Stan’s DC Restaurant

The chicken wings are in contention for the best in the city and the drinks are some of the strongest, so Stan’s is popping every night, well into the evening hours (it closes at 10:30 pm Monday-Tuesday and 1:30am Wednesday-Saturday). The downtown American spot is so crowded that most days after 5pm, you can’t buy a seat at the small bar, which is the best place to be if you’re looking for a little human interaction. If you just want to look at other people, though, without engaging too much, grab one of the half-leather booth tables, preferably tucked in the back of the basement restaurant. The afterwork crowd is heavy here, and the later into the night you get, the more “rowdy” the crowd becomes, so go early if you want a more laid back dinner.