Reliable Tavern

After dinner, my boyfriend and I stopped by Reliable Tavern for drinks. Reliable Tavern is a restaurant that serves food (kolaches) and drinks and offers a fun social environment with billiards and live music and dancing. For drinks, they serve beer (in the form of draft, cans, and bottles), wine (white, red, and rose), and assorted cocktails. We enjoyed Bee's Knees and Gimlet. Bee's Knees consisted of gin, lemon juice, and honey. Gimlet consisted of gin, lime, and soda. They were shaken and served in chilled glasses.

About the reliable tavern- lives up to its name! Five stars, very reliable - good beer, not too crowded would recommend to a friend. Doesn’t try too hard - just the way we like it.

-- just revised my 5 stars to 3 after talking to the bartender because these guys, sadly, also don't seem to have recycling figured out. So sad to see new places pop up that just don't care about the environment. Awesome new spot in our neighbourhood! Why?? Great beer selection, some small bites, amazing interior design (still so many relicts of the hardware store that used to be there). Playing Matthew Wilder - Break my stride right now 😍😍 one guy is running the whole place, pretty damn down to earth and real!

Great vibe - divey, but incredible cocktails. Highly recommend the Manhattan, Negroni, or Old Fashioned. Or ask the bartenders to surprise you!

Good food and drinks. I was here for a free comedy show which happens on Thursday nights. Come with your proof of Covid vaccination either on your phone or the actual card. Parking could be hard to find. Consider ride-sharing or using public transport.

Amazing bar with great cocktails. Tim was great and always able to provide for even the most complicated tastes

Service was well, but apparently if you play latin music on the TouchTunes they will skip your songs because “it’s not a good vibe”.

I stumbled across this place and really liked it! Excellent happy hour prices and friendly staff. Good selection of classic cocktails. A hidden gem in DC.

This is an ok spot, I would probably frequent it if I lived in the area. The name does it right - it didn't blow my socks off, but I wasn't wishing I had gone somewhere else. It was reliable. Beer selection is... fine. Mixed cocktails are ok. They have all the ingredients they're supposed to have. Bartenders are very nice, the vibe is laid back and unpretentious. Less expensive than the average DC bar, which is notable.

We had an amazing time here. We needed a bite to eat after a short night out and when we asked if they were serving food. The bartender said that they didn't have a kitchen open but the place next door had food. We popped in next door and the bartender actually popped in next door to let us know that they would be able to bring it to us. Joe, the bartender, was awesome. He gave us great recommendations and explained all of the beers he had. He let us take a taste of his favorite bourbon which we loved and ordered. I work at a bourbon bar so this was big to me. It was a spacious bar with a downstairs that had pool tables and a second bar downstairs. We played pool and it was a great space with regular who ended up buying us some drinks. 10/10 experience with 10/10 people. Reliable lives up to It's name with the service, vibe and atmosphere. For us being bartenders this was out Saturday night on a Tuesday and it was perfect. Thank you reliable and thank you joe!

really fun bar! i've only been around happy hour time, so i'm sure it's more lively on a weekend night. but the drinks were great! they make their whiskey sours the tradition way with egg whites and it was delicious! the bar food is also great and really cheap (i got mozzarella sticks for like $4). the bouncer and bartender were also SO nice and really fun to talk to! they mentioned they do trivia on wednesdays, have a comedy night, and a jazz night!

This place is awesome! I have not been to "a hole in the wall" bar since before covid. I love these bars Especially in an expensive city like DC. The bouncer is super friendly and remembers people. The drinks are excellently priced. Their cocktails are magnificent! I had the old fashioned, and it was prefect. Not only was is a superb well balanced cocktail. It has clear ice. CLEAR ICE! that's a super rare find. Most places use regular ice which melts too quick and is not as amazing in photos. I am sure it takes some time and effort and expense to provide clear ice. They have have pool tables downstairs and a smaller bar downstairs. I really like this place. It's on my favorites list. And you should be on your list also.

