Tucked in a corner of Northwest, just a few blocks from the Columbia Heights metro station, Wonderland Ballroom hosts a colorful brunch crowd on weekends starting at 11 am. Â The picnic bench-adorned outdoor patio is chirping with laid-back youngsters curing last night's hangover with $11 bottomless mimosas and bloody marys. Â Additional outdoor seating trails down 11th street for larger groups to enjoy their concoctions of choice. Â Most breakfast options are accompanied with the works; a surprisingly savory mix of grilled peppers, onions & cherry tomatoes, shredded cheddar and home fries. Â All skillets tend to please, but The Hollywood is my personal favorite with veggie sausage, avocado, eggs, and the works. Â For those who really did drink too much tequila the night before, the mac n' cheese pancakes and pulled pork sandwich served with fries and slaw await. Â When the sun isn't shining, don't be discouraged- the indoor bar area is perfect for grooving and boozing with fellow Washingtonians, thanks to a jukebox that spits LCD Soundsystem and Beastie Boys tunes for a quarter a pop. Â Just look for the big blue umbrellas sporting the unmistakable Delirium Tremens elephants and prepare to get a tad delirious yourself.
Review Source:I've been to Wonderland a handful of times, and generally enjoy it. The beer garden is its best feature, and I could sit outside all day long. There's great people watching, good brunch specials, and I found the brunch to be tasty. Coffee is not good -- but you should be drinking if you go to Wonderland for brunch. I will go back often. Not totally sure about the night scene there, hoping to check it out soon!
Review Source:people love to hate this place but they're missing out, and no im not a hipster. whats not to love about the outdoor picnic area and all the neighborhood dogs that hang out while their owners quench their thirst?
good vegetarian food options, and the eggplant fries are AMAZINNNNGG.
sponsor of the columbia heights bocce leagues means $1 tacos after the games, thanks!
Such a fun place!
You always run into people you know at Wonderland--because everybody cool goes there--and tonight was just like normal in that respect! :-)
I normally come here to dance, which is great because it gets so crowded. This time, I just chilled and ate a vegan Italian sausage and some eggplant fries--both super yum!
Every time I've been to The Wonderland Ballroom it has a great time. Whether it's to just to grab a drink or to have brunch, I'd recommend Wonderland.
Their brunch is pretty decent and I would definitely suggest trying one of their skillets. I personally like the Hobo skillet, which comes with ham, bacon, sausage, two eggs, and the works (grilled peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes, shredded cheddar, and home fries). Also, Wonderland does what they call Bottle Service Mimosa for $11 where they take a bottle of champagne and pour a splash of orange juice in there. Just enough to qualify it as a mimosa! It's a pretty good brunch deal.
Lastly, who couldn't love a place that hosts a sundress festival every year in the Spring. This past Spring was my first time attending and it was amazing. I'm looking forward to it next year.
This is one of the two sponsor bars for the DC Bocce league. Â Bocce you inquire? It's a sophisticated version of shuffleboard, or curling without the ice and the broom. Â Try it out once and you'll find it to be less intimidating than a baby panda.
Back to Wonderland - it's a dive bar that has average food, fun decor, above average drinks on tap, an upstairs that's an experience in itself, and a beer garden in the front.
On weekends it gets fairly crowded, while on week nights, majority of the crowd will disperse around 10pm. Â The bartenders are friendly and the food comes out quickly (try the eggplant fries with your favorite sauce). Â
Overall it's exactly what you expect a dive bar to be, with an emphasis on 20s and 30s crowd.
I went to wonderland ballroom for brunch on a sunny Saturday. Unfortunately, it was a bit windy, and there was a guest smoking on the patio (is this allowed?!), so sitting outside was a no-go. The inside is kind of dark and not that pretty, but I came here to get my buzz on and eat some delicious brunch! I ordered the mac n' cheese pancakes and my friend ordered biscuits and gravy. We also got the mimosa bottle service. I was under the impression that it meant bottomless mimosas, but it was more like mimosas in a champagne bottle. It was still cheaper to do bottle service which got about 2.5 mimosas each.
