Although the Tombs is steeped in history, this Georgetown hangout definitely is not dead. Today's students and alumni are obsessed with the traditions that color this popular bar. Seniors line up for a chance to join the bar's 99 Days Club, so named because anyone who downs a drink a day during their last 99 days in school gets their name etched onto a plaque. Students can also leave their mark by working at the watering hole for two years, after which a plaque bearing their name is affixed to the bar. Even alumni channel the spirit of the Tombs. Former students-turned-moviemakers used the Tombs as a model for the bar in St. Elmo's Fire. This sense of tradition -- and the fact it's the closest bar to campus -- keeps Hoyas coming back year after year. "I always come here because I don't know anything else," says John, a senior economics major.

The Scene: Since students pack this lively but laid-back nightspot seven days a week, it's no exaggeration when someone says all inside are friends. "We come here because we're going to see everyone we know," says Chanel, a senior government major. And if your friends aren't drinking with you, they're probably serving you. Most of the bar staff are Georgetown students or alumni. "That means the bar tolerates all sorts of crazy behavior," says Patrick, a grad student. You might even run into a future president. In his book My Life, President Clinton mentions that he frequented the Tombs during his Georgetown days.

Girls at the Bar: A good mix of attractive coeds fills the Tombs every night, including the university's foxy female athletes. "The girls on the athletic teams are gorgeous," exclaims Matt, a Tombs host and senior government major. "You get a lot of good-looking girls." But the best nights are when Bryan Bobo, a former kicker for Georgetown's football team and the bar's resident solo artist, is scheduled to perform. His live music draws throngs of heavenly Hoyas to the bar.

When to Go: Students love to go down in a blaze of glory on Wednesdays during '80s Night, an evening of music, trivia, high tops and sweatbands. For something more traditional, try Chimes Night, where regulars gather once a month to listen to Georgetown's all-male a cappella group. "They all sit around a table, drink beer from special mugs and sing," says Caroline, a first-year law student. And you wouldn't be a Hoya if you didn't hit up the Tombs on your 21st birthday. It's definitely a night to remember -- the doorman marks your forehead with a Tombs stamp as soon as you enter.

Dress Code: Decorated in dark wood, high booths and Georgetown memorabilia, the Tombs screams preppie. Men normally wear button-ups and khakis, while ladies adorn themselves with jeans, tight Ts or tanks and sweaters.

At the Bar: Most regulars fill their mugs with Busch Light, priced at $6.50 a pitcher. They also get a few refills -- this Hoya hangout is the biggest seller of Busch Light in the D.C. area. The Tombs Ale also gets high marks. If you're looking for something out of the ordinary, order Stop Lights, a set of three shots filled with red, yellow and green-tinted rum.

Open: Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-1:15 a.m.; Friday, 11:30 a.m.-2:15 a.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-2:15 a.m.; Sunday, 9:30 a.m.-1:15 a.m.

GO BACK TO COLLEGE BARS HOME PAGE