A gay-friendly sports bar? Mais oui, with karaoke on Tuesdays, Smart Ass Trivia Night on Wednesdays, board games galore, and a roof patio; along with ten HD TVs and one giant screen for game days—in the more traditional, sports-bar sense of the word. Nellie’s, named after the owner’s great- and great-great-grandmother, has all the accoutrements of a regular sports bar (wings, nachos, burgers), along with a mixed crowd, a serious take on sports, and Latin-themed arepas and empanadas from the Venezualan co-owner.
Despite the fact that just about half of DC’s transient population is conservative (give or take a few percentages depending on whoever’s in the White House), the LGBT community is not only thriving, it’s practically the majority leader. That is, if you live on 17th Street, H Street, in Adams Morgan, Shaw, Dupont Circle, NoMa, Navy Yards…Did we mention gay DC is on the rise? Until about 15 years ago, the most flavor you’d savor in the District came in the form of mumbo sauce. But, as with any city’s gentrification pattern, wherever gays and lesbians move, gay and lesbian bars are sure to follow.