Biscuits and Gravy: my friend cleared her plate immediately! She wolfed it down, despite eating prior to brunch! (I knew I made a good choice coming here!)
Mac n' cheese Pancakes: Heaven. I drizzled on some maple with some hot sauce. I have never tasted anything like it before and would 100% order it again. I was expecting one pancake, but it came with 3 good sized pancakes.The pancakes were fluffy and the macaroni was cooked right into them! My friend was very impressed and could not stop eating off my plate!
The mimosas were perfect and satisfied our craving for drunk brunch.
The food came out pretty quickly and we were given our bottle of mimosa right away. Our waiter was awesome and gave us another bottle of mimosa on the house!
I am definitely coming back so I can enjoy brunch on the patio!
If American history and social progress can be proud of one bar in DC, Wonderland is the one I found. It is the most awesome place in the area specially with the most awesome crowed who knows what they are there for : Dance, Sweat and not thinking about anything else. The crowed is amazingly diverse and very friendly with each other. Usually its like the end of a wedding party when you don't know people you are dancing with but you know you are part of an epic!! Â DJs are mostly doing great from awesome indie to hip-hop and 80s. Its actually hard to keep such crazy crowed flying and living the life!
People fall in love here all the time as cab drivers are exactly less than half of the people at the end of the night. I think they are the real lucky ones.
If you dont care for late night dance, then you should try some awesome out-side brunch here with a soccer field view Or show up for an original live music on Sunday nights.
Why?
  WHY?
   WHYYY??
     WHHHHHHHHHYYYYY?
Dirty, dingy, crowded, terrible lighting, terrible sound system, bad ventilation, usually forgettable music, not a proper space for a dance night. Â Yet this place is packed on weekends. Â If this bar were picked up and dropped off in the middle of Williamsburg or the Mission I might get it. Â But it's not. Â So, I don't.
Why.
This was by far the absolutely worst place I have ever been for brunch. We went to day for a friends birthday with a group of 10 girls. First of all the service is absolutely horrible. Took the waitress forever to take orders. Food came out in shirts and we waited an eternity for her to get the bill right. Don't dare ask for water here because they direct you to get your ownin a dirty cooler outside in small plastic cups. Had to go inside to use the restroom and I wished I hadn't. I'm all for dives, but this place is straight dirty and disgusting. On top of everything, the food was awful. Needless to day, we will never be back.,
Review Source:I went to Wonderland for Brunch for the first time and didn't have the best experience but the wait staff made up by offering the free bottle service. It was very crowded the day I went and a bit of confusion with new staff. Overall, the food was good, bottle mimosa's and the atmosphere. I met some wonderful people who knew the owner and they were really nice. It's a dog friendly place, it was decent. I would go back again.
Review Source:What a shitshow.
A dirty dive with a fratty feel, Wonderland Ballroom has a hilarious vibe. Â It seems like a good spot for when shit gets a little drunk and needs to get drunker. Â Something about the place fosters conversation amongst strangers (including dudes who think that last call is the time to jump into a convo with a bunch of ladies and attempt to smarm his way into taking someone home...it didn't go as well as he thought it would). Â Â
Bonus: Get some entertainment while you piss out that cheap beer you've been drinking by reading the hilarious bathroom graffiti (my favorite was "KISS ME ON MY EGO").
Is it a dive or does it just want to be one?
Dives are often dirty, dank, small and cheap as sin. Wonderland ballroom fulfills 2 out of four of these divey necessities.
They have about 8 craft beers on tap. Bartender was über cute as he playfully mocked me when I couldn't decide on my brew for the night. I eventually opted for a paulner hefeweizen in a ridiculously large in your face kinda glass. Satisfaction was obtained.
Music was eclectic. Atmosphere was entertaining. Bathrooms could be a wee bit better, but at least there was reading material on the walls to keep me entertained!
Highlight of the night was watching a blind guy awkwardly fist pump and dance across room with his walking cane and gauging everyone's reaction as he clumsily bumped into them. Holy social schadenfreude, batman.
