DC regulations ensure that Washington is...

DC regulations ensure that Washington is the land of mediocre strip clubs--no touching, no lap dances, no VIP, etc. With that as baseline, I have routinely had a good time at Archibald's.

Physically, it's a small, narrow club a few steps below street level. A long bar, two stages, and about 20 tables. My first visit was in 1995, and basically nothing about the facility has changed in almost 20 years.

Dancers are reasonably attractive (6-8 during the day, a notch better when the Russian girls show up at night). Day shift has a fairly steady lunch business (with decent food)then goes dead until 5:00 or so. I happen to like the afternoons, when the club is populated by bored dancers and business guys like me escaping for a 90 minute vacation fron the cubicle. A nice mis of ethnicity, no obvious dancer-on-dancer drama, and some friendly conversation between sets. Once night falls, the club gets busier and the crowd gets younger and noisier. Drink prices are in line with down-the'street bars, at least during the day. Once your "new best friend" dancer starts hitting the top shelf tequila on your tab, the equation changes; however, dancers and bar staff are not pushy about it.