Goodbye Bobby Lee and Mister Days

Mister days on a popular night in April 2025

It's so sad to hear that DC area entrepreneur and business owner Bobby Lee, owner of the famous Mister Days, passed away this past weekend. Bobby was often present at Mister Days in Clarendon recently even though he was retired and was always very friendly and talkative when I visited. 

Mister Days is also closing according to his daughter Tiffany Lee as reported by ArlNow. This is also a tragic loss for Clarendon, as Mister Days was one of my favorite late night spots in the neighborhood and has a long history as a Clarendon nightlife staple. They have always had super friendly staff, a casual environment, and their food was surprisingly amazing (I will miss their cheeseburgers and BBQ burgers!) for a sports bar. 

While Mister Days closing isn't shocking, as they have been open less and less this past year and sometimes was open but mostly empty. Their last Rally In The Alley was sparsely attended, which was a huge contrast to the massive crowds that would come to that party in the 1980s. I was really hoping things would turn around for this local favorite and it would once again become the hotspot of Clarendon nightlife it once was in the early 2000s. 

Goodbye Mister Days! 

Mister Days Rally in the Alley

Mister Days Sports Rock Cafe is bringing back its beloved fundraiser event Rally in the Alley and shutting down part of 11th Street to welcome thousands for some barbecue and dancing March 28, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Smokecraft Modern Barbecue will bring the meat, a DJ will spin tunes and guests can access the fun for $10. That money will go to Mister Days’ Reach Out Foundation, which supports Arlingtonians in need. Bobby Lee, founder of the rally, says he expects about 2,000-3,000 party-goers this year.

Goodbye Mister Days

It 's a sad day to learn that the wonderfully down to earth sports bar Mister Days will be closing for good on Friday, April 12. It was shocking to read ArlNow break the news on the classic nightlife staple deciding to close after 18 years in Clarendon. Mister Days as a brand is actually 41 years old dating back to when it was started in DC as a happy hour spot.

Mister Days moved to Highland Street in 2001 just before Clarendon turned into the bustling nightlife spot it is now, attracting a young crowd to its multi-floor bar, infamous dance floor and many TV screens. Mister Days continued to be popular spot with poker, trivia, cornhole, DJs, game days, and VA Tech alumni.

The owner Robert E. Lee, whose grand mother actually has a building named after her down the street at Marymount University's Rose Bette Lee Center, decided to close up the bar and sell to another local Patrick Crump. Crump hopes to rekindle the glory days of Mister Days with a new restaurant "The Grill on Highland". The aptly named bar may take elements from the also closed next door former venue Clarendon Grill. With both Mister Days and the Grill closed up, the next few days will see a much quieter Highland Street at night between Lyon Hall and GOAT.

NYE Back in Time at Mister Days

Turtle Recall is performing live at Mister Days for this New Years Eve on Monday, Dec 31. The DC pop/folk/rock band play mashups of top 40, rock, oldies and country frequenting in the DC and Baltimore area.

Mister Days just finished celebrating their 40th anniversary and are looking to throw a huge New Years Eve party with 20 big screen TV's showing NYC's Time Square Countdown. Tickets are $35 (goes up to $40) and includes a drink ticket, midnight champagne toast and party favors.

Arlington Cornhole Late Summer League

Arlington Cornhole is having their league playoffs at Mister Days starting 7pm this Tuesday, July 17. ACH started two years ago with a group of friends and has grown into a league of 80 people. Their seasons are 8 weeks long and played at local Clarendon bars, with proceeds being donated to charity. They have raised over $6,000 for charities including the Wounded Warrior Project, Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital, St. Baldrick's Foundation, The Carpenter's Shelter, Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary, The Lyon Village Community House, The Arlington Housing Corporation, The Hurricane Maria Relief Fund, and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue.

If you want to join the fun, Arlington Cornhole's late summer registration is now open. Their season will run from August 7th through September 25th and will be played at Mister Day's and Whitlows. Food and drink specials are available along with all registration money going towards the winning team's charity of choice. $40 to enter and you get a t-shirt.

Mister Days Music Bingo

Mister Days is hosting Music Bingo this Friday February 16. It’s bingo with a twist as we test your music knowledge, as you have to figure the song in 30 seconds and then match that to your bingo card. Get 5 in a row in any direction to win the game. There are prizes after every round which last 15 minutes. Enjoy our Happy Hour from 4-9pm with half priced beer, wine and rail drinks. Ask about specials on Tito’s Vodka and our $6 food menu.

