With a government shutdown looking close to unavoidable at this point, official Washington is going to be closing down. Never mind that trash is about to pile up around town and GED-seeking D.C. residents won’t be able to take a prep test for their upcoming exam, it’s time to drink cheap beer, stuff your face with bar appetizers, and sit around and do nothing until a budget deal is struck between our city’s bickering overlords in Congress!

Plenty of places around town have quickly shifted gears to offer shut-out workers deals on drinks, food, and fuse pilates. Young & Hungry has been getting media advisories and tips about where you can get what for free or reduced cost, assuming you have federal identification to prove you’ve been temporarily jettisoned by the budget impasse. Dining in D.C. has a nice roundup, too, as does the Washington Business Journal, and The Washington Post. Here are some highlights:

  • Flash your badge at the Tenleytown Z-Burger, get a free burger.
  • Pacci’s Pizzeria in Silver Spring is offering 25 percent off to all government workers. If your mate is also furloughed, consider getting the D.C. area’s best romantic dessert, the Nutelloco, “a bubbled and chewy pizza crust slathered with rich Nutella and topped with fresh strawberries.”
  • At Taylor Gourmet, you’ll get 10 percent off an order, but you have to say “Shut it down.” The sandwich chain tweeted that it doesn’t really want a government shutdown, so don’t think that co-owners David Mazza and Casey Patten are all Tea Party-like.
  • If the shutdown lasts well into next week, expect a drunken spectacle at Lounge 201, where “government workers will be offered half-priced martinis on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings, all night long.” That sounds like trouble!
  • If you’re up for a field trip, Punk’s Backyard Grill at the Annapolis Mall has $1 PBR cans all weekend!

  • Hmmm, how about some sushi on Sunday? Zentan at the Donovon House hotel just off Thomas Circle will offer 30 percent off for those with proper credentials at the bar and restaurant.
  • Meanwhile, over at the Hotel Helix the lounge will offer a “PBR and Po’ boys” Shutdown Special and an extended happy hour. The Southern fried chicken po’ boy sandwich comes with a side of waffle fries and truffle aioli dipping sauce, and a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon for $9. The “Helix 2-3-4-5 Wind Down Hour” Happy Hour will run from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. until the shutdown ends. Expect $2 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon, $3 bottles of Yuengling, $4 single spirit cocktails (vodka, gin, tequila, bourbon), and $5 wines and cosmopolitans.

Add more specials and tips in comments.

Image courtesy Library of Congress