Where to see D.C.'s weirdest bathrooms

By Michelle Goldchain@goldchainam Jan 3, 2017, 3:17pm EST

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Jaleo's restroom

| All photos courtesy of Dan Schaumann

By Michelle Goldchain@goldchainam Jan 3, 2017, 3:17pm EST

Toilets. They're not the most popular part of most establishments, but for one world traveler, they're the belle of the bathroom ball. In his blog, Toilography, Australia native Dan Schaumann reports on the quirkiest toilets he comes across, from the rustic tin stalls at Teddy & The Bully Bar to the diva-fied walls in Duplex Diner.

At first, the five-year project started as a joke when Instagram was first becoming popular. Schaumann wondered how images of toilets would fare on the photo-focused app. After some time, though, he started to get serious and began to search for more peculiar or beautiful restrooms.

"It's a really interesting way of seeing parts of the city that are not necessarily the touristy parts and kind of getting a good feel for the culture," said Schaumann, whose work has been featured in a variety of print publications and radio outlets.

Recently, he journeyed through Washington, D.C.'s restrooms on a single weekend, and after his toilet tour, he shared his findings with Curbed DC.

He told Curbed DC, "A lot of people when I tell them that this is a hobby of mine, they kind of think that it's a bit weird or a bit awkward. They associate toilets with bodily fluids and those kinds of things, but it's not that I take photos of that. It's more of the artistic and the design aspect of it."

Below, in order from most weird to least weird, see which toilets Schaumann believes are the most unconventional in the nation's capital.

Jaleo

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Finally, a bathroom worth searching for. Schaumann deemed this restroom the weirdest in the District for its unusual cheer squad. "Such fantastic toilet art – a truly novel idea," he wrote on his blog. "Plus the food here was second-to-none."

480 7th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20004

(202) 628-7949

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Oki Bowl

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This utterly surreal bathroom comes with trinkets and gadgets plastered on the walls as well as what looks like either a strobe light or disco bowl.

1817 M ST NW, Washington, D.C. 20036

(202) 750-6703

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The Pig

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In Logan Circle, the public can search for The Pig for its pork-focused dining options, or they can head around the back to the pig-themed restroom. Oink oink!

1320 14th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20005

(202) 290-2821

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Raven Grill

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Graffiti in this bathroom ranges from the lewd to the optimistic to the dreadful. One of the more inspiring tidbits Schaumann found was “The road to my heart is paved in bourbon, butter, and brown sugar.“

3125 Mount Pleasant St NW, Washington, D.C. 20010

(202) 387-8411

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Dan's Cafe

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Along with cheap drinks, Dan's Cafe also comes with some words of wisdom, scribbled on their bathroom walls. One lovely message featured: “God is blind, God is love, Ray Charles is blind, Ray Charles is God." Makes sense. Be warned, though. Some of the graffiti can become a little PG-13.

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2315 18th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009

(202) 265-9241

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2 Birds 1 Stone

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Lovely wallpaper, right? Wrong. If one looks a little closer, there revealed are M-rated naughty images. Keep the children away from this establishment unless interested in answering some awkward questions.

1800 14th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009

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Dacha Beer Garden

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This bathroom wasn't really chosen for its oddities, but for its usefulness. In Dacha, the public will find a one-stop relief/handwashing station with a built-in water recycling. The only way the urinal flushes is if you wash your hands.

1600 7th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

(202) 524-8790

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The Pub & The People

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Customers usually are the ones that get the special treatment, but, at The Pub & The People, customers' dogs and the occasional cat get the limelight by having their photos framed in the restrooms. On his blog, Schaumann wrote, "I’d seen this done in a handful of other bars along my travels, but these guys have pulled it off the best."

1648 N Capitol St NW, Washington, D.C. 20002

(202) 796-5820

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The Wonderland Ballroom

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When in line to use the restroom, a girl told Schaumann how gross it must be to clean the restrooms at The Wonderland Ballroom. Once inside, though, it's difficult to believe the restrooms are cleaned at all. The mirror is smudged and the walls are cluttered with stickers and scribbled graffiti. The most amusing part of the stall, though, might be its public service announcement, which politely asks customers to not urinate in the doorway.

1101 Kenyon St NW, Washington, D.C. 20010

(202) 232-5263

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