Darnell’s Bar

The best Friday ever! From the moment you walk in, you are greeted with a welcome. Darnell, the owner, is very personable and pleasant. The food is great. Most times, jerk and house chicken, Mac and cheese, green beans, and cabbage are on the menu. The front bar’s bartender is CUTE!!! If you want a lounge, good food, and awesome drinks… I recommend!!!

I have never had w bad time at Darnell’s. If you miss spotting Darnell himself you are missing out. He is a delight and he always stops and says hello to everyone.
Great bar. The drinks and really reasonably priced for U St and the bartenders are great. The food is delicious (jerk wings always) and if you have a big party try grabbing a table in the Windows.

Nice homely neighborhood chill spot! I went here on a Friday evening after work with one of my friends & we sat in 2 upholstered chairs in the back room. The seating made it feel like I was in a home, rather than a bar. Nice!!! The staff was very friendly, as they checked on us frequently & Darnell personally came over to welcome us in a southern hospitality way. The ambiance consisted of dim lighting, a little old school & r&b background noise, and a crowd of grown ppl! We both ordered wine & the chicken dinner with Mac n cheese & cabbage (the bill was $ 28). The mac n cheese wasn’t authentic enough for me. It was bland! The cabbage & BBQ chicken wasn’t bad. I did try the jerk wings my friend ordered & it was better than the BBQ wings. I had 1 hiccup with the place. It was a bit dusty & there were cobwebs on the lamp on the coffee table right in between our 2 chairs… This was the only designated place to put our dinner plates. It bugged me the entire time I was there. Overall, I enjoyed the place & would probably go back… I’ll remember to bring my To Go Clorox wipes.

I came here for happy hour. I asked what were the specials. They had a jar of some fresh made punch that was $ 5 a glass. It was really yummy. We ordered some appetizers and we both agreed the wings were the best we’ve had. The sauce was full of flavor and the meat was falling off the bone.

Yo Darnell’s is definitely one of my favorite spots to hit up in DC. The place gives you a house party view and Darnell (the owner) is always warm and friendly, making you feel welcomed. It is like no other spot in DC.
I love the soul food they serve, it is on point. Great happy spot to bring a friend to chill out at. At night the DJ is going with a good mix of old school hip hop and r and b. With its two indoor sections of the lounge, along with its outdoor patio, Darnell’s a must visit.

Oh Darnell’s how you surprised me! Walking in blind not knowing what I was getting myself into we stumbled upon this little hotspot. Being immediately greeted by the audacious staff, we found our way at the back bar. With no drink menu or food menu we were quickly confused until the chef himself came out to tell us what was in the kitchen for the evening.
When I say the food was EXCELLENT, it was really that good. I had seconds and would have definitely had thirds if I wasn’t being judged by my friends. lol
Food Rundown:
House Jerk Chicken– cooked to perfection. The chicken was so juicy and tender it fell right off the bone.
Steamed Cabbage– I had seconds
Mac&Cheese– I also had seconds lol
It’s on the corner, but if you blink your eyes you’ll miss it. They have a great vibe, ambiance and music for the social scene.
You’ve got to stop by and check it out!

Maybe I am just soft-​hearted when it comes to local business and having local owners — I LOVED Darnell’s Bar. Last Friday (⁴⁄₁₇) I hosted a happy hour for my food group here and although it was hot — I think Darnell made it hotter
Location/​Appearance — Its charming with the «hole in the wall» feel. Located right off the Shaw Green Line — walk across the street to Vermont Avenue and you will run right into it on the corner. They have a patio area out back to cool off cause you will definitely sweat if you are enjoying yourself. It’s a basement-​like appearance. One bathroom mid-​hallway and the food in the front while the party is in the back taking place.
Food/​Drink — EXCELLENT. Although I am not a fan of spicy food I ordered the jerk wings and they were NOT disappointing! The mac and cheese was definitely the highlight of my order though — yum-​yum-​yummers! Bar tender (there is only one) was full of personality and had a great pour. Prices are comparable (Tip: if you follow Darnell on IG he usually posts he HH specials)
I had so much fun — I like to relax when I go out these days and this is the perfect location.

Quaint little southern menu and some good drinks. This place is a little bit of a hole in the wall dive bar, but the food and drinks are outstanding. Also the feel of the place has regulars in it and the servers are also quite friendly and nice. Overall great atmosphere, good drinks, great food and good service.

