Duffy's Tavern

History

John Wilhelm opened Duffy’s at 1412 O Street in 1938, just after Prohibition, and the original backbar is still in the room. Warren Goldstein bought it in 1953, Larry Cole owned it from the mid-1970s, and bartenders including Reg McMeen and partners took over in 1986, receiving their liquor license on November 1. After Lincoln’s Drumstick closed, McMeen began booking live rock around 1987. Later owner Scott Hatfield has kept the stage going; bills have included Nirvana, 311, and Bright Eyes, and the bar is known for its fishbowl drinks.