Apparently there's food here, too. Maybe next time wonderland..
This is a really fun place to go for brunch, or dancing, or even just to grab a drink on a weeknight. It's not fancy, which is part of the reason that I like it.
Quality of music varies. Sometimes I am really happy with what they are playing (thinking 90s hits during brunch) and sometimes the music makes me consider leaving, like a recent Saturday night in which the DJ was giving me flashbacks to middle school dances. Ugh.
The brunch is delicious! I only wish they had a bottomless option for bloody mary's. I would recommend going with a skillet for brunch.
They also have a $6 special: Genesee Cream + shot of Jim Beam, which you can get anytime. Not too shabby.
I frequent this joint because it's where people in Columbia Heights go in groups. I appreciate it because it does "dive" right - funky decor, cheap booze, and no dress code. I'm also bored out of my mind with this bar and its clientele, upon whom I can comment now that I'm moving out of the hood.
There may not be a dress code, but there's enough hipster pretention to drown a Brooklynite. Lots of ironic facial hair in 2013 still. Ubiquitous plaid and skinny jeans. One feels as angry at his own generation as Holden Caulfield when he enters.
Getting drinks is a real ordeal, but the bartenders are fair and will serve you in rough order that you muscle your way to the bar. As everyone's packed like sardines and the orderer will be responsible for carrying all his/her party's drinks back to wherever they're wedged between the wall and the lines for the bathroom or the stairs, you will spill and be spilled upon.
Upstairs is a frighteningly packed room of sweat that has a bar if you push through to the left and a stage for musicians if you push through to the right. The only way to dance on the 'dance floor' is to push toward the stage/speakers area until you're out of the path which leads to the bar, then start throwing 'bows and clearing your feet an area in which to move - but don't move them too fast, the floor is always wet.
The tiny beer garten outside is the best part, although tragically closed in winter (overhead heaters, a tent cover maybe). Also nice is their live karaoke - I like the band, but it's similarly a TON of effort to get to the stage, and you're reward is being swallowed by a crowd who didn't really notice you. The band should find a bigger space to do their thing.
Ultimately, Wonderland is a superfad. You're supposed to say you like it because everyone else says they do, but although I've heard "I love Wonderland!" a billion times, I've rarely seen anyone enjoying themselves there, and I know I don't. When I hear someone at a house party shout "WONDERLAND!" it's time to sneak out and go home.
Go here once, appreciate the decor and how foolish rich white DC kids can be, and cross it off your list. If you're the kind of person that thinks "dive" is a compliment to a bar, and who loses sleep worrying about whether your friends know how cool you are, then maybe stay a while.
Note to the business: I wouldn't change anything if I were you. You own a better bar that you can feel good about, and Wonderland's obviously a hipster goldmine. But do make the patio beer garten rain-proof. That'll go a long way.
I am a huge fan of this neighborhood grunge bar. Â The beer selection works, the crowd is always interesting and the front deck on a sunny day is clutch. Â The food is really good too. Â I never leave this place disappointed, especially for brunch. Â
What I love:
-mac'n'cheese pancakes (trust me)
-challah french toast
-huevos rancheros
-veganator skillet
-ranchero skillet
Also don't miss out on the eggplant fries!
It gets pretty crowded, so make sure you show up early and snag a table.
Bottomless mimosas + breakfast skillet = One of the best brunch spots in DC.
Wonderland is extremely casual and you are always in for a treat with any brunch item (vegan/vegetarian friendly). I never order from the regular menu but I have heard good things about their sandwiches and appetizers. The food and drinks are reasonably priced and a low-key neighborhood provides great ambience, especially during warmer weather months.
Be prepared if you come in a group larger than 4 to have a bit of a wait or be squished into a picnic table bench. I enjoy the communal benches, but the tables along the sidewalk are ideal for people watching and enjoying the weather!
