meets Marvin: no cover, no line, no frills, cramped space, happy liver. Bouncers are friendly. Douchery levels depend on fellow clientele. Decent service, solid tap options downstairs and bottled options upstairs. Bathrooms upstairs are cramped, but the coat hooks by them are a nice touch. Beats are loud and offer variety per floor. I'll be back to break it down.
Review Source:I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place yet. Dodge City is always a good time whenever I venture out to D.C. - which is very few and far between these days. The staff is super friendly and helpful! Even fed us because we were starving on one ocassion by giving us a few bags of chips. Right on. The music is a good mix of hip hop, current "hip hop" bangers, house and funk. Why is this place always crowded? Have you ever been to a house party at JMU? White people (and everyone else) love dancing to hip hop! It gets the soul going. On the many occasions I've been here it's always been crowded but this past weekend it was actually at capacity. Not sure how often this happens but we didn't realize this until after we opened the door, let ourselves in and then the bouncer told us. He didn't ask us to leave - the almighty power of the beard. Its got its perks. Our friends had to wait about 10 mins to get in but they were fine (and drunk). Love the patio and deck out back. Gave us plenty of room to literally wrestle each other and socialize. Good selection of beer and a great mix of people (obviously, pffft).
Review Source:It was packed in here when we came on a Saturday night. My friend likes to dance to 60s music, so this was definitely a great place for that. We went upstairs and took turns getting rounds at the bar up there. The way it was structured was there was a relatively short bar, with 2 bartenders. An Asian guy and Zach Galifianakis. His double.
Anyhoo, Zach had the left half of the bar and the Asian guy had the right side. I wrestled my way to the middle of the left side to order where I had ordered before without a problem. And I waited. And waited. And waited. And watched Zach go to the start of his section of the  bar, go down the line, then stop at me, and go back to the beginning of the line. This happened 4 times. So the left half of Zach's section was all guys waiting to order. The right half of Zach's section was all girls. After this pattern became realized, the guy section started piling up with guys, because it was evident that the guys were getting served, and the girls weren't. Us girls started discussing this, exacerbated. "Is this a competition? Is this a boy vs girl thing? What the hell?"
While I was waiting to order, my friend used the bathroom, smoked, went outside, danced with someone, went to the bathroom again, and smoked again. I was waiting for probably a half hour.
Guys began to realize that if they wanted served, they needed to stay on the left half. This resulted in about 6 girls hanging out on the right side, and a pile of guys crunched up on the left side, because it was pretty obvious they would never get served if they came over to the girls side. Finally, I said to Zach, "Is this a boy vs girl thing?"
"I'm starting at the end and working my way down," he snapped at me. Funny, he seemed to know exactly what I was talking about though. Then, not only did he give me attitude after making me wait forever, he said sarcastically, "Oh, a sad face," and mocked my pouting. I'm sorry, should I make a face or should I throw ice at you? Or jump on top of you from the bar and knock you over-- I'm choosing to make my frustration with you not literal because I don't want to get kicked out of your lousy bar.
So, he did go all the way around this time, and even told some of the girls jokes and made them laugh, which was slightly redeeming. I would expect girls to be ignored at the bar at a db club in Des Moines or something. But shouldn't a place in DC be a little more fair? Ugh. Fucking hate U street.
5 stars before 10 o'clock; 1 star after. Â We were abruptly and rudely kicked out of our chairs at 10, presumably to clear the area for a dance floor. Â We stayed an additional half hour (standing where our chairs used to be) and did not see one person dancing. Â The place was not even close to capacity. Â The DJ was spinning the same music that had been playing all evening, so I'm not sure why they bothered hiring him. Â The iPod was doing just fine.
What is the place trying to be? Â Either be a chill bar with a good tap selection and great patio space (5 stars), or be the "club" you advertise on Facebook (1 star).
Sometimes I just want to go back to my roots and party. Â I say party as in without the typical rabble of frat dudes and sorority girls. Â And I say sometimes as in all the time. Â Its really the mix of funk/nu disco/deep house/hip hop along with the crowds of dive appreciating people that make Dodge City so great. Â Great vibes and great bartenders. Â Last time I was there, one of the bartenders called out a frat dude for not paying calling him a dumb ass. Â I love it.
