The Wonders at Wonderland Ballroom

My latest adventures have taken me into the transitioning neighborhood of Columbia Heights, an area home to both the illustrious and the iffy.

There's plenty of good and bad to go around here. Only in Columbia Heights can this happen a block from a brand spanking new Best Buy. It's a tragedy that has shaken the community and is yet another stumbling block on Columbia Height's road to gentrification.

On a lighter note, Wonderland Ballroom goes in the plus column. It's an eclectic bastion for the young and the penniless, and they have the drink specials to prove it. Watch your step, you might trip over a Hill staffer or political journo.

Take, for example, the Ballroom's signature drink special. Yes, you read the below sign correctly: $5 for a shot of Jim Beam and a PBR. Happy hour be damned, this special lasts all night, Sunday through Thursday.

Against my better judgment, I enjoyed a few more specials than are socially acceptable for a school night. When the mind and the wallet go head to head, the wallet always emerges as victor. It's practically physics.

Good thing I was joined by a whole bunch of enablers; all smart, all wonks, and all thirsty. It's a dangerous combination.

The decor at Wonderland Ballroom is, to say the least, odd. I suppose that's part of its charm. The design here is two parts kitsch and one part 'what the hell is that?' Check out the below case in point.

But considering the good time I had at Wonderland, I'm willing to forgive a Bratz doll here and there. The whole bar is plastered with vintage posters, signs and photos and is bathed in a dim, yellow light. It's the kind of place that was likely a victim of DC's smoking ban (of which I am wholeheartedly a fan) -- even sans cigarettes the bar looks a bit swirled in smoke.

For those looking for something a bit more highfalutin than PBR, Wonderland Ballroom also boasts a fairly impressive seasonal beer menu. Happy hour prices also apply every day from 5-8 pm to rail drinks ($4), footlong hotdogs with chili and/or cheese ($3), Delirium Tremens ($8) and $2 off all drafts.

Also, a special treat for all you displaced Midwesterners. For some inexplicable reason, featured on the menu is the cultural offensive 'Chili Mac,' a bastardized Mexican dish which I will begrudgingly admit to enjoying. Hey -- let's see you resist such disgustingly amazing Americana cuisine after living in Missouri for 4 years.

If you find yourself in the area, I suggest Wonderland Ballroom as a great, unpretentious place to kick back with a couple of friends. But for the love of PBR, please keep an eye out for shady characters outside.

Wonderland Ball Room
1101 Kenyon St NW
Washington, DC 20010-2419
(202) 232-5263