Amazing venue to catch smaller acts on the come up! And the food was damn good for your typical bar fare. Service great, all the staff are friendly and helpful if you need anything.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Arianna Davidson
Came out to DC9 for the Ha Vay concert and overall had a decent time, though the venue definitely had some ups and downs.
We arrived right when doors were scheduled to open, only to be shuffled up to the rooftop bar due to technical difficulties downstairs. We didn’t actually get into the venue until closer to 8 PM, which was a bit frustrating since doors were supposed to be at 7. That said, the rooftop staff and bartenders were incredibly friendly and clearly doing their best to keep things running smoothly. If I were one of the patrons up there just trying to enjoy my dinner, though, I probably wouldn’t have been thrilled. There were a ton of concertgoers awkwardly queuing around tables for a solid 30+ minutes.
The rooftop itself is nice! Plenty of fans, so even in hot weather it wasn’t too uncomfortable. Staff at the door checking IDs were also super chill and welcoming.
DC9 itself is really cool. It’s a multi-level space with several bars, lots of character, and what looks like a pretty solid food menu. However, I will say: if the show is sold out, expect it to feel cramped. Whether it was this particular crowd or just the venue at capacity, it felt really stuffy. Concert etiquette was kind of out the window—lots of pushing, no personal space, and very little room to move around. Honestly, I think they could’ve sold 25–30 fewer tickets and still had a packed, but much more comfortable, experience.
The sound quality also left a bit to be desired, some mic squeaking and audio weirdness here and there throughout the show, so I suspect those early “technical difficulties” never fully got resolved.
On the plus side, they have screens around the venue so even if you’re further back, you can still watch the performance, which is a nice touch.
All in all, we were thrilled to see some of our favorite artists in such an intimate space, but the experience as a whole felt a little chaotic. With some tweaks to crowd control and sound, DC9 could be a killer venue. For now, I’d say it’s worth going—but maybe not for a fully sold-out show.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 4
Mike Hales
Great small venue for concerts. The bar on the ground floor serves a good selection of drinks and food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michael Stewart
Good sound. Small intimate venue. Saw a sold out show.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tommie Prince
My first visit!! Marvin was the sweetest bar tender!!! He totally made it a great time. Drinks were amazing! Told us all about the floors! Def worth the visit!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Christopher Vroome
What kind of punk bar makes you download an app that explicitly tracks your location in Order to see a show.
Shame, place used to be pretty decent
categoryace
Stopped in here to have some food before a show, their red beans and rice is amazing! The entire place was super comfortable and chill, would definitely come back.
Just left the Audrey Nuna concert and I'm still levitating. That was easily the BEST concert I've been to in DC and I've lived here for about 3 years. Its a VERY tiny stage so be sure to get as close to the front as you can. Super intimate, Audrey was right in my face, close enough for any of us to touch (we didn't though because we respect our queen).
I can't speak on the food/drinks as I didn't purchase anything but the vibes and the sound system were phenomenal. Definitely check this place out for live music!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Naia Lee-Hendricks
Good vibes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fresh uuusername
Zack was very accommodating and charismatic. He made my ordering experience very smooth. Would come here again.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
TheGreenCreeper TGC
It was alright, came to a Talk event about Space & such but I ended up leaving early when one of the hosts started singing campy space themed songs. Definitely quaint- but I sing semi-professionally and although I feel bad saying this, I honestly couldn't much stand her singing, plus seeing a bunch of folks laugh and giggle under their breath with their friends made it harder to watch seeing how hard she was trying to entertain folks.
I didn't get anything to eat or drink, but it seemed standard for what a bar offers.
A bit crowded, small space but decent atmosphere.
Nothing extreme to note of the staff, everyone seemed chill, front entrance lady let me finish my donut at a table despite a no outside food rule which I wasn't aware of, but appreciated her kindness.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Matthew Jones
This place had a great vibe and I'll definitely be back next time I'm in DC
One of my favorite music venues in DC!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
5star all round the best
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing venue to catch smaller acts on the come up! And the food was damn good for your typical bar fare. Service great, all the staff are friendly and helpful if you need anything.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Came out to DC9 for the Ha Vay concert and overall had a decent time, though the venue definitely had some ups and downs.
We arrived right when doors were scheduled to open, only to be shuffled up to the rooftop bar due to technical difficulties downstairs. We didn’t actually get into the venue until closer to 8 PM, which was a bit frustrating since doors were supposed to be at 7. That said, the rooftop staff and bartenders were incredibly friendly and clearly doing their best to keep things running smoothly. If I were one of the patrons up there just trying to enjoy my dinner, though, I probably wouldn’t have been thrilled. There were a ton of concertgoers awkwardly queuing around tables for a solid 30+ minutes.
The rooftop itself is nice! Plenty of fans, so even in hot weather it wasn’t too uncomfortable. Staff at the door checking IDs were also super chill and welcoming.
DC9 itself is really cool. It’s a multi-level space with several bars, lots of character, and what looks like a pretty solid food menu. However, I will say: if the show is sold out, expect it to feel cramped. Whether it was this particular crowd or just the venue at capacity, it felt really stuffy. Concert etiquette was kind of out the window—lots of pushing, no personal space, and very little room to move around. Honestly, I think they could’ve sold 25–30 fewer tickets and still had a packed, but much more comfortable, experience.
The sound quality also left a bit to be desired, some mic squeaking and audio weirdness here and there throughout the show, so I suspect those early “technical difficulties” never fully got resolved.
On the plus side, they have screens around the venue so even if you’re further back, you can still watch the performance, which is a nice touch.
All in all, we were thrilled to see some of our favorite artists in such an intimate space, but the experience as a whole felt a little chaotic. With some tweaks to crowd control and sound, DC9 could be a killer venue. For now, I’d say it’s worth going—but maybe not for a fully sold-out show.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 4
Great small venue for concerts. The bar on the ground floor serves a good selection of drinks and food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good sound. Small intimate venue. Saw a sold out show.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My first visit!! Marvin was the sweetest bar tender!!! He totally made it a great time. Drinks were amazing! Told us all about the floors! Def worth the visit!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
What kind of punk bar makes you download an app that explicitly tracks your location in Order to see a show.
Shame, place used to be pretty decent
Stopped in here to have some food before a show, their red beans and rice is amazing! The entire place was super comfortable and chill, would definitely come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
DJ kind of sucks
Restaurantji Recommends
Just left the Audrey Nuna concert and I'm still levitating. That was easily the BEST concert I've been to in DC and I've lived here for about 3 years. Its a VERY tiny stage so be sure to get as close to the front as you can. Super intimate, Audrey was right in my face, close enough for any of us to touch (we didn't though because we respect our queen).
I can't speak on the food/drinks as I didn't purchase anything but the vibes and the sound system were phenomenal. Definitely check this place out for live music!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Good vibes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zack was very accommodating and charismatic. He made my ordering experience very smooth. Would come here again.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
It was alright, came to a Talk event about Space & such but I ended up leaving early when one of the hosts started singing campy space themed songs.
Definitely quaint- but I sing semi-professionally and although I feel bad saying this, I honestly couldn't much stand her singing, plus seeing a bunch of folks laugh and giggle under their breath with their friends made it harder to watch seeing how hard she was trying to entertain folks.
I didn't get anything to eat or drink, but it seemed standard for what a bar offers.
A bit crowded, small space but decent atmosphere.
Nothing extreme to note of the staff, everyone seemed chill, front entrance lady let me finish my donut at a table despite a no outside food rule which I wasn't aware of, but appreciated her kindness.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
This place had a great vibe and I'll definitely be back next time I'm in DC
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 4
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