Clarendon NYE parties with a cover

Continuing with Clarendon New Year's Eve parties, here is a list of venues where you will need to purchase a ticket ahead of time or pay cover at the door. See the previous post for free NYE events.

Whitlows party starts at 8pm and features music by Back To Zero. $34 ticket includes buffet, party favors and champagne toast.

Clarendon Ballroom will have Liquid A on stage and DJ Hurley providing music in the downstairs lounge. Tickets are about $100 and include full dinner buffet, 4 drink tickets, and champagne.  Cocktail attire required. Bring cash. Ballroom also offers a $2 coat check for the frigid NYE night.

Clarendon Grill will host live music by Turtle Recall for $55 currently, going up to $65 soon. Party starts at 8pm and includes 3 drinks, food buffet and champagne toast.

Mister Days general admission tickets are up to $45 per person now, and will go up to $55. That includes 3 drink tickets, a VIP entrance and you have to be in the door before 11pm. Also available are $300 and $500 tables for 4 to 8 people with champagne, drink tickets and red bulls. DJ Mario will be playing hits from the 1980s up to today before they show the live New York City ball drop on all 20 of their TV screens.

Green Pig Bistro offers $75 dinner menu which includes two appetizers, entrée, desert and either two glasses of either Malbec or Gruner Vetliner wine.

BaBa features NYE party packages in the swanky basement of Ambar. Their dinner party prices range from $55, $65 or $75 depending on table or bar seats and timing. Or you can choose to pay $20 cover at the door that includes passed canapés and a cash bar. The DJ starts after 9pm.

Barley Mac in Rosslyn has a $50 package starting at 9pm with bourbon and whiskey pours, passed hors d’oeuvres and a midnight champagne toast in the bar area only.

Ireland's Four Courts in Courthouse has no cover before 9pm, and $10 after that. Live music with Eddie Pasa. Free party favors and champagne toast.

Mister Days Customer Appreciation Holidy Party

From 5-8pm on Wednesday December 19, Mister Days is throwing their annual Customer Appreciation Holiday Party. They will be having holly jolly holiday specials, a DJ playing your favorite festive tracks, and more.

Mister Days celebrates 40 years

It's hard to believe a long time favorite Clarendon bar Mister Days will be celebrating its 40th anniversary this year! Starting Monday November 13, Mister Days will be having a week long birthday celebration with "blast form the past" drink specials, giveaways and plenty of nostalgia.

For the first 24 years, Mister Days resided in Washington DC starting out in Dupont circle and moving locations several times. In 2001 the DC locations closed but its spirit lived on across the river to its current home at Highland Street and Washington Blvd.

Super Bowl XLIX in Clarendon

Almost all the local bars are having specials for the upcoming Super Bowl this Sunday, February 1. Here are a few of those:

Guarapo has an extended happy hour and $1 wings.

Bracket Room should be popular and has prizes and giveaways during the game.

Mexicali Blues has beer specials with $2 12oz cans, $3 16oz cans and $10 48oz pitchers.

First Down is taking pre-orders for carryout of their famous wings.

Grateful Red is offering a free wine and Super Bowl snacks pairing party on Saturday from 1-4pm

Mister Days is selling tickets for $25 for their party that includes an All You Can Eat Tailgate menu 3-6pm and prizes.

Hunan Number One offers $5 all you can eat buffet along with their usual awesome huge mug happy hour special.

Wiz Wednesday At Mister Days

This Wednesday January 14 the Wizards take on the Chicago Bulls and a die hard group of local fans are meeting up at Mister Days to watch the game. The Wiz Happy Hour starts at 8pm, with Mister Days hosting an extended happy hour until 9pm. Drink specials range from $2 Bud Lights to other select beers for $3/$4 along with some $3 food options. RSVP on their Facebook invite page here.

Ragegiving at Mister Days

More pre-Thanksgiving parties are popping up in Clarendon, the latest being Mister Days' Ragegiving this Wednesday, November 27. Music is provided by DJ Qwerty and MixMasterRod with accompanying videos and visuals on the TVs and projector. Drink specials will include $3 select beer bottles.

All American Bar Crawl

UPDATE: Use promo code ALLAMERICAN2013 when you buy you ticket online to save 30%.