I never say no to Dodge City
Once you walk in, you can't help but swing your hips and wave your arms in the air to the doo-wop / Motown beats reverberating through the two-story hipster-dominated establishment.
I came with my two fabulous cousins on a Saturday night after some drinks at Marvin. Â The drinks here are standard and simple - wine and some IPA beers on tap. The main attraction is the Motown/60s/soul floor upstairs - where the floor is jam packed with 20/30somethings getting down to The Temptations or Marvin Gaye. People come here to have fun and it's clearly written on their faces while bopping to the beats upstairs. I love the vibe of the place and cannot wait to come back soon!
I've lived in this town for a long time, and oddly, last night was the first time I went to Dodge City. Guess it's just one of those places that you see and notice but never really end up going into. I suppose its easy enough to forget about it, with all the new, flashy, big places around it, and the general growth of U St and its surrounding areas.
But I like this place! Guinness on tap! And a great back patio with food. I didn't get any, mind you, but the drinks were fantastic, and not terribly overpriced. Overpriced somewhat, but not terribly. This IS U St. we're talking about.
Fun times, nice staff. Thumbs up.
OVERALL: Fun place to go, really nice bartenders and good variety of spaces (indoor: bar and small dance floor; outdoor: large deck and patio). Downgraded them for bad DJs.
From 9:30 to about 11pm on a Saturday night, it's excellent because it's still relatively chill. But as the night gets young, it's like a crowded night at 9:30 Club. The outdoor spaces rock until all the smokers arrive...
I've heard that the music varies depending on who DJs. While I did enjoy the woman dj who had a bit of retro jazz kind of thing downstairs, the two upstairs DJ boys played a range of weird 80-90s techno dance music (not the fun tracks done at 9:30 Club) and were supremely rude when I asked if they took requests...
Thank God for Dodge City.
This bar is awesome, and has everything. Drinks: cocktails are delicious and they have a solid beer selection. Atmosphere: totally chill and laid back, non-pretentious like a dive bar but better. The music is awesome, you can totally dance your face off on the top floor. The crowd is a lot of fun, laid back and friendly people you can meet, or you can just chill out with your friends on the beautiful back porch. The bartenders here are awesome as well. this is the go-to weekend spot for my friends and I, and we always have a blast. And you can hit up the pizza truck on the way out!
I love, love, love Dodge City. I've made many friends and many mistakes there, and I've never ever had a bad time. However, as with all things one loves, there are some drawbacks; 1.) don't go here to have a quiet conversation about Thoreau. When it gets packed, keep the conversation to a minimum (is there a friend with whom you share mind reading abilities or a devotion to silence? take that person) because you won't be able to hear them.
Second, the bathrooms. Luckily I live close enough so that I don't have to use them before heading home, which is just as good because the lines are invariably 20 people deep and, God almighty, I don't even want to think about what people resort to when its wall to wall people all needing to pee.
How can you review a family member?
Strangely, that's how I feel about Dodge City. It's my home away from home, and one of the few bars that I can claim I actually frequent. It's close, it's not overpriced, and incredibly laid back.
Part of this is me having the spirit of a centurion, but I find solice in the place most Monday-Thursdays. Weekends insist on reminding you that you're on U-Street, as all the woo-girls somehow are able to stumble in on their stilletos.
But really, I feel it necessary to finally come out and write a review of my dearest Dodge based around Monday evening which was spent there. Monday's the new party night, right? Yeah, something like that.
For some reason I was in the mindset that it was. So instead of keeping the first day of the week calm and quiet, I opted in for beer. But it wasn't just beer, because I also thought it was a good idea to have a glass of rye with each beer I consumed. This wasn't a good idea.
But here's the thing, it was the best place to make such a bad idea in the area. The staff is always great here. They're very chill people, are knowledgeable about what they're serving, but avoid protruding douche out of every inch of their bodies.
Plus fall was blowing in. Or maybe just summer is taking a quick breather, but for some reason, the weather was nice. And what goes perfectly with a nice evening? Dodge City's patio. This has become one of my favorite outdoor drinking spaces in the city, and for good reason. The two story patio area is large enough to fit a huge crowd, but divided enough that you can have your own space and have a conversation.
