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 Sarah L.

3.5 stars.I convinced my boyfriend to come here to watch Game 7 of the NHL playoffs. It was nice to see that it was a Redwings-friendly bar. It was about a 0.3 mile walk from the Farragut North (L Street) station. There are 3 levels, along with a rooftop terrace, which I didn't get to explore. It seems to get a bit more upscale (but still keeping with the industrial decor) with each level. We stuck with the second level, as it had these huge booths, with a small flat screen TV for each booth. There is even a wall remote where you can change the channels. I'm pretty sure you can fit 6 or even 8 average-sized people in these booths. There are also small tables and a main gathering area with about 5 (? I didn't count) bigger screens on the walls. When it got close to game time, they turned the sound on. During the intermission between the second and third periods, they played really loud music. I guess during commercial breaks they turn into a club... which plays Europe's "The Final Countdown".Girls, if you're planning on getting your drink on in here, be advised that there are lots of stairs, with the bathroom being on the third level. So hopefully you have good drunken coordination skills and hopefully you're not wearing stilettos. One cool thing about the bathrooms is that they have a small TV behind the mirror so you won't miss the game while you're taking a leak.Being a new business, I will cut them some slack on the service. Our server said it was her first day. They don't have a kitchen yet so for the time being patrons are allowed to bring in outside food. ((Mmm, kebabs). Initially she took a really long time to get our drink order, but during the game she kinda checked up on us. The building wasn't full during the game, though.One bottle of Yeungling and 2 vodka + cranberry added up to $22. We didn't get an itemized receipt so I'm guessing the beer was $8 and the other drink was $7/each, which I think is expensive for vodka + cranberry, but that's just me. Once the game was over it was like a swarm of women dressed to impress entered the bar. A group of women were waiting to poach our booth, with one even going to my bf's side to grab his jacket to give to me. There was a rope and a line of people waiting to get in when we left. So yeah, I don't think they would have let me in wearing my bright pink Power Rangers shirt and flip flips after 10pm.Public Bar might be having an identity crisis, but I had a good time and would definitely be back. They do have Happy Hour on weekdays from 5-7pm.

by Alisa M.

The rooftop at Public makes me forget that I'm in DC! And maybe for a few minutes I can imagine I'm in some cooler hip-er city like Miami, or Vegas, or Aruba!           (This review is strictly for after-hours/night-out at Public. I've never been to Happy Hour here) I love the international feel and diverse clientele, a great mix of house and top 40 remixes. Although the roof has always been packed, I've never waited long for a drink (at either bar on each end) and they're not overpriced either ($5 coronas, $10 long island - pretty standard). I generally stick to the right side of the roof, where there's more dancing and more space! Plus an open rooftop = you can smoke up here!!!!!! YES! But if you don't smoke, it's spacious enough so it's not like a hookah bar where you're involuntarily inhaling smoke every second. Also they have huge fans up there that very effectively elude the fact that we are currently trudging through another sticky, sweaty, gross August in DC! And given all this, one would expect a most pretentious crowd/vibe - and it's not at all. I know there are heaps of stairs - but once I get on the roof - I couldn't care less about the stairs! Coz there is no incentive to venture to any of the other floors... (not for me at least!) because, the roof is where its AT! And I've never once seen a drink spilled or nastiness on the stairs... so really it's not so bad. And really, if you've had too many drinks to make it up the stairs... maybe you should check out Lucky bar across the street........

by James R.

single good thing is the rooftop, and it's quite nice.drinks are what you'd expect.  style is fratty - just not my thing, but it's upscale frat if it's yours.  we had fun because we were really early, it was empty, nice place to sit outside and hang out.  but by the time we left and there was a line 20 deep outside, I knew I had just experience the one and only way that I will ever go here.

by Arielle F.

Came here last night to celebrate the big 2-4.  The rooftop is great. It's perfect for groups.  We did not feel cramped at all.  The bartenders were also really nice.  The happy hour specials are solid and it goes until 8PM- always a nice thing for those of us who don't get off work until 6PM. I can't offer anything about the rest of the bar, and I've heard the place is packed on the weekends, but I can say for sure that this is a great destination for a Happy Hour during the week.

by Harry T.

Went here last night for an alumni event.  I think I got there too late because everybody was dressed up in going out clothes rather than ironic t shirts like me.  It's an upscale sports bar with a patio up top and 3 floors.  There's a DJ that spins on a balcony with his back to the huge window in the front of the building.  I like the fact that it's  a nice sports bar with live DJ in DC.  It's perfect if you want to hang out with the fellas and not feel like you have to dance.

by Mary B.