I may have picked up a virus or two just by touching the bathroom faucets, but that's all part of the charm. Wonderland is the most divey place outside of the Pug that I've found in my old home town. It seems like they go to a lot of trouble to look like they don't care, but then so did I when I was younger. Good beer selection including Chocolate City (Drink local!), and mixed drinks seem to be strong enough. The Trainspotting poster prompted a heated discussion about the career of Kelley MacDonald that only the imdb app could settle. Bartender did seem to forget he ever took my visa for a tab, but the neighborhood girls at the rail can be distracting, so I can't fault.
When Meridian's stools are all taken this is a perfect spot to fill the void in your life with booze.
One of my favorite places in the neighborhood.
Brunch - super laid back and reasonably priced. Bottomless specials are great. Skillets are delicious. I also love the breakfast burrito. Portions are good. Great place to sit outside, enjoy the weather, have great convo, and have some drinks. Outdoor seating is communal benches, not a problem to me, some may think not a lot of privacy.
Bar - I don't drink much beer but my friends have all enjoyed the selection. I think the drinks are very reasonably priced for DC. The only downside is that it gets sooo crowded on weekends, especially when there's a bar crawl or some sort of an event. Otherwise, love the atmosphere and the laid backness. Will continue frequenting.
This is a place for locals. Â I live around the corner so I'm here often.
It's a DIVE, ok. Â When you get past the looks of the place you realize the service is good, the food is great and the prices are reasonable. Â This place has it all: Â A great for Karaoke night. Awesome DJ's on the weekend. Great burgers and sandwiches and an one of the best brunches in the city. Â
If you don't check it out. Your loss not mine. I don't want you clogging up the patio anyway.
3 is kind of generous, but I'll give them the upper hand as I'm not exactly a local here.
This place is an obvious sister-joint to the Looking Glass and I reeeaaally did not like the Looking Glass.
This place is super grungy/grimy feeling, but it has the eclectic collector's feel with all of the vintage signs and odds and ends on the walls.
The bar tenders seemed nice enough, but not like I'm used to here in Baltimore. A little less social.
They were out of their signature 'blue pill' drink, so I went with the 'red pill'. What was it? I have no idea but I was feeling adventurous/reckless/matrix-y with my drink order that night.
Turns out, it was delicious! I believe it was vodka based.
Either way, I might come back again, I might not. It's not really up there on my list.
Brunch at The Wonderland Ballroom gets 5 stars for the bottomless mimosas alone.
I recommend you hurry and check this place out during patio weather because Sunday brunch here outside on the picnic tables with good friends is truly what life is about.
It doesn't hurt that the food is good too. Â They have options that meet all dietary needs, ranging from vegan to meat packed. Â I had The Hollywood skillet and enjoyed eggs, veggie sausage, and avocado served with home fries. Â Delicious.
I am definitely going to capitalize on this great outdoor brunch spot in my new neighborhood as much as I can before patio dining becomes uncomfortable, and I recommend you do too.
This divey gem is a classic neighborhood bar that's got all the basics of what you could want in such a place. Chill atmosphere, casual/nonexistent dress code, only somewhat hipster, good beer, decent munchies (for vegetarians, too), friendly bartenders, no cover, patio with picnic tables, upstairs for karaoke/trivia/dance parties.
Look out for those weekend dance parties by the way - it gets hot as balls up there and drunken revelers are jumping around and getting down like nobody's watching. Don't be afraid to get splashed by the sweat of strangers, it's inevitable. The stairway to sweat heaven, by the way, is tucked behind the bar. Walk in past the bar and loop behind it. If you feel the temp rise noticeably, you're in the right place.
Sorry to hate on this local establishment. Â I'm just not very impressed by Wonderland. Â The drinks are average, and the inside is one dart board short of a hick bar in Wisconsin's north woods. Â The bouncers and servers are friendly, but the bartenders have the "H street" service attitude down. Â
If you're looking for a dive bar with outdoor seating, there are much better options in north Columbia Heights and Petworth. Â Inevitably, I will find myself at Wonderland in the future; however, it isn't my first choice in the neighborhood.
I had the most fun I've had in a really long time dancing upstairs on a Saturday night. Really awesome crowd. Not nearly as date-rapey as most places in DC tend to be.