All the 5 star reviews say all you need to know about Reliable Tavern! I met a friend here for drinks after work. We got there close to opening and enjoyed having the bar to ourselves for a bit. I am always open to try a new drink, so I told the bartender what I liked, he made a few suggestions, and he went to work crafting me the most amazing cocktail I think I have ever had in my life. No exaggeration. A week later and I am still talking about how fantastic that drink was. I highly recommend having the bartenders craft a custom drink to your preferences. I know I will be back soon for another amazing experience!!

This was a weird, bad experience. I'd been in the past and had a great penicillin, but not since the pandemic. Last night, it was almost empty but impossible to get the bartender's attention, even as he was doing some chores (e.g., pouring things into different containers), and my friend and I were shocked when we asked for the cocktail prices and he told us they were all $18. The service and prices were both really different from what I remembered, and not worth coming back for.

Came in for the first time on Wednesday trivia night (gets crowded). There was a snafu with the bouncer over seating, where I was forced to leave a table to make way for a regular who entered later (despite no reservation system, and the same bouncer actually telling me to take the empty table when I first came in). But when I emailed management, Chris and Lester responded quickly and were both very understanding. In the end it was more important than anything else to feel validated that this was handled badly, and an apology went a long way. Overall trivia was a fun time and very lively. Bartenders work hard and are efficient in handling the large crowd. $9 old fashioneds on Wednesdays a great deal. There were three smaller TVs high above the bar showing hockey. Thanks again to reliable tavern for rescuing our evening after a rough start.

Update on my review. The owner contacted me and we did have a conversation. He assured me that he had a conversation with the bartender. I will definitely continue going there and having the best drinks in DC. And so should you.

Love Reliable!! Such a great place to hang. I was there on Monday and it was great to watch the pool league in action. Can't wait to return.

I've been here many times. It's a fantastic bar with great happy hour. Some o the best cocktails that I've had in the city. The staff are always very friendly. The ambiance is great for catching up with a friend on a week night or having a rowdier time on a weekend night.

After dinner, my boyfriend and I stopped by Reliable Tavern for drinks. Reliable Tavern is a restaurant that serves food (kolaches) and drinks and offers a fun social environment with billiards and live music and dancing. For drinks, they serve beer (in the form of draft, cans, and bottles), wine (white, red, and rose), and assorted cocktails. We enjoyed Bee's Knees and Gimlet. Bee's Knees consisted of gin, lemon juice, and honey. Gimlet consisted of gin, lime, and soda. They were shaken and served in chilled glasses.

Reliable Tavern, a former hardware store turned bar, was the first place I visited with my friend when I got into town and it turned out to also be the best! I had come straight from the airport and taken the metro to the Georgia/Petworth stop to meet my friend. This bar is a short walk from the metro so I showed my ID to the bouncer outside then rolled my suitcase into here. Although I agree that this is weird to be bringing luggage into a bar I wheeled it right by my seat at the bar and no one had a problem with me doing so or made me feel out of place. The drink menu has categories of drinks that the bartender will customize to your liking once you pick the type of alcohol you want. I picked the Ricky/Collins and after the bartender asked me a couple questions I got my drink which was fabulous! The cocktails are only $10 which being in D.C. is a steal! My friend's got a cinnamon roll off the late night menu which they said was great. This is a great neighborhood bar and if I lived in the area I would definitely frequent this place. They have pool tables downstairs and the bar is very clean and nice.

The exterior makes it look sketchy but don't be fooled. Inside, it's clean, classy and chill. Great drinks, great laid-back vibe, plays music loud enough to enjoy but not so loud you can't talk to the person next to you.

