That would be plenty, especially if it’s really good beer and chili. But lots of other good food, tons of personality and history, a friendly crowd and staff, and enough flat-screens to follow whatever you like as you sit bar-side – now we’re nearing mythical status. And there are Happy Hour specials on top of all that.

There is something to be said for the über-fancy – that ivy-league, polished mahogany, where’s-my-tuxedo atmosphere. The Old Ebbitt Grill doesn’t go quite to that extreme, but that may just be due to the economic crisis.

McFadden’s in DC is a palatial oaken pub which has mysteriously sold its soul to the college and corporate gods. When empty of late-night, cover-paying patrons, it has terrific potential. It is also then possible to see that the beleaguered bartenders are actually personable and skilled. Weekends (and many a late weekday night) they may find themselves reduced to simply filling the troughs of trendy club-goers with dubious IDs.

This may be the sign of a wonderful trend: a place to grab locally-produced, organic food, and chase it down with a fine craft beer. Dupont Circle’s Bread and Brew is an organic coffee shop and a sweet basement dive under one roof.

Yes, it is odd to see a motorcycle-themed bar attracting a vaguely-Yuppie clientele, but a good happy hour crosses all boundaries of class, style, and fashion.

There are times when a bar-goer gets so accustomed to what is considered “normal” that he or she becomes numb to it. It takes someplace beyond the norm to put things back in perspective.

Why isn’t this place more crowded? Not so far from the heart of the city, The Laughing Man has good beer, good food, good specials, plenty of space, and a warm, inviting feel. Add in the amicable staff, and you’d think it would be wall-to-wall people at all times.

A sprawling restaurant with two big bar areas, The Front Page has one of DC’s more renowned happy hours. This estimation is no doubt propagated by fans of food rather than beer, as it is the half-price appetizers that offer the big draw. Of ten good tap beers, only Yuengling is available at a super-bargain $2.75 per pint.