OK soooo I came back here for the Budweiser lager lesson. Not sure if it just happened to be a great night cause all of the free beer that flowed into everyones mouth, but this place was as exciting as pop rocks in my mouth. I also got to venture up to the rooftop bar which is really cool and laid back. So all in all I believe I will come back. Went there on a Saturday night to meet with some friends. It already had a decent crowd for being…

by Kat R.

Clean, good service not too expensive.  The Public bar has plenty of tv screens, roof top seating and multiple floors.  It is in an excellent location and I would suggest this for a large gathering or a couple of friends.Nice place for a sports bar.

by Gini A.

"I'm by the door...on the roof.""So am I.""No, you're not, I'm standing right by the door on the roof!""Wait...where are you?""Public, I think it's called?""Is there a cover? Is the music fun?""Nope no cover. The music isn't bad.""Be there in a few."We left the 18th St. Lounge for Public, and wasn't too disappointed. The music was more fun and the rooftop was bigger. Decent bar, decent prices for drinks...not decent were the unholy amount of stairs you had to climb to get said rooftop. All the guys that we were with complained about the wait for the bathroom. Didn't really have that much trouble trying to hit up the girls bathroom. Go figure. All in all, we'll probably come back to Public at some point, but maybe a bit earlier to grab an actual seat on the rooftop.

by Kelly S.

3.5 stars. I'm a little conflicted about this place. Here's your analogy - slicker version of Mr. Days/Club Days in Clarendon.  On the one hand, I'm all for a sports bar w/pretty good number of tv's in the dupont area. No one can argue w/having a huge roof deck and an interesting layout and decor. But is this place actually trying to be a sports bar? Methinks not. First off, I don't think a sports bar would get a little picky about dress code in the evening. It gets pretty loungy once all the games are over, which is fine I guess. They don't have nearly enough beer on tap, you really need that variety if you want to have ppl hang out there for long periods of time. They do have a pretty good number of TV's, but they aren't big enough. They need to get at least a couple really big tv's if they want it to be a sports destination. It seems to me that they want to be multiple things to multiple crowds, and that's ok unless it drives away one of their target audiences (me). I can't criticize them on the food issue since they are working on getting a menu in place and do allow outside food (we had a table full of nando's, clutch) and I guess they're still working things out, but I will definitely return b/c the place has potential. I just hope they use it for good and not evil!

by Justin B.

I've spent three evenings at Public Bar and I never had a good experience. Public Bar is a new sports bar spread across 3 (or 4) floors with a rooftop patio. The entire place is brand new, well decorated and surprisingly clean. The roof is a very cool place to hang out, especially before 10pm when the place fills up with college kids. The big problem is their service... it's awful. The bartenders are very rude, uptight and unfriendly. The drinks are pricey and nobody ever knows what the drink specials are. The bartender on the roof recently kicked a guy out of the bar for watching the game and not ordering any drinks. If you like expensive drinks, crowds of frat boys, rude service and about 238492 stairs... go to Public Bar.

by Jessica C.

Came here on a Saturday night. Pretty packed. Mediocre music, not really danceable. Plus, the music wasn't as loud as I wanted it to be. The set-up is interesting. Four floors? Lots of stairs, save the heels. Rooftop was nice, very crowded. Good place to just hang-out I suppose. Not a very diverse crowd.

by Dan B.

A nice addition to the Connecticut Ave. bar scene, Public is a flashy sports bar that features 40+ LCD TV's. Some of them are mounted in uneven angles along the wall, which adds a little flavor to watching your favorite game (see my pic).Drinks seem moderately priced. My friend who had 6 drinks got a $30 tab -- maybe the newbie bartender couldn't do math. No kitchen yet but they'll have one soon, I was told. The roof deck will be open in June.Public seems to be looking for an identity. It has the arcade games of a dive bar, the branding of a sports bar, and the table service scene (upstairs) of a club. I think they'll need to pick a direction in order to differentiate. It seems like they're trying to do too much.The bar has the potential to either turn ghetto or become a fratboy/douchebag haven but only time will tell where it'll go. I hope they play their cards right because this could be a cool spot.

by Lauren C.

Public is....okay.I've been there a few times now and each experience greatly differed from the others.  The first time, all the levels were open and the crowd was fun and dancing.  They were playing excellent choices in music and everyone was having a good time.The next two times I went back, they arbitrarily closed the top two floors.  The vibe was pretty anti-social for a bar, and everyone seemed uptight and unapproachable.  It's nice that there's no cover and one of the bouncers is pretty cute...but I definitely won't be coming back.

by Liz A.