If you can escape the aforementioned "woo-girls" then you should come out for a weekend dance party upstairs. The upstairs bar only serves canned beer, which is different from the impressive draft lineup below. But with a nice dancefloor, they spin some wicked tunes on the weekends, and throw some really great parties.
To make the place even better, they grill up local sausages (including veggie!) during the week on the back patio.
I don't always recommend drinking heavily on a Monday night, but if you do, Â or accidentally do, you'll be well off if you do it at Dodge City.
This place has really grown on me over the last couple years - mostly due to the addition of a spacious, mist-cooled, two-level, plant-decorated patio area. Â They have a small groovy dance area upstairs and some obscure beers, with the larger, dancey, 90s rap area downstairs.
If you haven't made love to a Moscow Mule yet, I recommend you pop your cherry on Dodge City's, they are delicious.
I like this place! Â It's SUPER dark inside, so be sure you're paying attention to where you step, particularly on the stairs. Â
There's usually some pretty awesome music blaring from the speakers in the upstairs area, and it generally turns into a bit of a dance floor. Â The only problem with this "dance floor" is that it often blocks access to Dodge City's best asset, their "back yard" if you will. Â If you've been to Dodge City and haven't walked through the whole place to get to the back outside area, I recommend you do that! Â It's pretty big - reminds me of a summer bonfire party on the beach...sans the beach and the bonfire..
I met a friend here on last Monday night for a couple drinks. Given the fact it was a week night, the vibe was low key and chill (for example, you can easily have a conversation). We cozied into a corner table near the bar and ordered from their great selection of liquors and tap beer. The bartender was friendly and informed on the different beers on tap.
Two things to note:
- There appeared to be a nice outdoor seating area, but it was raining, so we stayed inside.
- I'm told the place (or at least the upstairs) turns into a hot dance party on weekends with everything from 50s and 60s rock and soul to modern rap and R&B. Â
I'd definitely come back for drinks during the week, but I'd really like to see this place on the weekends.
The Good: Outside area in the back is large, heated, and you don't have to scream to talk to your friends.
Not-so-good: Super narrow gauntlet by the bar makes it really hard to move around. It's between the back door and the bathrooms, so everyone is trying to squeeze by constantly. Because of this, ordering drinks takes a while.
The Ugly: OMG BUILD ANOTHER BATHROOM. It took me 20 minutes to make it through the line for a 20 second pee. From what my friends told me and from what else I saw, that wait time never got shorter!
This review is for the dance scene only.
Upstairs there is a small bar and a small dance floor. The place gets packed quickly and stays that way most of the night. It's often a go-to when friends and I can't figure out what we want to do or where we want to go. While the dance floor is small, the music is usually awesome, read always awesome. They have a funk and soul night, a hip hop night, but it's the energy of the DJ that always makes it good. It's the kind of place where you and your friends can take over the dance floor and party all night.
It's a little annoying because the dance floor is the only way to get to the outdoor patio so it becomes a bit of a throughway but I don't mind. It's not like Local 16 where you'd move from one room to another. You decide I'm dancing, I'm drinking inside or drinking outside and you generally hunker down for the night.
Dodge City: A town in Kansas, the title of an old western flick, or a bar on U Street. While I can't speak to the characteristics of the first two, the latter is one that I've recently come to know fairly well and which clearly has little to do with either of the others. In any case, Dodge City (the bar on U St) seems to have watering-hole-schizophrenia in that my experiences have varied wildly; it's the wild-card of U St.
Dodge City really has the atmosphere of a house party, for better or worse. On the upper level, there is frequently a DJ playing some tunes, and whose talent ranges from disastrous to entertaining, along with pockets of writhing weirdos-- I don't think there's enough beer in the world for me to ever consider some of the gyrations I've seen here sexy or enticing.