You don't have to wait to July 4 to party hard for America's birthday. The massive All American Bar Crawl will take over Clarendon this Saturday, June 29 from 1 to 9pm The bar crawl hits at least 10 bars between Clarendon and Courthouse, with cheap drinks and food as well as prizes for the most outlandish patriotic costumes. Tickets are $15 online or $20 at the door. Check in and pick up a souvenir beer mug at Mad Rose or Clarendon Grill between 1 and 5pm and then bar hop to any (or all) of these bars:

Arlington Rooftop Bar & Grill
Clarendon Grill
Hunan Number One
Iota
Mad Rose Tavern
Mister Days
Sobe
Spider Kelly's
Whitlow's
Wilson Tavern
Velocity 5

Clarendon Cinco de Mayo block party

Next Sunday May 5, several local bars are participating in the a Cinco de Mayo block party. The party includes food and drink specials, 8 various DJs, a Mariachi marching band, and prize raffles for a $12 ticket.

The festivities start at Mad Rose and Darna between noon and 3pm for registration. Other bars like Clarendon Grill, Mister Days, and Sobe keep the party going until 8pm.

Click here to buy tickets from Eventbrite.

St. Patrick's Day in Clarendon

Boccato Gelato festive Chocolate Guiness

Happy St Patrick's Day Clarendon! Check out Arlnow.com impressive list of events this Irish holiday. Clarendon highlights include:

Whitlows for live celtic music at 1pm and cover band at 8pm (no buffet today).

IOTA has the raucous celtic punk O'Tasty band at 8:30pm.

O'Sullivan's for live Irish music throughout the day and  Boyle School of Irish Dance at 5:30pm.

Mister Day's for green beer.

RiRa for three cover pands and a benefit party for The Reading Connection.

Mister Days Halloween costume contest

Mister Days staff from the 2007 Halloween party

I'm planning on braving this unusually cold night and hitting up Mister Days for their Halloween party tonight. There is no cover, DJ Rizzo will be spinning, and there will be a costume contest with a $1,000 prize. I'm hoping that the freak snowstorm earlier today doesn't put a damper on the nightlife scene tonight.

Charity Happy Hour at Mister Days Thurs

Drop by Mister Days this Thursday Oct 21 for a charity happy hour to benefit child literacy. Local nonprofit group The Reading Connection will be holding a raffle with prizes such as a Kindle and gift cards to Arlington restaurants and stores.

The Reading Connection serves the at-risk and homeless children in our area by providing them fun, literacy-rich experiences. Volunteers visit their shelters or housing complexes on a weekly basis to read to them and provide them with new, free books to keep.

Halloween in Clarendon

Halloween night this year was a little colder and much wetter than in 2008, but Arlington still had a lot of party goers in costume out and about. After 11pm the rain stopped and the costumed action picked up.

As with every year, Clarendon Ballroom, Mister Days and Clarendon Grill were the places to see and be seen in costume. Lines were long in each venue, but none more so than at Ballroom with a queue all the way around the block around Eventide.

Hailing a taxi was just about impossible at 2am when everything started closing up. It was great people watching witnessing the competing costumes trying to flag down a cab. Many fled to 24 hour restaurants to recuperate, and it was fun to watch Silver Dinner as it was full of half awake colorful costumes.

We also hit up Alexandria earlier in the evening hoping there would also be some original get ups to gawk at there. Sadly the rain kept people away from Old Town mostly, except for an invite only event at Torpedo Factory. Tuxedo Frog made an appearance down by the water front, who was received as the best dressed there.

Fundraiser and Date Auction at Mister Days Thursday

Come out to Mister Days tomorrow night from 6:00-9:00 PM to help support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Team in Training at the 'Charity, Cheers, and Beers' fundraiser!

It's a $10 cover that gets you:

• Food and drink specials
  
• Entry into the door prize raffle
  
• Silent auction of gift certificates
  
• Date auction at 8:30pm.

Car Free Diet Party at Mister Days Tuesday

Come to Mister Days Tuesday night for the kick off of "World Car Free Day"! There should be free food and door prizes, plus a small ego boost that you are supporting something Earth friendly.

I think this is a great event for Arlington residents, especially with all the non-car transportation options readily available. I know I am guilty of not using the so-closeby-I-can-smell-it Orange line Metro.

Arlington's Car-Free Diet Celebration
Tuesday, Sept. 22
4:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Mister Days
3100 Clarendon Blvd.