Public Bar

by Virgoian W.

I still don't see why people choose to stand in that long line to visit you Public bar. You always seem to disappoint me and my friends. Once again, you disappointed us. You were crowded, your patrons were boring and pretentious, not to mention predictable. The staircases are just waaaay too much. I give you another 6 months. The only thing you have going for you is the fact that it is FREE to get in you. You are kind of like the ugly slut out of the group. At the end of the night, people choose you because you are easy and it doesn't take much effort to get inside of you. Went Saturday evening..2 stars because its new, free and in a good location.Cons: Walking up all…

by tinarsaurus L.

I've been here two times now and have had a blast every time!!  It's not even my type of bar with my type of people or my type of prices... I think it has something to do with the long island iced tea that the bartender on the 2nd floor makes.  It's heavy duty and has made my night twice.  They don't play the best music... it rotates around top 40 and old school top 40.  It's usually waaay to crowded to dance, shake, or even move your arm.  Worse, you have to wait in line to go from level to level!!!!  Can you believe it??  And the bouncers hella regulate where you stand.  I guess you could say it's the Disneyland of sports bars, but I still have a good time.I would recommend going there early to avoid the line outside.  Also, don't mess around with the beers...just go straight for the long island iced tea!

by Charlotte S.

Okay, I went back to public a couple weeks later and realized that the only reason we were able to have any fun last time is that we got there really early.  When I arrived the second time at 11pm, I ended up spending most of my night in various lines.  The only good thing about this bar is the rooftop party, but to get there you have to wait in line on the first floor, and then again on the second floor.  The second floor line did not move at all.  I ran into a friend who had been waiting much longer than I had, and after about 40 additional minutes we gave up.  We spent the rest of the night on the first floor, which was too crowded, too hot, and full of slow and incompetent bartenders.  One of them actually dropped a box of beer on the ground, spilling beer and broken glass all over people.I also really think the sportsbar theme is a problem.  You don't want ads for athlete's foot medicine on four tvs around you when you're trying to dance and have a fun time at a bar (yes this actually  happened). I had a great time at Public, but when I looked around it didn't look like any of the other groups…

by Brian B.

Meh. I so want to like Public Bar. Built on the ashes of Five, DC's famous dance club that partied until, well, 5 a.m., Public Bar sprawls across several floors. To say this place is not wheelchair accessible is an understatement. Girls: do yourselves a favor and leave the heels and uber short skirts at home tonight. There are three floors of drunkenness to be had here (not including the entrance at the ground floor).Overall, it was O.K. The DJ was terrible. I mean absolutely horrid for a Dupont Circle destination.  And the roof deck, while a treat, was a pain to get up to. For much of the night, the line on the third floor to get to the rooftop patio was longer than the line on the street to get into the club. But rest assured, if and when you get to the roof, you'll have room to breathe. Just stay up there.Oh, and one more thing. There aren't bathrooms on each floor. There aren't. So plan ahead.Cheers!

by Jessica M.

This bar is right next door to 18th street lounge so it's perfect if you feel like crawling with a group of people. After 11pm, you're sure to have to wait online, and although I despise velvet ropes, the line does go fast. On a hot summer night, everyone's up on the roof top. There's not much space to dance but if you get behind a hot mess maybe he'll grind with you and that'll be good for a huge laugh. I didn't spend a second inside so  I can't speak about the atmosphere there.

by Amanda C.Elliot L.Chandana K.Alex V.Mitzy D.

