Location: 1334 U St. NW
Readers’ pick: The Raven

When it comes to dive bars, the “less is more” principle is key. With a bare-bones basement bar, cheap alcohol and fun music, The Codmother provides the necessities without any of the extras.

At The Codmother, you can’t expect more than a canned PBR ($3) or a hastily-poured beer and whiskey combo ($6), but you can expect to dance the night away.

There are a few tables and stools around the bar, but if you visit on a Saturday night you won’t want to sit down. The dive bar’s eclectic mix of ‘90s throwbacks and modern pop hits will inspire you to get on your feet, hit the dance floor and drunkenly sing along.

The vibe at The Codmother is exactly what a true dive bar should be: It’s small and dark, the crowd is young and the floors are sticky from spilled beer. The Codmother is basically the adult version of a fraternity party, but luckily at the dive bar you don’t have to know a brother to get through the door.

You might have to throw a few elbows to fight your way through a tight crowd of people to get to the bar and once you get there you might have to wait in line and scream over loud music to order a drink during a busy night. Funky portraits, string lights and chalked drawings fill the exposed brick walls and give The Codmother character.

Located along a busy U Street block, The Codmother’s location gives patrons easy access to a number of other popular bars, like Hawthorne, Sudhouse and Lost Society, making the dive bar an ideal stop for a night out or bar crawl.