This bar has earned its 5 stars through and through. I'll preface this statement the fact that I am also a bartender and can't help but to judge the heck out of cocktails. So much so I actually don't even really go to bars because I don't want to pay 15 dollars to be completely underwhelmed. A buddy (also a bartender) recommended I visit reliable and told me he gets ice from reliable. Hand cut ice is already a good sign and a bar that cares about their craft. The selection of spirits is respectable with an obvious emphasis on whiskey probably due to their Texas theme. If I had to critique their selection, there was a noticeable lack of local distillers. Regardless, the minimal narrow menu choice was promising with a choice of Collins / Rickeys, sours, mules, Manhattan, negroni, gimlets / daiquiri with your choice of spirit for 12 dollars. There are only really a handful of cocktails out there and everything is a variation of that handful so it's intriguing to see a bar have a menu that reflects that. I started easy with a Kentucky mule with their rail bourbon and was super pleased that the ginger syrup is ridiculously fresh and flavorful but the use of a hand cut ice spear in the drink. A look down the line reveals a lovely assortment of beautiful glassware, many from vintage stores as my friend reports. The real star is the show here are the up drinks. Whoa. Oh my goodness. This bar beautifully does not rely too heavily on garnish and flourish with exotic juices and syrups but just an impeccable ability to recommend and whip up cocktails that has me swooning. The glasses are cooled down with liquid nitrogen (just like the green zone) which is indicative of a bar who really gives a shit about Making a damn good cocktail. I asked my bartender Tracy to make me something with gin of her choice and she made me a "Ben alt Bennett." You cant even google that. It was beyond luxurious. London Dry, old Tom, simple, lime, and peychauds. I've never thought of adding peychauds to gin before and my mouth is ecstatic. If you like botanical and herbal this cocktail is for you. How can this beauty only be 12 dollars? It makes every other cocktail in this city feel like a complete sham compared to this beauty. I knew after my first sip of that alt Bennett that Tracy is beyond talented. She knows her spirits. Why the line isn't out the door is beyond me but there needs to be more Tracys in this word. Papa bless.

One of the gems of DC I always used to drive by and overlooked. Never again. I came here with friends after a meeting on a Sunday for Happy Hour. Love that concept of happy hour on a Sunday. I tried new a new drink and food I'd never had before. So sorry I forgot to take a pic of the menu card. But both were very yummy.

This is easily one of the BEST cocktail bars in DC... It might not look like much, with it's rugged, industrial décor, but the staff here are amazing! They know what they're doing behind that bar and they deliver INREDIBLE service! Do yourself a favor and just tell them what you like and let them get crafty - they truly impress and if you're into cocktails, you'll be VERY happy with their concoctions!

My go to neighborhood bar for on Georgia Avenue. Not just because of their great cocktails and ambience but also great staff from the bartenders to, yes, their "bouncer". All awesome, all the time. And no crazy downtown cocktail prices so I can enjoy one or two (or three). This used to be a hardware store and they have kept the theme so the place is looking good. I love having a drink at the bar and Reliable Tavern has a looooong bar with seats so comfortable you can last a night and then some. My current favorite is their Pisco Sour with the creamiest of egg whites. Oh and their "Rose take" on the French 75, my all time favorite. Aaand, they are part of First Friday and always have a $7 punch for that. So you can always find me here for that, like last night! Downstairs is a pool/billiard table (never know which is what) and it looks to be busy. I have never played but we some times meet here with neighbors for community activities and Reliable is always happy to have us.

A friendly neighborhood bar with an inviting, upscale dive-y vibe. I walked by it a few times because the sign isn't obvious, just look up at the awning too find it. I am a huge fan of the Old Fashioned's they serve here. Some places dump a ton of fruit into them, but these are simple and refreshing and only $8 during happy hour. We stayed for bar trivia, which was surprisingly difficult but still entertaining. We got hungry and ordered the chips and texas queso, which was a little watery, but we still liked it. I'm totally going to come back for an old fashioned in the near future.

