The Tombs $$

1226 36th St. NW
202/337-6668
www.tombs.com [1]

HOURS: Mon.-Thurs. 11:30 a.m.-1:15 a.m., Fri. 11:30 a.m.-2:15 a.m.,
Sat. 11 a.m.-2:15 a.m., Sun. 9:30 a.m.-1:15 a.m.

COST: Most entrées between $10–20

Hands down, The Tombs is the best college bar in DC and has been since 1962. Boisterous, loud, and lively at nearly any hour, this walk-down establishment underneath 1789 [2] is the go-to place for Georgetown University students and alumni, but it also draws clientele of all ages, including GU administrators and professors for weekday lunch and the after-church crowd from nearby Holy Trinity Church on Saturday evenings and for Sunday brunch.

There’s just something about being crammed into this brick-lined basement with hundreds of other happy people that makes The Tombs special. The food is typical bar fare, with burgers and Reuben sandwiches among the best menu picks, and the tap offers six beers, from low-brow Busch for the empty-pocketed college kids to Old Dominion.

In the evenings, entertainment varies: Wednesday nights often are reserved for ’80s music with a DJ spinning the tunes, and occasionally a GU a cappella group will pop in.

The decor is now basically a paean to the Georgetown crew team and other university sports, thanks to a 1985 makeover by the Clyde’s Restaurant Group, but the basic vibe hasn’t changed since the 1960s.

If you related to the movie Animal House or once owned a copy of The Preppy Handbook, you’ll love The Tombs.