Comet is another great pizza place in D.C. However, this is not your average restaurant. There are ping-pong tables in the back, clam pizzas, and concerts on Saturday nights. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Guy Fieri called it some of the best pizza he'd ever eaten. A local favorite! Try the wings! Also serves brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Definitely kid-friendly.
Mon 5-9PM, Tue-Thu 5-9:30PM, Fri 5-10:30PM, Sat 11:30AM-10:30PM, 11:30AM-9PM·$6-20
This is quite possibly the city's favorite independent bookstore, with a non-exclusive focus on politics, a coffee shop downstairs, and frequent, excellent lectures. It is far off the beaten path, about a mile north of the Van Ness-UDC Metro Station, but it's a rewarding destination.
Mon-Sat 9AM-10PM, Sun 10AM-8PM
The quintessential greasy spoon (which can be hard to find in the D.C. area), serving eggs, steak, hash browns, bacon, and of course the local "delicacy" scrapple to a crowd of locals and AU students 'round the clock in a small diner. Serves by day a peaceful handful of diner patrons, by (late) night a packed, intoxicated crowd. Patio seating.
24 hours daily·$3-17
DoUpper Northwest
Fort Reno was one of the bedrocks of the legendary and celebrated D.C. punk/hardcore/straight-edge scene, and evolved to encompass later post-hardcore and other local indie rock. The concert series was founded in 1968 as a sort of government-sponsored hippie fest to try to bring some love, joy, and sense of community back to the district post-1968 riots. Having run annually since, this is one of the truest local traditions, is beloved by the community, and a great way to delve further into that elusive city beyond the federal government and neoclassical memorials. No alcohol, no glass bottles, but plastic bottles are allowed.
Summers, with vague start and end dates, but Mon Thu 7PM-9:30PM·Free