5 stars, because I dropped my phone somewhere, my friend called it when we got home, and the staff had picked it up and kept it for me until I got there for brunch the next day (which was delicious, even though I was hungover)
Wonderland is great when it's not crowded. The outdoor seating area is cute. It's got these large wooden picnic-style tables which kind of force you to interact with the people around you. That's always nice. Wonderland is not so great when it's hot outside and the bar on the main floor is crowded. There's not one window in there, almost zero ventilation and it's grimy and hot. That, I hate. I've done my fair share of sweating on the second floor on warm Saturday nights and while I had fun getting down, hot sweaty mess isn't a look I like to cultivate.
The drink and food prices are good for DC and the food, in my experience, has been hit or miss. A couple of weeks ago, I had the black bean chipotle veggie burger. It sounds good, right? Well, it's not. I don't understand how you manage to make this taste like nothing. Also, another thing: if you are going to say this is a black bean burger, then I'd expect a little more than just a couple of beans on a patty. However, I recently had an amazing experience here on Saturday when I got the veggie sausage. It's the most flavorful veggie hot dog I've ever had. It's served on a delicious hot dog bun with grilled peppers and onions.
I love cool/dive bar places but I feel everyone's gushing over this one because it's like one of the only ones DC has got. It could get much hipper than this, in my opinion. This place isn't really inviting and the music isn't as alternative as you'd expect from a place like this. I guess this is fine for DC standards if what you're looking for is something different than your average Adams Morgan/Dupont mainstream bar scene but it's not as hip as I was told it was.
Wonderland is one of the few bars in DC where I've spent the evening talking to new friends I'd met that same night. Great, laid-back patio, friendly dive-bar ambiance (the best kind, in my book), excellent and well-priced domestic and international draft beer choices.
The hipster dancing scene upstairs is pretty crowded, skinny-jean intense (but truly unpretentious), and a little bit grabby, but the music (at least the night I was there) is a refreshing change of scene from the usual hip-hop/club music staples.
Finished off my hazy night with a completely unnecessary bottle of wine at Room 11 (who knew they were open so late?? And who can resist that welcoming cozy glow?) and engaged in some blurry reflections about what an A-OK neighborhood Columbia Heights is. Wonderland Ballroom: not a ballroom, but pretty wonderful.
Wonderland is one of the best bars in DC. I've seen people fall in love, I've seen people get in fights, and I've seen many, many happily drunk people.
Here are some reasons why Wonderland rocks:
-Its a neighborhood bar with an outdoor patio where dogs and children are welcome.
- The vibe is unpretentious and friendly without being corporate
- There is no dress code
- Visit enough and people will start to know your name.
- They serve basic bar food but done very well. Lots of healthy and vegetarian options. I particularly love the veggie sausage and my friend swears by the chicken sandwich. The fries are thin and crispy like McDonalds. This is one of the only bars in DC with cheap and tasty food that won't make you feel guilty the next day for dropping a grease bomb on your gut.
Weeknights have a casual neighborhood scene. Weekends the upstairs turns into a dance party where things get hot and sweaty. The plus side is that there is no cover but that also makes it so its very crowded up there.
Finally, Wonderland has one of the best trivia nights anywhere in DC. It is an open mic format where different teams sign up to host trivia and the crowd is very discerning. If you get on stage at Wonderland and ask about sports and classic rock, you will likely get booed. But, if you write clever trivia about topics such as reality shows, 19th century poetry, food and wine, math, and folk music, the audience will reward you. The trivia is obscure and entertaining and the trivia regulars have been coming for years. I believe that Wonderland attracts some of the best players in DC. Many trivia hosts who host at other bars drop in to play at Wonderland.
I didn't even know this place served food! I always went for the beer. And yes, fine, I'll admit: the men.
Ladies, If you want to meet some men (and don't act like you don't), this place is chock full of 'em during the weekends. I'm not saying they're the cream of the crop (except for you, man Yelper. You're awesome... and totally hot), but at least they exist; unlike throughout the rest of DC.
