Nightlife in Ottawa

A rigid Western obsession with time tables and organized schedules has left the American spirit dangerously confined. Today's Groupon offers improvisation, the well-paved road to free thinking, with a ticket to see The Trip Fives Improv Comedy live at the Westport Coffeehouse on January 9 at 6:30 p.m. for $5. Welcome in a new year with unstale jokes you can't see coming, despite your resolution to nurture clairvoyance.

You can strum a guitar while blowing a French horn and clinking your cymbal-knees together, but no one will pay a lick until you can play two full pianos at once. Today’s Groupon doubles your musicology with $20 worth of admission and beverages at Ernie Biggs Dueling Piano Bar for $10. Singing “Piano Man” is all well and good, but making it “Piano Men” is arguably better.

This hootin’ and occasionally hollerin’ rock 'n' roll bar honors traditional cattle wranglers and two-wheeled easy riders alike with a hearty menu of American classics, including thick burgers and big, down-home meals. Everything is made fresh from scratch, putting it miles of open trail away from typical frozen bar food. Saddle up for a satisfying lunch such as a “twin shaft basket bonanza” of Angus butter burger smothered in steak butter ($4.49), KC cheesesteak or chicken ($6.49), fat boy buffalo chicken strips ($5.99), or several other finger-seasoning delights—all paired with a nest of golden fries.

KC's martini bar and DJ lounge. Colorful retro decor with 2nd and 3rd level and huge outdoor patio. Bocce ball and skee ball. Chill spot early on and rocking DJ bar late night on the weekends.

The Waldo district's 75th Street Brewery concocts unique beers best enjoyed while listening to the sounds of the local musicians who frequent its stage. As brewmasters labor to perfect the flavor of each keg, chefs craft an ever-growing menu of famous American eats, including burgers, ribs, pasta, and fresh vegetable salads. They call out daily specials on colorful, handwritten chalkboard menus suspended next to the high, exposed wooden rafters. For those who appreciate alfresco dining, a sunny beer garden lets in air and light through its slotted roof, while four solid walls block unpleasant noises, such as the squalls of wandering avant-garde jazzmen.

The kitchen crew at Hickok's Bar & Grill embraces the idea of the American melting pot, inviting red-chili chicken tacos, enchiladas, and goat-cheese-and-chorizo fondito to mingle with north-of-the-border favorites including 8-ounce burgers, BLTs, and steak-and-blue-cheese wraps. The bountiful mix of cultures pairs well with a list of domestic and imported beers served alongside housemade margaritas and sangria. Guests munch their meals amid rustically elegant décor, complete with a western-style bar, brick walls and diamond-studded barstools.