Sometimes it's busy and sometimes it's not. If it's busy, the bar setup and minimal staff will make getting a drink a nightmare. However, once you do find yourself face to face with a bartender, if you enjoy things that are brown, strong, filling, and full of flavor, you'll be good here. Dodge City has a friendly staff and great choice of beer and whiskey. Hell, even the house tequila is pretty decent (for the first few times). The bathroom situation can also be a lesson in futility when the place is packed. When not busy, these are non-issues and you can proceed to imbibe with ebullience.
The eclectic clientele can range from pseudo-hipsters to passive-aggressive Arlingtonians -- yea, douchebag, calling me "asshole" under your breath might work at Spider Kelly's, but here I'm not gonna waste my time with you and your crew. Throw in some odd guys and girls who got rejected at the fancy clubs and some other people who just want to drink heavily, and you have a mix of people that can provide some quality entertainment in their own right. But, in continuing with the house-party vibe, the people are generally out- and easy-going.
So even though Dodge City may not be among my favorite places on U St, it almost always succeeds in providing an entertaining interaction of some sort.
I love this place. It's div-y but not stinky like Solly's. No PBR to be foud, this place actually has good beer (try the porter!). The patio is really nice for a dive bar. It's probably the new looking fence that makes you feel like you're just at your friends house chilling in his backyard. The front is a bit dark but has couches which are awesome. The indoor upstairs has wider space but a smaller bar. The balcony is a bit of a wash, too small to really do anything with but it's nice that it's there.
On some weekends they grill in the patio. So delicious.
I'm actually reluctant to praise it so much because I don't want it to get crowded. When it's crowded the lower floor becomes something of a hassle because the bar is right next to the back door. On most nights though, I can't recommend it enough.
I don't even know if I'd consider this a dive bar? Â Seems too nice for the title. Â The place looks clean, the furniture is nice and the outdoor area is pristine. Â
The beer selection is good, the crowd is usually pretty cool and the music hits the spot.
I've only been twice but I really like it. Â Great place to bring a hipster if you're trying to impress!
Waaay dark art dive bucks the trend of major fail that U street seems to be soo aggressively pushing these days.
Rad:
Dodge city just looks cool inside.
This bar has couches which is absolutely clutch for any dive bar to have.
Come for the funk and soul Dj nights which are an epic good time.
Not yet over run with bros.
Bad:
While the bar itself doesn't give off and hipster tude many of its patrons do.
Better to take the lady or bra of your dreams here than try to meet them.
I've come here on two totally different nights. Â One was a semi early night where me and my group of friends hung out downstairs near the bar at this large old school wooden table with dimly lit lights...it was great. Â As long as I had my Markers Mark I was a happy lady. Â There was old school 60's soul music playing in the background that night and it was NOT crowded at all.
The second time I came there, I went upstairs to meet some friends for a birthday celebration...there were actually folks that were semi-swing dancing :-) Â I dig it when I see stuff like that instead of the typical bump & grinding I see on a regular basis in other spots. Â The space is comfortable, I could even slide into the bar with no problem near the window at the front...sipping on my drink, it really couldn't get any better. Â Smaller groups of friends is fine to bring, but I def wouldn't invite my 40 deep crew or anything like that, there's not enough space for all that here.
This place seems to fly under the radar (maybe they want to keep it that way) and is highly under-rated in my opinion. Â Great chill atmosphere and solid selection of 12 rotating beers on tap on the less traveled end of U Street. Â
Two levels, with an elevated bar with 10 or so stools in the back of the ground floor. Â The exclusively microbrew drafts on my visit included Port City Porter, Bell's Best Brown Ale, Long Trail Pollenator, and my favorite, Victory Golden Monkey. Â No real food, but they do serve snacks (toasted pepperoni rolls) to sate your late night munchies.
Previously the upstairs housed the much missed Kingpin that was equally as cool until a fire forced it to close several years back. Â It's now where the DJ's spin on weekends. Â A great alternative to more crowded U Street spots like Marvin.
The vibe is fun, the beers are cheap and plentiful, there's a bar upstairs and down, and two totally different feelings (upstairs was like the dancing scene in A League of Their Own, very fifties; downstairs was bumping hip hop and some eighties jams) - what more do you need to know?
Oh, and unless you want to be deaf by the time you leave this place, I suggest heading upstairs sooner than later. Way too loud on the main floor. Props to the DJ for putting on "Regulators" as a tribute to Nate Dogg immediately upon request!
