1831 Bar & Lounge

We held our 6^th Anniversary party at 1831 and it was fabulous. Our members can’t stop raving about it. They had a great wine list, very reasonable happy hour specials, good food and an amazing bar staff. Sean really worked closely with us to make sure everything was set for all of our members to have a great time. A huge thank you to the fabulous staff and management at 1831 Bar & Lounge for really going the extra mile and working with us to make Saturday night happened.
Lauren, Head Organizer

A bright underground bar in Dupont. We came here because we were looking for a spot that wasnt as packed as the other bars as Dupont.
It was a chill space but the music was so loud it was hard to hear each other and got progressively louder.
Drinks are reasonably priced I would say.
Good bar, nothing extraordinary.

Food was average bar food –wings, nachos, burger… nothing umpressive. … atmosphere was meh, at best … there was faaaaar too much hip hop music for most people’s liking… super cheap prices on drinks, except quality was less than adequate … bartender/​owner Jeff was a bit too brash … and super cheap. «upcharged» us for $ 2 shooters … REALLY??? I would only come bk here to get super drunk on cheap drinks … not for anything else … local dive bar, minus the cool bartender service

The happy hour (ends at 8pm on week days, 6pm on weekends) is great. $ 2 shooters, under $ 25 bottles of wine, $ 3 Yuengling, $ 1 Natty, etc. I’m not sure about the music choice though, Drake songs generally don’t make people happy.

+ fun blue twinkly lights for a good vibe
+ good music (done via iPad) and DJ takes requests
+ small/​big space enough for dancing while still maintaining an intimate feel
+ happy hour deals are great, $ 5 shoots & beers, $ 6 margaritas… sometimes $ 2 if you come before 6pm!
+ bathrooms are 2 stalls and relatively clean
— underground basement area can make it a bit hard to find
Came here after a convention with a few dozen of my closes new friends and it was a blast! The bartenders might’ve been confused how they went from a relatively empty and quiet Monday night to completely packed by 10pm… but we just travel well in a giant group! The bar mainly just had one guy manning it, but a 2^nd guy came to help out when it got crazy, but they served the drinks as fast they could with an unexpected crowd.
Music was fun and even better that they took requests! We all had a good time and left happy. Would be back again!

I was contracted to shoot event coverage for The Aim Society #NoSeats Release party at this awesome venue. Upon arriving, I was pleasantly surprised with the interior. Very clean, intimate and the lighting makes you feel like you’re beneath a galaxy.
The customer service is out of this world, I did not have the opportunity to try the food but the drinks were reasonably priced being served by polite [+ heavy handed ;)] bartenders! The staff truly makes it a point to speak to you as a friend than just another guest in their establishment.
Overall, we packed the house out and shared some great vibes in an even better atmosphere. The attendees had nothing but positive reviews of their experience. We’ll definitely be coming back to host another event or indulge in happy hour very soon!

Great place ! Good location, nice and friendly staff ! The food is amazing ! If you want to spend an awesome time definitely 1831 is the right place !

Stumbled across this place on our way to dinner after a day filled with boozy brunch & beer gardens. What mainly caught our attention was a sign that read $ 1 Nati Lights & $ 2 shooters.
Listen, we’re all as educated as the next DC metro dwellers, but none of us are passing up an excuse to bring it back to college. SO we walked right on in, and have zero rAgrets.
Took advantage of a few rounds of the specials and split the nachos as an appetizer — we would’ve just had dinner there as well had we not already committed to going to district taco next door, but will most certainly be back.
Service — prompt.
Drink Specials — After any given Saturday or Sunday funday in DC, make this a stop.
Food — Can only speak on the nachos but they were great.
Cheers.

I did my research before suggesting this locale for a work happy hour, decent reviews (check), alright food (double check), swanky location (triple check). Alright bet, I brought the work troupe for a hot second and that’s as long as we stayed a hot second!
Granted, they do have some cheap drinks for happy hour usually would make a brother want to stay around for a while, the bartenders seemed a bit standoffish, like if you weren’t all tatted up they didn’t have time for you. I guess, that’s cool, if the bartenders are trying to «catch» but I aint got time for all that. I just want a simple strong manhattan with my comrades then we’ll be on our way. The location was fine, in the middle of the city with a few other watering holes nearby to wet your whistle. So I take this place for what its worth, a quick spot to get your sip on, then you go about your business. One day I would give this spot another chance but not anytime soon, not the way they were giving me the stank eye. I see myself as pretty pleasant most times, they had me questioning myself like dang, did I have on too much cologne of that smell good on. It couldn’t have been me cuz mama always said «baby you’re special».

margaritas were almost clear. looked like water. couldn’t taste tequila or lime. complained to the bartender and he said they have to make it like that. if we wanted more «he could make it a double but we would have to pay more.» worst margarita I’ve ever had! x4 people

Stopped in here on a Saturday night during March Madness. We only stopped in because the other bars in the area were extremely crowded. I’m glad we stopped in. We were able to get a seat at the bar and they had TV’s with the game playing. They did have extremely loud music blasting so it was difficult to hear my friends. The beverages were good. I also ordered the smore’s from their late night menu and they were very delicious.