Underwhelmed by this place.  For some reason my boyfriend and his friends love this place (meatheads).  Not my kind of place.Drinks are a bit overpriced.  The roof bar is always crowded.  The crowd is rather tacky, but relatively good looking.  The floors below the roof tend not to be so packed, and one of the bartenders was goooorgeous (female).  I've had a decent time here.Inexplicably, they were showing UFC.  On every TV.  Including one embedded into the female restroom's mirror.  I know it's a sports bar, but UFC?  Really?  Brought the rating down at least a star.  Probably will be back, if only because my boyfriend will make me.

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 Nicole L.

I came here for an Yelp event I liked the interior and layout. I thought it would be a great place for watching NFL they even show UFC fights. There was a UFC fight that night  a group of people were meeting at Public, when I arrived 30 min before the fight there was a line and a cover of $5. The second floor bar where the big screen projection was packed with people. I couldn't find the people I was meeting except for 1. The Michigan State and Iowa University football was on and the bar was sooooo loud cos these people were absolutely rowdy chanting away like they are still in college. Seriously! By 10 PM the football game was still going, we were not able to watch the fight. Why pay $5 when I can't watch the fight? The college football people started leaving after 20-30 min I was waiting for this girl to leave to get her stool and this really GENTLEMAN guy walked up and snatched the seat before my very eyes! I was so disgusted with him but I ended up sitting next to him, he tried to apologize to me. I was starving and was hoping to get some bar food the bartender then told me the bar closed at 1030 PM. Oh well, what was I suppose to do when there was a crowd of people? I ordered Stella Artois a few times before realizing the bartender had given me Peroni instead. Ok the bottles were green but geez...He made it up in the end giving me a free bottle of Stella. This is not a good place at all like I imagined for fights, the upstairs was pumping up the volume with dance music and downstairs was noisy and echoey. Seemed like they were trying to do too much with the bar. I was disappointed.

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 Marianne D.

P.S. Five had stairs too. 18th St Lounge has stairs. The metro has stairs... you probably even pay to to to the gym.ahemVENUE:Plentiful space. Booths and hang-out areas. Wide stairway with railing so you don't have to learn his cologne when passing if you don't want to, unlike some other places I know. Clean lines, An open-style Skybox rooftop offering two bars, a classy marina feeling with the scheme lighting, and out of the hot sun by mid-happy hour.MENU:Happy Hour M-F, 5-8. $3-+ beers, etc.CREW:Friendly, and nicely in the background, with quick, clean service.P.S. Honey, if you don't want the bar-back go anywhere near you, then simply get out of the walkway. He's politely keeping the tabletops clear of many-a-beer bottles all night long.MUSIC:Dance-lounge mix of quality beats vibe. Not so much untz, untz, untz that you can't hit up the guy next to you or hear your own thoughts. M/W's RM:A bit toasty, but clean and no line.VERDICT:While I'm not a jock, or a tv-sports fan, and I do lament the dance-floor swap-out... I'm certain I'll be back.Date, friends, girl's night out maybe

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 Kim M.

Public Bar might be the single worst bar I have ever been to. While walking through the crowd to meet my friends, a guy seriously peeled away from his friends to block my passage, looked me up and down, and asked, point blank, "Are you drunk?!"Best. Pick-up. Line. Ever. (?)Needless to say, I said, "NO!" and shoved him out of my way. The crowd is trashy, fratty, and desperate. It's a very "college" scene-- too loud, too trashy, too few chairs. I will give it the benefit of the doubt as a daytime sports bar and happy hour venue, but I will NEVER be back.

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 Pamela D.

Look, bitches. I am a Floridian. Know what we Floridians dislike? Stairs. We love booze but we hate stairs. Say what you want about Florida, but we are a smart people to not mix stairs with booze. Can you possibly see how that could be bad?Okay, now that being said, after lugging my morbidly obese 110 pound self all the way up to the roof deck, I sort of dug it. Having lived in Florida, California, and Washington, you'd think I'd have encountered more bars with roof decks, but I really haven't. Nice views of city lights, and it wasn't too obnoxiously crowded at 9pm on a Thursday.My vodka tonic was a bit weak, which made me sad. The bartenders seemed nice, at least. And really cheesy 80s music was playing, so I was pretty happy.Also, maybe it was a blessing that my drink was weak and we decided to move on to another bar, because otherwise I may have gotten drunk up there. And, you know....Stairs + heels + booze = DISASTER. Just sayin'.

by Amber B.