Nota bene: upstairs bar is bottled/canned beer and liquor only, no draft.
Following the fix-up-a-burned-down-building motif that has been popular ever since the 68' riots, Dodge City oozes hip nonchalance, confident nonconformity, and effortless coolness- all from a building that was a burned-out shell only a few years ago.
Dodge City (DC) doesn't stick out on U street or break any molds, but it pairs a comfortable interior -that feels open without being cavernous and cozy without triggering my claustrophobia - with an aggressive and innovative set of entertainment options. From Soul DJs to local indie rock, DC keeps it real with the musical theme so popular in this corner of U street (think DC9, Velvet Lounge, U Street Music Hall, 9:30 Club).
In the end, DC is going to make U Street that much more tolerable, and paired with the recent opening of American Ice Co., DC offers U street a fighting chance against the Juggernaut of the H Street bar scene.
It reminds me of Pharmacy Bar in Adams Morgan- dark, low key, no dancing, a little hipster-ish, but there's really low key music here unlike Pharmacy which places the power of the tune in our hands with their mighty juke box. But enough about Pharmacy...
Nobody is going to bother you at this place- no mingling, no men/women approaching men/women. Probably because it's so dark. So no meat market feeling like Bar Pilar up the street, although I do love that bar (and not because it's meat market-y). You come with your group, get some drinks from the nice bar tender, and continue on with your night elsewhere. This is a good start or end to the night.
SETTING: Saturday NIght = Early AM Sunday con amigos
VENUE:
No cover. ID check outside the door.
New = cleaner than most.
Lighting: Brigher than most downstairs, which is a bonus.
Dance Area: The dance floor upstairs is tight, especially considering it is near the stairwell and why-is-a-bright-light-on-again restroom nook
SERVICE: Friendly bartender, but a bit more kindness from the manager would go a long way with this new hangout.
DRINKS & Cuisine: Didn't try. Also note, as noted by others on here, Cash only, at least upstairs. So much for your taxi funds!
MUSIC: Fab offerings on both levels - some rare tunes, etc.. Harsh transitions on some of the tracks though. DC's night scene is clearly growing a bit faster than its DJ supply by the sounds of things.
VERDICT: Wanting to give it another go-around, if only for the funky beats.
We had spent the day volunteering at the Sweetgreen festival, went to the XX and Hot Chip at the 930, and bounced over to Dodge City, still exuberant and sticky from the show, and I was so relieved, thrilled even, to find a refreshing, decently priced cider on the menu to quench my thirst, served by well-adapted, working people who seem to like what they do.
Why is it that doing the basics well, with a sense of purpose and dignity, is so damn hard to come by in this city? One more mock-speak-easy filled with over-dressed people, or fusion lounge atrocity with a drink menu you'd be embarrassed to even touch, and I'm going to lose it. So even though I had a limited experience (did not go upstairs) I'm comforted by the intent behind this place.
My friend and I both got seats at the gorgeous bar without any difficulty, and did not feel crowded nor ignored. Regarding the people there: Â most looked like friends drinking together. Could this be potentially the least annoying and easiest bar to be at in the U street area? Don't tell anyone.
I heard about Dodge City through this BYT review (<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.brightestyoungthings.com%2Ffood%2Fbar-preview-d-c-dont-stand-for-dodge-city%2F&s=6b4df85f6a1564ff90feef4f029fc9a563acaa6657b9a1a5ba640b7e1adc125b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.brightestyoun…</a>) and decided to check it out on Friday before heading to Nellie's with some friends.
For a bar that just opened this past Tuesday, there was a sizable crowd. There are some great beers on tap (including Troegs, which is one of my faves), and the space has a great vibe. Though Haile also owns Velvet next door, this place is not as much of a dive (and not as dark), and the downstairs seems perfect for getting a drink with a friend. Later in the night, I returned and spent some time upstairs where there's a DJ and a dance floor. There weren't too many people dancing when I was there, but I can tell that it'll be a space that fills up as Dodge City makes a name for itself.
There's lots of potential here! I feel like I'll be coming back quite regularly.