Was visiting DC for the weekend and found this place on Yelp. AMAZING sparkling cocktail and the BEST old fashion my boyfriend has ever had. Highly recommend their chicken sandwhich, 10/10. Staff was very friendly and safe about covid:)

Awesome cocktails in an unpretentious setting. Bartenders are excellent and really will deliver on the bartender's choice cocktails ($11). That's pretty much what I always do, and I've yet to be disappointed. They have a good happy hour, too with inexpensive and decent wines, beer, cider. They've got kolaches, which are good, but the rest of the small food menu is unexciting. Besides the looong bar on the first floor plus tables, they've got additional seating downstairs so it never gets too crowded.

Was suggested to come here by our Airbnb host and was very happy by that rec. Bartender was a standout, very engaging and really helpful with answering Qs/ offering suggestions. And was definitely HUSTLING all night with a busy bar, I don't think there was a second she wasn't pouring/ making cocktails/ cleaning. Would 100% come back.

Love, love LOVE how the bartender made me an Orange Blossom after finding out that I like citrusy drinks with egg white foam tops. My friend told the bartender that she likes Khalua, so she made her a Cafe con Leche Flip, with Khalua, Blackstrap Rum, Heavy Cream, and Egg Yolk. The creative cocktail spontaneity is great at this place... and so is the generous policy that encourages you to bring in food from outside. My group chose to share orders of Shawarma from the Shawarma Hut next door so that we'd have room to try the Kolaches (Czech pastries made with sweet yeast-raised dough and stuffed with various savory and sweet fillings). We ordered one Brisket, Egg, and Cheese and one Cinnamon Roll Kolache... and, by the last bite, we were replete. I'm so happy to have discovered a cocktail bar that is as excellent as it is reasonably priced and unassuming.

Stay far away horrible service . I work at 5 star hôtel for 20 years . Reliable to be rude lol . I come by very often they just ignore. Don't ruin your night. Find better bar with no attitude bartenders

Ok this may be literally the only place in the city to get actual Texas queso. And yes it is legit. Combine that with very good and very reasonably priced drinks in a chill atmosphere, and you've got a great neighborhood hang. Highly recommend.

Reliable Tavern is a cozy comfy spot which brings great taste in flavor to those who love old fashions. Our bartender Ben is a pleasant and intelligent individual. Understanding his history in good whiskey, bourbon, and rye. The environment is surrounded by retro memorabilia of hardware supplies, bottles of vintage liquor and ambient conversations. The old fashion is made perfectly with no fancy additives of muddle fruit, fancy sugar, and mountains of ice chips. It's a simple bitter, sugar, bourbon and ice cube. I truly had a wonderful experience here and will return

I love popping into this local Petworth gem and meeting up with friends. All the bartenders are super nice and their drinks on Dealer's Choice are great! I really like this place because their selection of alcohol is great and the prices are not pretentious.

Stopped in due to the curiousity built up by popville or some other blog sent to my email. Setting: mix between a dive bar and industrial kitchen. Not the setting for a romantic date - moreso, a quick bite before a one-night stand. The cocktail concept is that you pick a category (whatever that means) and a spirit. I told the female 'mixologist' what I generally liked and she created some light, refreshing and delicious. Ham and cheese kolache - served hot ( probably microwaved) and pretty tasty. I wouldn't exactly call it a pastry- it's like a soft, hot hamburger bun with filling. No frills, got the job done.

Hardware store vibes, super solid Old Fashioned's, pool tables, friendly folks --- what more could you ask for? I've only stopped in for one drink but I loved the atmosphere (and my drink) so I'll definitely be stopping by again.

Reliable has become my reliable. An extremely chill environment where the only thing taken seriously is the cocktail program. When I am returning from work, I get to have a truly blazed cocktail, curated to my liking by a bartending erudite, served in a glass chilled by liquid nitrogen- if that isn't heady, I don't know what is. It's a true pleasure to have such a fine establishment a stone's throw away from my apartment.

