The Wonderland Ballroom

A bit divey but always a good time. Although they have great dance parties on the weekend, they get very hot and crowded. They also do a lot of other events during the week which are worth checking out!
They have a lot of advertising for Delirium beer… it’s amazing.

Great local bar with good prices for drinks but I really love Karaōke on Tuesday’s with Ra Free. He is high energy and has all the latest hits as well as classics. You can sing with no judgements and the crowd will cheer you on — the only rule is to have fun!

Went for brunch ⁵⁄₂₉ with ~9 people. Server was perfect and handled our group well (thankyouthankyouthankyou). Love the mismatched coffee mugs, laid back patio and shockingly strong mimosas. The long tables can accommodate a lot of people, just get there early! Don’t whine about seating if you get there during the peak of brunch rush.

Best neighborhood bar ever. Classic dive bar elements exist so know what you are getting into, not the cleanest place in the world and does make me hesitant to order food, but hey I have and it was delicious, fried pickles anyone? The real reason you come here is not fine dining, it is well to drink a lot and dance a lot. There is no low gear here. Think amazing house party, 90s hip hop, sweat, and amazing moments every time you go.

My favourite dive bar of all time. The bartender on Monday’s is hilariously raunchy. The drink selection is nice and the food is good. Definitely a great neighbourhood spot.

Wonderland ballroom was my favorite place in my early/​mid 20s to get drunk and dance with strangers in DC! Alas, I believe my 31-​year-​old self is no longer allowed upstairs on the weekends. But wonderland holds a special place in my heart for those unforgettable nights all those years ago!
Now I only go to Wonderland for Happy Hour on the patio or brunch with friends after soccer across the street. The brunch is cheap and filling and delicious, the service is friendly and efficient. Love you wonderland!

Love the pacman machine!

I love quirky, divey places that have no earthly business being in a certain neighborhood. Wonderland is surrounded by NOTHING ELSE except for homes, which gives it a certain flair.
The bartenders are friendly and expeditious. They have typical hipster beers like PBR. Upstairs is where it’s happening though. They have a DJ some nights (including the one in question). He was excellent! The music was what we wanted and the dance floor was not too crowded (although I’ve known it to be packed on previous occasions).

Is my second time at the Wonderland Ballroom and really started to like this place!
Burgers are all about the quality of the beef… And I love that! They’re not very big but enough to keep your tummy and your heart happy!
Burgers are juicy, bread is fluffy, fresh vegetables and crispy fries. Our waitress was very friendly, the wait was approximately 15 minutes to enjoy our delicious dinner, but it’s was worthy!

This place is deceiving at first. It looks & feels like your typical hipster dive bar, with tatted up bartenders slingin’ pbr & high life’s BUT once you go upstairs and it can get more packed than a can of sardines.
Not a place you want to take a fancy date (unless you want to) but this can be really fun pending on who you go with!
Stumble in to dance a little, drink a lot, and stay until the lights come on ;)

Great place for an overall good solid brunch. They don’t do the bottomless drinks you just simply by bottles of the mimosas.
I went with the group of friends and it was late enough in the morning that I had already had a bite to eat earlier (I can’t function without some kind of food in the morning when I first wake up) so I was a little unsure of what I would be ordering. When I mentioned that briefly to the waitress, she nicely recommended that I just get sides which made for a cheap and filling breakfast, or I guess second breakfast. They have nice outdoor seating with picnic benches, half of which have shade options.
Overall it’s a good brunch place. Considering all of the amazing brunch places in Washington DC, this definitely isn’t at the top of my list. It’s a solid choice with medium expectations.

Came here for brunch since I was craving potatoes and bacon. My date’s coworker recommended this place so we thought we’d give it a try…
We stood for over 5 minutes for someone to even acknowledge us at the host podium. Then we were led outside (inside had a thick greasy smell, so we opted for outside seating) and told to find a spot to sit. There were several long picinic style tables; many of the spots were empty but the table wasn’t cleared of plates. We waited for that to happen before we sat down… another 10 minutes pass. The menus were greasy, server did not have patience for questions and was not friendly. We self served water. Waited long for the food to arrive. I was happy to see large portions of potatoes and meat but there was a pool of oil at the bottom. I ate off the top and didn’t touch what was close to the oil. My date’s plate was also in a pool of oil… We left unsatisfied but full and felt fat.
Over all the service was not good, dirty tables/​seats, edible food but super greasy. I definitely had better!

Went on a Monday night for a quick burger, not sure if the chef is on leave, most chef takes day off at the beginning of the week. My burger had not seasoning!
Still this is a good neighborhood spot. Patio seating for dogs and hot summer night.

Never been here for bar/​night time activities but it my favorite spot for a laid-​back brunch on the weekend.
The Hacienda skillet is a must have, the huevos rancheros are awesome and the french toast is great. Delicious coffee which is super important. The bloody marys can be hit or miss but 80% of the time they are excellent. Also they have an outdoor area so I can bring my dog.
Best place in Columbia Heights for brunch if:
1) You hate waiting for brunch. I’ve never waited ever and I have been here double digits of times.
2) You love bacon. Theirs has the right amount of crisp.
3) You have a dog
4) You love brunch food but you hate brunch pretension.