Wow. These reviews are awful.I've only been here this past Sunday for football. I actually thought people were friendly and the bar was semi-decent. The bartender was quick, but she had a disturbing abundance of exposed boobage. It was hard for me to even look her in the face. Does that really give you better tips? Someone should do an empirical study...The food smelled good and I was told the sliders were enjoyable. It's definitely bar food, but it's "upscale".The TV arrangement is kind of funny here. They're all so close to one another that the eye wanders easily.  I felt like I had ADHD because I couldn't really focus on one. Nevertheless, it makes checking on every game a very easy task (if you can remember which game is on which TV).I'm assuming this bar changes vibes depending on what you're here for. I definitely don't go "clubbing" and if that's what Public is at night, I'd be less impressed. For sports, Public is pretty decent. It's better than a dive bar, but definitely not the best place to watch a game in DC.I've been here for two game nights:1) When the Vikings and Packers played on MNF.2) Game 2 of the World Series btwn Yanks and Phillies.I'm not sure about all these people saying it's a bad experience. The place is obviously a sports bar from the decor to the tv's in each booth, and as far as sports bars go, this one has got a lot of great amenities.The food is "bar food" but done well. $8 loaded baked potato curve balls are amazing. Like a giant, crispy on the outside, mushy on the inside french fry with cheese and bacon. A great twist on the classic potato skin. $7 steak burger, a decent burger and actually cooked the way you ordered. Well done, and a favorite of mine for any major sporting event.Happy Hour until 8 on the roof is nice. $5 rails, $3-5 beers. The bathroom mirror playing jeopardy while you wash your hands is nice.Redskins cheerleader handing out autographed pics is nice.Asshole bartender who is too old to be wearing such a tight shirt is not nice.The only reason this bar is getting two stars is because of the roof deck. The roof deck is very nice; everything else sucks. The beer selection is horrible, and the place is filled with guido's and d-bags. Its sad, because the building has a lot of potential. The layout is great, but Public bar is just not well executed.Sure...it's great on a warm, sunny, late afternoon for Happy Hour...if you can stomach the guido's in tight black t shirts and blow outs, pouting their lips at you, pretending to be wealthy.  Try going there on a Saturday night?  Never again.  Ever.  We felt like prisoners, being herded through the staircase, to the bar, to the bathroom... Literally, velvet ropes to keep people in order!  It took over an hour to get to the roof!  I had friends in town...it was pretty embarassing that I took them to this place.

by Jacqueline S.

I really like this bar.  I have only been here for happy hour- but it seems pretty great so far.   In my opinion, the lack of decent sports bars in this city is a crime.  As a sports fan, I appreciate the multitude of really nice flat screens artistically placed on the walls and those that are in the booths for private enjoyment.  It kind of reminds me of Damon's back in the day when you can choose what you watched/listened to, but much classier and cleaner!  **I secretly hope that they become an Ohio sports-based bar so I can claim Public as the best Buckeyes or Browns bar in DC.  All in all, I would definitely watch a game, people watch or come for the fun casual atmosphere. There isn't food yet- which kind of sucks, but I am anticipating good bar food and look forward to reviewing it.  Also, the bartenders kept forgetting to put limes in my corona- who drinks corona plain?  Looking forward to the Public evolution...hoping it stays clean.

by Chandana K.

Happy Hour until 8 on the roof is nice. $5 rails, $3-5 beers. The bathroom mirror playing jeopardy while you wash your hands is nice.Redskins cheerleader handing out autographed pics is nice.Asshole bartender who is too old to be wearing such a tight shirt is not nice.

by Vonetta Y.

I should have, in theory, loved this bar. I mean, it's not pretentious, but was chockful of sexy people and had a great roof top. But the music in the stairwells is soooo loud, it actually dampened my whole experience. And they don't serve food, which, on the one hand was groovy 'cause I got to shamlessly eat my empanada from Julia's all out in the open, but, honestly, bars without food just seems downright dangerous to me. And given the number of stairs in this place, an elevator is totally necessary for handicapped who want to get their drank on, but I didn't notice one, which can't be right because that'd be all kinds of discriminatory.But they do have great flat screens for sports and such. And sexy Black men to look at. So I'll give them another try.

by Elliot L.

I've been here for two game nights:1) When the Vikings and Packers played on MNF.2) Game 2 of the World Series btwn Yanks and Phillies.I'm not sure about all these people saying it's a bad experience. The place is obviously a sports bar from the decor to the tv's in each booth, and as far as sports bars go, this one has got a lot of great amenities.The food is "bar food" but done well. $8 loaded baked potato curve balls are amazing. Like a giant, crispy on the outside, mushy on the inside french fry with cheese and bacon. A great twist on the classic potato skin. $7 steak burger, a decent burger and actually cooked the way you ordered. Well done, and a favorite of mine for any major sporting event.