These dudes make a dope whiskey sour, that's for sure. Also, points for knowing what a kolache is, so when I explain to my other Northeastern friends that it is actually a thing and not something I thought up while drunk

Stumbled on this Little gem in Petworth thanks to the #PassportProgram. Super cute little spot that is open late. Definitely not where you come if you're hungry but if you're just trying to get some drinks, snack, hangout, or play some pool this is your place. It has a jukebox on the first floor that you can select and play music which is a nice plus.The bartender was amazing her name was Capri you gotta check her out she was super knowledgeable on drinks they serve or creating something to your taste if you tell her what you like. They don't really have a food menu but the things they have to snack on are delicious. I had the guacamole with chips. For drinks I had an Old Fashioned and my second drink she created for me by what I told her my likes were. I had an absolutely great time I'll definitely be going to this place again frequently in the future.

Nothing to see here, move along. Just kidding. I want this place to stay like this forever. It's kind of hidden (to be honest I thought it was a hardware store) but I respect it for that since visiting. We had room! Nobody was in costume. It was low key and a perfect hideaway from the Halloween turn up. Our bartender was so very helpful and knowledgeable. It was a fresh breath of air for DC. The only question she couldn't answer was, "What does a $2 hot dog special have to do with Halloween?" Our drinks were delicious and we enjoyed our date there. I will most certainly be back for more!

Top 3 best bar in the area. Super friendly bartenders. Many beers on tap. Two pool tables. A bar upstairs and downstairs with your tab open at both. Projector for sports tv downstairs and a few televisions upstairs. Decent prices. Love it.

What a superb bar! RT's only a stone's throw away from the Georgia-Petworth metro and boasts some of the best cocktails in the area for a total steal. They make their own giant ice cubes here and the bartenders Ben and Andy are incredibly knowledgeable. Drink a black manhattan or a golden delicious. Both are remarkable bartender's choice options. They even have comedy standup shows on Thursdays!

This places open very late, so you can always have a nightcap here. SERVICE : 5 AMBIANCE: ambivalent FOOD: N/A DRINKS: 5 VALUE: 4 OVERALL: 4 Came here very late on a Saturday night, and ordered a cocktail with ginger beer and gin. It was so strong I actually had to have them make another...HAHA! Overall this place is cool. Can't tell if I like the scene or not. It is an old hardware store that has been repurposed and so it has the same smell of a Strosnider's (carpentry, paint, etc) and is quite spacious. The bar is huge so you can mingle here comfortably. Service was great, but I also noticed there were only a total of 10 people at the bar at that time. Good value and overall a good time. Enjoy!

One of my favorite types of bars -- a "dive" that makes an excellent old-fashioned complete with perfectly clear spherical ice. I love this place - the bartenders are lovely and invent incredible drinks. The ambiance is great and sometimes there's a comedy show downstairs. We always make a point to come here when we visit DC.

My husband and I have been waiting for Reliable Tavern since we saw the sign go up about a year ago. Thankfully, our waiting was not in vain. We went in for the first time on Monday night and couldn't have been happier. It has a cool sort of industrial vintage vibe that feels relaxed but serves absolutely amazing cocktails--they even cut their own ice. Both the bartenders (named Ben) were super personable and were introducing themselves to the customers and making great recommendations. I had something Ben 1 made called the Blue Collar and a delicious bourbon, honey, lemon drink Ben 2 made. They were both delicious and exactly what I had described in terms of flavors I like. The space also has 2 pool tables which is nice and is way more spacious than it looks from the outside with a first floor and a big basement. My only miiiiinor downside is that I'm from Texas so was SO excited that they were going to serve kolaches. I have to say they were delicious, but in Texas kolaches are about $2-$3 per roll where here they're $5. That's getting tiny bit steep but honestly, I'll still pay it because they were great. They also have some other small bar snacks (queso, guac, salsa, etc.) They also have a pretty decent happy hour with $5 wine, beer, and a few cocktails. Overall, super happy Reliable is now the closest bar to my house. We'll definitely be regulars there.