HOLY STAIRS BATMAN. If you love walking up and down stairs and love top 40 hits, come to Public Bar.In order to get to the roof top deck I walked up four or five flights of stairs. Good lord that's a whole lotta stairs! I mean, I love a good work out, but at a bar.. where many girls may be wearing heels.. that is insane, people. Not to mention, dangerous. Anyway, cut to the rooftop: it's actually pretty nice. Well-decorated, expansive and functional with a bar on each end. The happy hour was $3 domestics ($4 for the micro brews) which is a typical HH deal in the city, yet after 3-4 of these 2 hours later, ya get a little snacky. But, there's no food at this bar. Not to self, don't go hungry.The service at the roof top bar was actually pretty efficient, even given the Friday night HH crowd. Other than using the restrooms (which, no stalls had toilet paper) I didn't get to any of the other floors, yet in taking a peek, see no reason to go to Public for any other reason than the roof top.

by John K.

I was really hoping to like this place.  A sports bar in the middle of Dupont that didn't charge cover?  Sounded like the perfect place for me.  But coming here on Friday night for a friend's birthday, this place had everything that made me understand why I don't go out to places like this anymore.  Lines everywhere.  Can't go to the next floor yet.  Only VIP.  ONLY 2 BATHROOMS for the first 1/2 of the night.  It took me 20 minutes just to go.  I pretty much went straight to the line after I ordered my drink because I knew that I would have to go wee by the time I was done.  If I waited until I felt the need to go, I think I would've pee'd my pants.  And I'm not as cool as Miles Davis.The + side is that it is ultimately a sports bar.  Tons of TVs to watch the games and the drinks aren't that bad.  I ordered a round of drinks for my friends and the bill only turned out to about $19.  Way less than what I would've expected.+ Cheap drinks+ Lots of TVs+ No Cover- - HORRRRRRRRRRRIBLE Bathroom lines (I really considered just peeing in order somewhere)- "Club" feel on weekends.

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 Zachary H.

I agree with the 3-star average rating on Yelp. I went here for the first time on a Thursday night for happy hour. Though I liked the decor (nice and airy, with a nice roof deck), Public Bar is a bit too "cool" for my tastes. That "coolness," however, comes with some very attractive bartenders, which I cannot complain about. I also kind of liked the dozen or so flat screens that they have decorating the main bar room. As far as the quality of the drink and food, I found both to be good. My vodka-tonics were mixed to my liking (no weak drinks here!). I also tried both t he XX buffalo wings and the giant onion rings - both were good by "bar food" standards. DC's Golden Triangle can be pretty disappointing when it comes to bars. Public Bar stands out as one of my favorites in the area, but falls short of a bar that I would add to my top 25. All in all, not a bad place for a couple drinks after work, but I would never travel downtown specifically for this place.

by Allie M.

I came back around 1 a.m. on a Saturday. I wasn't pleased.The bartenders must have thought I was drunk because they made extremely weak drinks. I watched one female make mine and I asked her to add some more vodka because there was hardly any in it. She gave me an annoyed look and didn't say a word when I thanked her.The crowd was mostly uptight out-of-towners or new-to-DC residents. My friend and I tried to strike up convos with quite a few groups of dudes, but no one was having it.I will not come back here unless it's a private party with my own friends. It's not worth it.Plus, it's REALLY bright in there for a bar. I visited Public on a Thursday night for an after-work happy hour. The specials are pretty good: $3…

by Bethany F.

Again, I was visiting a friend in D.C. and we went to this bar to start our evening. I had mixed feelings about this place.Decor/Atmosphere: I liked the feel here. The huge TV screen wall was cool, though no interesting games were on at the time. The roof deck was kind of cool but was PACKED...mostly with people looking like they were trying too hard to impress people.Drinks: I am a huge fan of beer on draft...and this place SUCKED for draft beer. Miller lite and some other lite beer on draft? Really? That's all?I still had a fun time for the hour or so I was there, but just got annoyed at the over-crowding and lack of draft beer-age. It's a nice pre-game spot I guess.

by Tanya M.

I REALLY dislike how I have to go through a bunch of bouncers (and flights of stairs) to get to the roof, which seems to be the only place to dance. It depends on what you are into, but I'm not a fan of this crowd or music - the DJ seemed confused - he'd play rock, then country, then pop.  The bouncer's and the crowd in general had a rude vibe.

by Rob S.

I will NEVER be able to give this place 5 stars.Roxy... Ozone... Steel... The Garage... Five... This space has gone through several incarnations, and I've spent many a drunken night in several of them.I was there last night for a Yelp event and damn... what they've done to this place. It is ruined and the magic is gone.

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 Mitzy D.

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 Alex V.

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.

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 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.

by Amanda C.

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.

by Amanda C.Elliot L.Chandana K.

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.

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.