The Washington Nationals face off against the San Francisco Giants on Friday, October 2, at 3:07 PM for the first round of the postseason playoffs. If you aren’t lucky enough to find yourself inside the ballpark, don’t sweat it. We’ll fill you in on the best deals, biggest screens, and most entertaining contests so you can cheer in style.
We’ll keep updating the specials as more come in, as well as deals for Saturday’s evening game.
Giant outdoor screen at the Bullpen
1229 Half St., SE
This outdoor bar is located just outside Nationals Park, so you’ll see plenty of action. Take advantage of the free admission to watch the game on a giant outdoor screen, and enjoy frozen concoctions by Daq Shack plus $5 drinks after the start of the third inning and through the end of the seventh. If you really want a piece of the action, try your arm at the fast pitch to see if you can out-throw Strasburg.
$3 local brew at Hill Country DC
419 Seventh St., NW
Visit this Texas-style barbecue joint for a $13.50 half-smoke meal deal, including cornbread and a side, and $3 cans of DC Brau’s Penn Quarter Porter. Watch the Nationals play on the big screen and the front bar TVs.
Fan rewards at Agua 301
301 Water St., SE
Show up at this riverfront Mexican eatery near the Park in Nationals apparel, and get rewarded with $5 margaritas and sangria or $4.50 Corona Light. The deal starts two hours before the game, and lasts until two hours after it ends.
Party in the park with Capitol Riverfront BID
355 Water St., SE
Pack a picnic or grab a bite off a food truck for a watch party in Yards Park. The game will be shown on the big screen, CBS Radio will broadcast, and local bands will play afterward at Yards Park boardwalk. Bluejacket provides some of its best brews, and families can enjoy the kid-friendly activities throughout the afternoon. Return on Saturday for round two with a pre-game concert by Hand Painted Swinger kicking off the festivities at 3.
$15 burger and beer at Osteria Morini
301 Water St., SE
Fuel up before, during, and two hours after the game with a $15 special: the wood-grilled White Label burger, made of butcher Pat LaFrieda’s dry-aged beef and slathered with rosemary mustard aïoli, marinated fennel, and Emmentaler cheese, plus a pint of Port City Monumental IPA. If liquids are your focus, Morini is also serving $12 specialty cocktails. The burger is available in the bar and lounge only.
Beer battle at RFD
801 Seventh St., NW
You may have thought the playoffs were about baseball, but RFD teaches us they’re really about the best brews. The bar will feature a California beer in an epic sales battle against a local favorite, so settle in with a pint of your choice in front of three 60-inch TVs and root for your team—or beer—to win.
$5 Pinot at Park Tavern
200 M St., SE
Sip a glass of $5 Pinot Grigio or Pinot Noir, or try what’s on tap among Park Tavern’s $5 drafts specials while watching the Nationals play.
Free wings at Duffy’s Irish Pub
2106 Vermont Ave., NW
Plan to get to the Nats bar early for free wings—some of the best in the city—through the first inning. A bounty of TVs also make this a prime watch spot, as do $16 buckets of Miller or Bud, and pitchers of Yeungling.
Baseball-themed treats at Astro Doughnuts
1308 G St., NW
Every day the Nats play Astro will serve vanilla-glazed doughnuts fashioned after a baseball ($2.50 each).
Early happy hour at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
750 15th St., NW
Happy hour starts in time for the first pitch at Joe’s. Hunker down on a couch in the lounge or snag a seat at the bar with $2.95 Miller Lights and glasses of wine and cocktails for $6.95. Try any of the cocktail-sized sandwiches — oyster po’ Boys, buffalo chicken sliders, cuban sandwiches, and Alaskan King Crab rolls are all on the menu — for $3.95 and up, or just munch on a side of fried pickles if you’re craving greasy ballpark goodness.
Caroline Cunningham joined Washingtonian in 2014 after moving to the DC area from Cincinnati, where she interned and freelanced for Cincinnati Magazine and worked in content marketing. She currently resides in College Park.