One of the best dive bars in DC, for sure, Wonderland Ballroom is indeed a wonderland of awesome. As you approach the place by venturing through what is currently a «transition neighborhood» (transitioning from bad to … acceptable?), you are greeted by a lit «W» sign on the corner. It’s probably more recognizable from the patrons sitting at picnic tables outside. This is a real dive bar – not a dive bar for yuppies like most of the other dives are in the area. The bartenders are really cool and the space is fantastic. The owner collects signs and weird pictures, and they are super interesting to look at. It’s quirky to the max, sort of like a greatest hits of old signs, a cigarette machine that still works, a Mr. T painting, old bar signs, a bunch of other quirky stuff.
The bar features numerous seating tables inside and picnic tables outside. Upstairs is an events venue.
The bartenders are exceptionally nice. They keep your drinks full, make jokes, and are just pleasant. The food is pretty good, too! I wasn’t a fan of the sausage burger (a Wonderland Original, as it says on the menu) but it was well prepared, fresh and the fries were solid. A highlight for me was the fried pickle spears – I would go back to eat those again for sure and just thinking about them now is making my mouth water. Absolutely 5-​stars for the pickles! My wife got the eggplant fries and we were not enthused by them due to grease. We also got a burrito which was spicy but good.
Upstairs is a hot, cave-​like stage area. The stairs to get there are single file, only. The upstairs features a tiny stage. We were there for an event and I can tell you that it’s a hot, sweaty mess with music going, people dancing, and the upstairs bar humming.
Age range and WB is late 20s to 40s, people who like to drink without pretense. You can be yourself here and not be judged. As a result, I couldn’t define a patron of this place beyond saying that they are a diverse range of individuals.
I would definitely come back to WB. It’s on my radar as a cool divey dive bar. I get the impression that this is an awesome brunch spot, in addition to the rest of their menu. If you want well prepared, carefully presented food then this is your place!
Parking is purely street!

Cheep beers, pretty good selection, perfect outdoor seating area with big picnic tables. The inside isn’t anything to write home about, I would definitely put this spot in the ‘dive bar’ category, but I was inside for all of 10 seconds.
We tried the eggplant fries and the nachos. I’ve had better of both, but they were solid drunk snacks for sure. The eggplant fries had almost a pancake batter –esq breeding and the nachos were standard for a bar.
The service was on point. Friendly and attentive without being too much.

This place is definitely a Columbia Heights institution. Funky joint with tasty pub grub like fried eggplant, pretzels, nachos and burgers. They have two floors and large patio with plenty of natural shade from nearby trees.
The place also hosts funky events like Karaōke nights, trivia, live music, and DJ nights. They also incubated the glorious comedy variety show that is Church Night, I’m such of fan of Rev. Bidet that I’ll give wonderland 5 stars just for that!
Also, the big sun dress street festival is also a trip and raises money for charity. Thank you Wonderland, for being a weird, fun, creative place!
DC would be too uptight without you!

If you’re choosing to come here based on the name alone, you have been misled. Definitely not a Ballroom, but a Wonderland … questionable.
Love:
+ Dance floor
+ Music selection, from Christina Aguilera to Big Sean to Third Eye Blind (I love the variety, but you may or may not)
+ Blueberry Pancake beer (what an odd treat)
+ Convenience for all those in Columbia Heights
Not So Love:
+ Crowded dance floor = $weaty $aturday
+ Mystery shot… I took it once and doubt I’d do it again
+ The bar loss my friend’s credit card here :(
Overall, it reminded me of the Brass Monkey but less college feel and more grunge. Rest assured, you can dance the night away here!

I’ve been here multiple times before but they were all late-​night boozy experiences. This was the first time I came for happy hour and dinner. Food was pretty good and the service was friendly but slow. The picnic tables are fine and the crowd was cool.
They had an amateur comedy show going on upstairs and the guy was ok. Upstairs usually gets pretty packed with dancing late at night. Overall this is a decent place, decent food, and decent drink. Decent.

If you’re into dive bars, then this is your place (especially on Friday and Saturday Nights)!! Disclaimer: not Alice in wonderland themed at all and not a ballroom whatsoever! I go here almost every weekend, so please don’t mind the skinny Asian boy dancing drunkenly because that’s probably me!!!
Tips and highlights:
~Blueberry Beer OR the 7 dollar cream beer and a shot deal are great drinks to start your night off right!
~Downstairs is chill upstairs is party on Friday and Saturdays! It doesn’t get cracking until after 10:30! I’ve been on a weekday and their upstairs isn’t open and it’s not as fun!
~The upstairs gets so sweaty so be prepared to dress light or maybe heavy if you like that sweaty feeling ;)

So the name of the place will definitely fool you. It’s not a ballroom its a dive bar. Then it gets crowded on top of that and the place gets hot fast (in terms of temperature). The dj isnt anything to write home about and the bartenders dont seem attentive. Additionally it gets so crowded its hard to even get a drink when you attempt to.
Seeing red palace went out of business. I would have hoped a place with wonderland ballroom as a name would have given a similar vibe.