Don’t waste your time here. The drinks are okay. Food is extremely bland. We ordered the spinach dip. It was so soupy and the chips were stale. The one good thing was the Buffalo wings. So if you come here, get that!
It was so sow and the bartender was extremely slow as well. Like there was no one in the bar and she took forever to take our drink order and food order. She has a bad order and she kept checking her phone before getting to us. That’s pretty rude.
I don’t know how it has 4 ½ stars. Save your time, go somewhere else.

I thought I was on never-​ending quest to find true happy hour prices in DC, but then I went to 1831. $ 1 beers, nice bartenders, and a classy spot all the way around. There was a good mix of the after work crowd and first-​date looking couples. The sound system is excellent, and they even play Champions League games on the several TVs. To top it off, there is a nice mural that takes up one entire wall.
This is definitely my new after-​work spot (and during work when they’ve got the European soccer matches on).

This review is for my Happy Hour experience only. I am a huge fan of Happy Hour in general and because of this perhaps my expectations were a little high but I was sadly disappointed.
Overall I liked the vibe. It’s a change of scenery from many of the stops in the area with the décor. They boast a pretty good HH with cheap beers, shooters, half priced select wine and half priced select whiskey. It’s a good stop if you want a cheap light beer and maybe that’s the crowd they are going after. I’m not wine snob but I find it a little sneaky, for lack of a better word, that the «half priced wine» they sell during happy hour is not a wine I believe they even serve during normal hours. It comes from that huge jug you buy at the grocery store that is the glass equivalent of Franzia. It’s $ 5 a glass during HH and I just don’t believe that this glass is regularly priced at $ 10 a glass. Maybe this is just not a spot you should be ordering wine.
We ordered Tater Tots and Spinach and Artichoke Dip to share. The tots were tasty and a good portion! For the slightly hipster vibe this place sends off I would recommend taking a spin on the tot thing to expand the selection. They were served with ketchup and some other tasteless dip. If they had different dips/​toppings for the tots I think it would serve 1831 well! Maybe a Chesapeake with an old bay dip, or a bacon and ranch variety, sour cream and chives, cheese and chili tots… I could go on. If you want to draw in a happy hour crowd, have some good munchies that are great for sharing!
The spinach and artichoke dip was just sad.
I think this place is new with room for improvement just as any new place and perhaps I will try again during normal evening hours. Overall the pros are: atmosphere and cheap beers, cons are: disappointing food, misleading wine situation, sub-​par service.

Great place, friendly staff, good music. Stopped in to DC for the weekend and checked this place out. Would recommend to anyone looking for a good time.

had so much on our girls night out the food is amazing great presentation, drinks were so tasty, the bartenders were so nice and to top off a great night was the music. I found this little hidden treasure on Unilocal this app is great.

Really nice, cozy bar. Drinks are fairly cheap and our group had a great time watching the Sunday games. This bar is definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area.

1831… GREAT, Great place to go get a quick drink & de stress from life. Good food, Friendly staff & nice drinks. It’s my new little gem on M st, especially for Happy hours after work!

How amazing is this spot? I sharpied a sixth star on my computer monitor (IT’s going to have a field day with that one).
This is an AWESOME addition to the M Street stretch. A far deviation from the typical bro popped collar places in the area with their sticky floors (cough: Sign of The Whale: cough). 1831 changes it up with its Steampunk vibe and chilled out atmosphere during the week — and amazing tunes, drinks, and dancing on the weekend.
So what can you expect? Let’s start with the drinks and food. The cocktails were thought up and designed specifically by the owner — lots of interesting combos. Highly recommend the Squid Ink, but a high demand item so get it early in the evening while you can! I ended up with an Amber Bulb last night (their take on the Moscow Mule) and was blown away. While I have not had the food yet — I did check out the menu and it’s pretty promising. Props for hooking it up with delicious popcorn! Everything is reasonably priced too — great happy hour specials!
The ambiance and lighting is incredible. Huge nautilus painting on one wall and a beautiful bar setup on the other side. If you get to check this place out — make sure to check the back/​second level out as well, very cool more intimate area.
The audio system is insane. The hardware is what you’d expect to see in Space and Liv in Miami. Can’t wait to come back on the weekend to here some awesome Electro/​House/​Tech bumping out of the system. I think Flash, U-​Street Hall, and Tropicalia are going to have some serious competition.
The staff was amazing. Bartender was over the top friendly and ensured everyone had a great time.
Although this is a fresh addition to M-​Street, I expect BIG things from 1831. Will definitely be coming back!

1831 is my new spot when I’m looking for a bar where my friends and I can genuinely have a great time. The set up and flow of the bar is good, drinks are well made and music is gets me dancing. If it’s a bar where you can have conversation as well as dance with your friends and even new friends. Definitely a great time and the ambiance and lighting is on point.