After reading the reviews of Darnell’s I was so excited to go but I ended up being very disappointed. It was actually embarrassing since I talked this place up so much to my best friend to convince her to come with me. The things that caught my eye in the reviews were the excellent music, delicious food, homey environment, and a super friendly Darnell. I even looked up Darnell’s bar on Instagram to see what he looked like ahead of time, just to know. Now on to the review…
Walked into the bar on a Friday night with my best friend and wasn’t greeted at the door. We had to stand around confusedly until the waiter came from the back and greeted us. I must say he was the most pleasant part of our time there, he was very friendly. He is the one that looks like August Alsina. Just looking around, I thought the place seemed very small. I couldn’t understand how there was any room to dance, but once we walked all the way in I realized there was a bigger part of the bar further back. It definitely seemed as if this was (and maybe still is during the day) someone’s house, which I didn’t mind. There was old furniture, behind the bar there were big aluminum containers of food. Reminded me of a cookout. Anyway, the waiter asked us if we would like to order food and said that all they had were the wings and Mac & cheese. This is what we ordered and walked to the back of the bar to find a seat. As soon as we grab a seat I spotted Darnell. I even went back on Instagram to make sure and yup, that was him! He stared at us but never came over to speak. What was up with that? At one point he came over to our table and took a candle off and STILL didn’t speak! Very rude as the owner. The place didn’t have that many people, maybe 20 total, and everyone seemed to know each other but us. The Dj was good, everyone appeared to be having a great time but I must let you know that everyone in this place is in the 30 – 40 age range. Something I wish I would’ve known prior, as this probably explains the good reviews. I am in my early 20s and this place is definitely not the definition of a fun night for me. The Dj played all old school music the whole time. I don’t mind old school but it would be nice to hear some new jams here and there. But then again… The crowd was older so I shouldn’t have hoped for that.
Now onto the food– It was simply NOT good. Maybe they had a bad night, I don’t know but my best friend and I were literally struggling to eat. To be a black owned business I expected some soul and flavor packed Mac & cheese and wings like you would get at a family cookout. The Mac & cheese was terrible, the wings were mushy (yes I said mushy) and the sauce they put on them was horrible! They weren’t jerk wings like I expected, they were some kind of weird barbecue. I just wanted to show the cook how it’s done! Altogether for the wings, Mac & cheese, and rail drink it was $ 21 which wouldn’t have been bad if the food was actually good.
I went in this place with high hopes and got let down. Maybe it was an off night… I’ll never know because I won’t be back on my dime. The one star is for the waiter, would have been two if Darnell at least said hi. My best friend and I left right after we finished our food and hit up the rest of U street.

The other reviews helped me to manage my expectations. The atmosphere is inviting with a feel of the southern grandma’s home. I had the jerk chicken with macaroni and cheese, with dirty rice. The chicken was spicy but I like spice. It didn’t make my nose run or eyes water but it had some good kick to it. Some of the people in my group had the other wings (BBQ or teriyaki sauce). They looked pretty good as well as the green beans. I will have to eat that the next time.
So, I’d go back but wouldn’t necessarily make this a spot to stay too long with my wife for date night unless we were on the patio area. The inside is really tight and after 9pm or so there were 2 – 3 parties happening and it became more like a house party. There was barely any room to move and it became really hot, like steamy hot. The bar tenders did a decent job of keeping up with the demand by making like 4 drinks at a time.
Oh yeah, if you are looking to drink some wine, they have limited options available. (At least on the night I attended)
Hope this helps.

Darnell’s Bar reminds me of the backroom in my grandmother’s house, the tattered furniture, the cool laid back vibe, the backdoor constantly open out to the back patio.
All the staff including Darnell himself are very friendly, they were constantly asking if I was doing okay or if I needed anything
The DJ was great, nice mix of new and old school hip hop and R and B that put off a real cool vibe that just made you want to sit back on the couch and enjoy a good drink. Drinks are strong and the bartender was friendly and dancing to the beat as well.
One thing I am slightly confused about is whether Darnell’s is a gay bar or not, I mean end of the day it doesn’t really matter because it is a cool bar but Darnell the owner appears to be gay as do many of the staff members. The clientele also appeared to be mixed, so I was just wondering.
One odd thing is, Darnell just abruptly kicked everyone out to close the place down for a private party, no real warning, just please finish your drinks folks and then shut it down.
All in all, cool bar, nice staff, great music and overall chill vibe.

Fiiiinally made it to Darnell’s!
I didn’t try the food, as I was just there to drink, BUT the atmosphere was cool. It’s a small, intimate space but it’s fun. The music is great and people were dancing, other people boo’d up in the corner. It had whatever you needed.
I didn’t buy my own drinks (wink wink, nudge nudge) so I can’t speak to the price BUT they were definitely strong which is a plus.
The onnnnly setback was that it closed early! It closed around 1somethingAM because Darnell had to leave to go to his second home in NY. I wish he’d get some to manage Darnell’s in his place so it could stay open until normal closing, but it wasn’t a huge setback. We ended up walking down the street to Satellite Bar which was also fun.