Best damn veggie skillets in DC. Â Paired with a blueberry pancake beer? Â Hell yes! Â An unbeatable brunch combination. Â I went there for the first time on Easter Sunday and someone had written "He is Risen! Â And he wants BRUNCH!" on the sign. That was enough to make me love this place.
Since then (that was a month ago), I have found myself there on multiple occasions. I LOVE the vibe of this bar! Â It's a dive-y neighborhood joint with live band karaoke, dancing, outdoor picnic-style seating and a great, consistent beer selection. Â The servers are fun, quirky, and incredibly nice. Â What's not to love?
Wonderland, where everyone knows your name. No seriously, the bouncer recognized me last time I went which made me rethink my life decisions.
The first time I went here it was summer and 100 degrees outside and 90 degrees inside and they were out of $2 tacos and I was insanely miserable. But I can't blame Wonderland for the weather (though they can be blamed for lousy AC - maybe it's fixed now, who knows). I've been back plenty since then and it's always a super low key atmosphere. They have a huge food selection which is why I would rate this place one step above a dive bar. And it's actually pretty good. Chicken wings and chicken sandwiches are solid, the eggplant fries are AH-MAzing.
Brunch is surprisingly solid here, I've had the basic breakfast with two eggs, hashbrowns, and bacon and the potatoes were better than other brunches in town where I've paid twice as much. $11 bottomless mimosas, but fair warning, it's more like orange soda than champagne and orange juice though it will get you day drunk, regardless.
Occasionally I've seen bands upstairs, I've eaten at the booths inside, but the outdoor patio is where it's at. When the weather's nice, I think it's my favorite outdoor seating in the neighborhood.
I'm not sure if food specials are daily or only during certain times of the year (I've seen them during the summer) but worth asking about when you're there.
Its a quintessential neighborhood bar in a hipster/organic/crunch sort of neighborhood.
Beer selection is good.
Hefewiezen PaulanerBrau AND Hoegarden on tap. Fuck yes. I'm a huge fan. My liver is not.
Food menus are surprisingly good considering its mainly a bar. They try to tackle some different types of cuisine. I appreciate that. Menu items are inspired and creative. Eggplant fries are delicious.
Decent amount of vegetarian/vegan options.
Stay away from the wraps. They're bleh.
Staff is pretty friendly.
Great outdoor seating.
It gets pretty crowded on weekends, but I guess that's a good thing if you're looking to dance or just rock out. They don't just play hipster/emo music either. Some top 40s and rock.
Overall, its a go-to place if I want something I know i'll enjoy - be it dinner or a middle (not high or low) energy night out.
I love Wonderland Ballroom. Let me explain to you why.
I like being able to go out on a whim to a local bar to just hang out, enjoy good conversation, drinks, order some bar food if I want, and just have a chill experience. I'm not one of those girls that likes to dress to the nines to go out; sometimes I just feel the need to head out in whatever I'm wearing, and not feel that I don't fit in as a result.
For the times I've been to Wonderland Ballroom, it's been great..
Brunch: YUM! When we first went here for brunch, I'd been poking around Yelp for brunches, and this menu intrigued me. $11 bottomless Mimosas, and some cool menu items, like the french toast monte cristo and a list of skillets. We headed over on a sunny day in February and were lucky enough to be able to sit outside, and it was a blast. Great food, great service and a fun afternoon. Since then, we've been to brunch one more time, and will definitely go again.
General bar hanging out: On a whim my boyfriend and I went for a walk that ended at Wonderland Ballroom. The weather had turned around and we were able to sit outside for a bit and drink, which was fun. The bartender inside was great and a real nice guy. Eventually we moved indoors as it got colder, played some old school music on the jukebox, and ordered some fried pickle spears - NOMS!
The prices were normal for both the brunch items and the beers we ordered.
We found our neighborhood bar. I can't wait for the weather to be consistently warm, I know we'll be there every weekend!
So, if you're looking for a place you can just sit for hours and drink, chill, and converse in an outside or inside venue, check out Wonderland Ballroom.
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