Rock & Roll Hotel

This place is fine for a show, but you should get there early if you want a prime view of the stage - it gets packed pretty quickly. That said, don't worry if you're late, the sound more than carries through the space.

The drinks are reasonably priced, though unlike the other hipster bars on H St., you're not going to get fancy schmancy, basil foamed nonsense drinks here. Gin and tonic? Yes. Jack and Coke? Yes. Lime infused gin with a pickled cucumber, topped with black pepper arugula extracted foam? No change.

My favorite part of Rock & Roll Hotel is the 2nd floor. On Fridays and Saturdays, the DJ spins pretty fun stuff. You're guaranteed to find multiple songs to get your groove on.

Rock and Roll Hotel: Good music venue, **dodgy, scummy bartenders on the 2nd & 3rd floors** who attempt to (or will) rip you off as they hope that you're the least bit unattentive about receiving change when paying for a drink.

This is unbelievable, especially as you're patronizing their establishment and trying to enjoy yourself, as well as being a courteous, tipping customer, yet this classless, dirtball behavior occurs.

I'm not a naive small-town person, but have never experienced this kind of treatment in all my life in *any* kind of establishment (restaurants or bars, etc.), having lived, worked and attended decades of shows/concerts of all scales and types in Chicago, DC and elsewhere in the US and in Tokyo, for starters. I was not drunk or belligerent, but sorry: This is unacceptable even at a rock club, or especially at a rock club's quieter secondary bars where you'd expect to have a smile and a nice rapport going with the bartenders. Not so with the dirtballs here.

Witness: Very recently before a show, I went up to the rooftop bar, had one beer at happy hour price without issue because I paid by exact change, then asked for a second beer, flipped the guy a $20, waited a full two minutes in disbelief for my $13 in change as the bartender toyed with his iPhone three feet in front of me. Only when I said, "hey, still waiting for my $13 change; I gave you a $20," did he even bother to look up, feign apologeticness and say, "oh, I forgot!!!" Bullcrap.

Then during the show on the first floor, I went up to the second floor bar only because it was quiet and I could better make a drink request. The female bartender there did me one drink without issue, again because I paid by exact change. Then later during the music set, I returned for another drink -- and this apparently is where I made the mistake of not using exact change because I didn't have it at that moment -- paid for my $12 drink with a $20 plus two singles (actually three singles, as I was going to tip her), expecting to get $10 back, but nothing happened; even after I told the bartender I was waiting for my change; she said, "no, you gave me exact change."

This time, I indeed was flat-out ripped off; again, there I was in apoplectic disbelief, but did not want to make a scene, so went back downstairs to the music. I only lost $10, but have to consider it taking one for the team, so here I am to warn you all. Lesson learned: if you must go here, take plenty of small bills to pay for your drink orders with exact change. It's a pity one can't just enjoy themselves and chill without always having to be on your guard and worry about untrustworthy low-end types who are supposed to be reasonable and cooler than that. Maybe the economy sucks and they don't make much money, but there's still no excuse for this kind of thing.

One more time: Rock and Roll Hotel: Good music venue, **dodgy, scummy bartenders on the 2nd & 3rd floors** who attempt to (or will) rip you off as they hope that you're the least bit unattentive about receiving change when paying for a drink.

Great place to see a show or just hang out with friends. They have a good beer selection that sadly many of the misguided youths who come here dismiss in favor of PBR *shudder. I haven't tried the chicken and waffles yet, but do like the metal brunch on the roof. It's a great spot to hang out when the weather is nice. I like that they covered it so you still get a fresh breeze but don't have to bake in direct sunlight. While it's known mostly for shows, prefer just hanging out on the rooftop.