I don’t know exactly how to describe this place, except to say that it had become my safe haven. After long droning research meetings, presentations, hard criticism and whinny students talking about the «graduate school struggle» it is absolutely necessary to have a place like this.
The waiters and waitresses get to know you by name and are interested in hearing your story. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come here just to see smiling faces. How many times we’ve celebrated a birthday, or graduation, for folks coming in from out of town. Most celebratory anything is hosted here. The food is good and the conversations are even better. Everyone is super cool and friendly. Oh… And the food is good too :)
Our usual night is Thursday. After that school bell rings, everyone rushes over for happy hour, dinner and music. Don’t miss out on a good time. Swing by and see how great and intimate Darnell’s lounge is to many.

Cute spot, in the cut, that I would have never found. Went here to party for my birthday, and had a blast. Music, on point, drinks on point… The atmosphere, was amazing… It reminded me of someones house, and I love, how everyone just was on chill mode, the whole night. I will be back, to get my party on…

Darnells is:
a. comfortable
b. friendly
c. warm
Darnells is not:
a good place to get a beer. Nothing on tap. Prices are also on the high side.
And definitely not a dive bar. Not sure why it is listed as one.
Pleasant, welcoming place but I would not put it at the top of my DC bar list.

I love Darnell’s. It’s basically a 90’s house party. It’s small, but the music is awesome, and drinks are cheap and strong. Bathroom is clean (but there’s only one). Bartender is super friendly, and so is Darnell, who is always there. I definitely want to return and try the food and since I’m sure I’ll be returning sooner rather than later, that will probably happen.

Darnell, I am gonna need a booster seat to sit at your bar. Can you hook a girl up?
Seriously, I know I’m short, but I have never had to reach up at a bar to get my drink. Even my normal sized friends felt like little kids at the grown up table… I kinda wish it wasn’t so packed so we could have all grabbed a couch to sit on vs. bar stools.
Other than that. I really loved Darnell’s Bar. We went here on a whim and had no idea what to expect. It is literally like walking into someone’s house party. At first, it’s awkward cause walk in, everyone is lounging around on couches and overstuffed chairs and staring right at you. Then you pull up to the bar and order a stiff drink (I had a vodka cranberry for $ 7, so basically it was a cup of vodka with a drop of cranberry), and start bouncing to the music (90s throwback R&B, hippity hop), and then you realize you fit right in. Keep in mind, the mixed drinks are the way to go here, my friend paid the same amount for a beer, and I think $ 7 is better for a mixed drink.
Also, I didn’t even know who Darnell was but I’m guessing it’s the guy who reads over your shoulder when checking out Unilocal reviews, and gives awesome hugs while calling women «beautiful». If that’s him, I already adore him.
My one regret, other than not having longer arms, is that I could only stay for one drink. Next time, I’ll be back to bounce a bit longer and enjoy some food.

I soooo LOVE this place and Darnell!
It is the perfect off U Street spot to enjoy good music, drinks and a nice chill atmosphere. They also have a limited menu which is pretty good if that is what you are in the mood for — Jerk or Regular wings with mac and cheese and greens and potato salad or any of those separate or in a combo.
Darnell is just amazing and such a sweetheart. He genuinely wants you to have a good time and creates the space for the that. You can tell this little home of his is open to all that are open to him.
Be respectful when you come!

Darnell’s is the perfect little creep spot. If you’re into that sort of thing. ;-)
Food:
It was date night and my boo thang was starving so I suggested Darnell’s based on Unilocal reviews. We were not disappointed. He got the fried wings, greens, and cornbread. He said I could have some, but they were gone in 60 seconds and apparently I was too slow. I got the jerk wings, mac & cheese, and cornbread. The wings were tasty but not enough heat for me. Good enough for the average human being but I’m barely average or human.
Ambiance:
It was like being in my great-​Aunt Edna’s house. Very homey. Very small and I loved it. Nice diverse crowd too. Good music and good drinks. I had a ball. Thanks Darnell! See you soon.

I felt like I was home. As we entered, not only did Darnell himself talk to us personally, but I felt like he was my lost cousin. The soft, yielding couch was cozy and warm, and the lighting was perfect. The bartender bought me a shot of Grand Marnier… and the DJ was playing some awesome hits.
Smooth, very smooth!