Raven Grill   

If you're looking to get away from the same old, same old of DC nightlife, check out the ultimate dive, located in Mount Pleasant. The atmosphere is very simple, very "hole-in-the-wall", but classy for all those reasons. A lone neon light in the window begs for your attention, and old photographs of legendary rock stars and actors line the walls. If you're a stickler about reliable booths and chairs, head back to Adams Morgan. If you care about Newcastle and Guinness, ditto. This place only serves bottled beers, and the fanciest thing they have is Heineken. It's all part of the charm. However, if you care about the music, there's a jukebox that could make a corpse dance with a variety of rock, blues and pop. Some of the more popular plays are by The Stones, CCR and Johnny Cash. And if you care about comradarie, you'll most definitely see the same faces at the Raven; it's the quintessential neighborhood watering hole, with many of the people remaining from their opening more than 50 years ago. Since the massive influx of young people to Mount Pleasant, the bar has taken on sort of a hipster alter-ego, but rest assured, that only perpetuates the diversity and community the Raven inspires. -- A.L. Kazdoy