I've been waiting for Reliable Tavern to open since forever ago and it's finally here! We've been waiting over TWO YEARS for this!! This place really exceeded my expectations and is now my new favorite bar in this area for sure. I got to play 6 games of pool for $1 per game when I was there and was drinking Gennessee Cream Ales for $3.50 the rest of the night after the happy hour ended at 7. Make sure you check out the basement when you go. When I was there, it was a lot less crowded than the top floor and of course that's where the pool tables are! Also, the kolaches and texas queso were tasty too! This place is so cool.

This bar has great happy hour with inexpensive menu. I started going to this bar because they have Kolaches (I'm from Texas and it's a big deal there). I love the decor of this bar, a former hardware store, and the variety of music they play there. This bar is just across the street from Georgia ave/Petworth North metro exit on Georgia Ave. All the cocktails are only $11! During one happy hour, my coworker and I noticed a dead fruit fly inside one of the juice carafe so we mentioned it to the bartender, and he just scooped it out. And that was it. Yuck. I still go back often because I really think that was a one time fluke and I haven't seen that bartender in a while.

Stopped by here after work. It is a former hardware store that has been converted into a bar. Very cool how they kept the old decor. There is a cool wooden bar and also tables. This is my favorite kind of bar, not a dive but not too upscale either. All the cocktails are $10. They have categories of drinks in which you pick your favorite spirit and they customize a drink to your liking. The bartender made me a great Last Word and an aviation. They also have a reasonably priced selection of wines and beers. I like how the Petworth and Park View neighborhoods are developing so there are causal local bars you can walk to when you feel like having a drink, but don't want to go far out of your way. Just like Manhattan or Brooklyn!

Divey, unpretentious place that serves drinks you would expect from speakeasies or fancy bars. They have a variety of vintage whiskey and a daily punch that will please everyones palate. Happy hour is all day Sunday as well. Love love love!

Another dank (in a good way!) little locale in Petworth. Great atmosphere and service! The food was pretty eclectic and interesting, especially the kolache. I ordered one filled with brisket and eggs.

Chill hang out in Park View. They have a hardware store theme (or something along those lines), which is pretty unique and fits the neighborhood quite well. They have an ok selection of beers to choose from, including some $6-7 drafts and a couple cheaper cans. We had a $3.50 Gennessee Cream Ale and a draft Rowdy Rye. What really makes Reliable stand out though is the terrific list of kolaches courtesy of Republic Kolache. The brisket and egg variety is spectacular. It is served up hot and toasty. Yummy. We almost missed the stairs in back, which lead down to a smaller bar area downstairs with two pool tables. Sadly they were occupied when we came in, but got to love the option. Cool new place, I will be back and recommend that you dear readers give them a try.

Came in on the suggestion of an amazing bartender down the street, and was treated like family from the time I walked in the door. Ben makes uh-maz-ing cocktails. He's someone who has been in the industry, practicing his craft for many years (in the best ways). My girlfriend and I had 4 a piece, and stayed for far too long chatting and having a blast. I will absolutely come back and hope to make this one of my next regular bars.

Wonderful place with great vibe. Love that you can order grub from middle eastern joint next door. Awesome cocktails. Quickly becoming the neighborhood's cocktail bar.

Friends and I went to this new bar in Petworth on Saturday night. It's super chill, and a perfect place to meet up with friends and have an actual conversation without yelling above the music or noise. We hung out downstairs where there's another jukebox and two billiard tables ($1 each play with quarters). I'm a fan of the Reliable Amber Ale, and it's priced at a reasonable $6. They also sell Republic Kolaches if you're a big fan of those. Come here if you're up for a casual hangout in a hip neighborhood.

Some of the best drinks I've had in DC were at Reliable Tavern. The bartenders not only make interesting and excellent cocktails, but have an an infectious enthusiasm for old favorites and more esoteric discoveries.

This place likely has the best cocktails in the DC region, and a great bartender. A great spot to have some great drinks with good people.

When I imagine the best drink ever, the New Orleans Buck is what I want - just didn't know it existed and had a name. Rum, ginger syrup, citrus and bitters. Perfection in a glass. Oh, also had some yummy guacamole. Great place.