You could walk up, down, and all around Connecticut Avenue without realizing Steve's Bar Room exists at all.
The place, located above Heritage India, is only accessible by a rather shady-looking elevator, and only a few signs on a door indicate that there's a bar hidden away up there.
However, Steve's discreet location may serve it well in keeping away the less-than-desirable crowd. The bar's clientele leans toward friendly and congenial over self-centered and pretentious. The space, although small, never gets overly crowded, and is downright dead until 11 p.m. But once that hour hits, people begin to pour in, and the dance floor gets going with music you'll either think is awesome or horrible, depending on your affinity for top 40s and hits from the 80s.
Despite its name, there's nothing bar-esque or tavern-like about Steve's. The inside is decorated with sleek contemporary furniture, and the whole place is lit with a reddish glow. One of the highlights of Steve's may be the vending machine, which doles out Pabst Blue Ribbon and cigarettes instead of food.
Although Steve's Bar Room does have a cover on weekends, you can sign up on their guest list and get free admission before 11 p.m. They also have a Thursday night Ladies Night, which features free champagne for females before 11 p.m.
Don't expect any happy hour specials from Steve's. The bar is only open after 9 p.m., and stays open until 2 a.m. on weekdays and 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
1337 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.
202-293-3150
http://www.sbrdc.com
