Restaurant News

We’ll keep this list up to date as we hear about new restaurants on the DC dining scene.

Know about a restaurant opening in the DC Area that we missed? Shoot us an email or leave a comment below.

Latest Update (2/9/2011)

  • Zoup Soup -Spotted by Jenna yesterday. This Midwestern fresh soup chain will be opening an outlet on 14th street.
  • District of Pi -We announced their plans to open a restaurant in Penn Quarter previously, and now they have decided to add a rolling version with a District of Pi food truck that could hit the streets by Valentines Day! – February 2011
  • Tap & Parlor - Opened this month on U Street. Each month the public will get to vote on their favorite beer to put on draft. Looks like a nice addition to the neighborhood.
  • Bronx Pizza - More pizza is headed to Clarendon, this time with NY style pizza, and they MAY stay open till 5:00 AM. Looking forward to see how it stacks up to the other pizza places in Clarendon (Goody’s, Liberty Tavern, Circa, Pete’s, Faccia Luna, Fireworks….)  - Summer 2011
  • Mad Rose Tavern - A new upscale bar will open in Clarendon in the late February/March timeframe. The owners have ambitious plans to create a Modern American-style restaurant with Irish, Italian, French and Asian influences with high end food and drink at reasonable prices. – March 2011
  • Härth, an American comfort food eatery is headed to Tyson’s according to The Feast.  - March 2011
  • Crepes on the Corner - The Hill is Home reports that they will be opening towards the end of March in Capitol Hill. They will serve sweet and savory crepes, as well as soups and sandwiches.  - March 2011
  • Flying Fish Coffee and Tea is heading to the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood, they will be serving Counter Culture Coffee and Trickling Springs Creamery Dairy, so if you’re a fan of Northside Social, Bayou Bakery, or Peregrine, I think you’ll like this place.  - Spring 2011
  • Sweet Lobby – A new boutique bakery headed to Barrack’s Row. We’ll let you know if they are going to open by Valentine’s Day. The macarons and cupcakes look amazing… – Winter 2011
  • Mellow Mushroom Pizza - A new pizza place for the Adam’s Morgan crowd reports the Prince of Petworth. Fingers crossed for a roofdeck!  - July 2011
  • Medium Rare – A new Cleveland Park steakhouse from the folks behind BGR and Citronelle. Dinner is expected to cost around $20 and their steak frites sounds awesome (one of my all time favorite dishes). – February/March 2011
  • Roti Mediterranean Grill is planning to open five new locations in the District this year according to the WBJ.  The company plans to open the first new location in Constitution Square in late February, followed by locations in L’Enfant Plaza, George Washington University, K St. and Bethesda throughout the year.
  • Fuel Pizza, has signed two leases in the D.C. area, reports the Washington Business Journal. More NY style pizza for you pizza lovers at 600 F St. NW and 1606 K St. NW. – Spring 2011

Previous Updates (12/3/2010):

  • Owner’s of Local 16 are expanding their presence on U street, with another restaurant and lounge concept in a prime location. (January 2011)
  • Farrah Olivia will return in the private dining space of Kora (January 2011)
  • Mintwood Place, from the team behind Perry’s is opening next door at 1813 Columbia Road. – (Spring 2011)
  • Shake Shack is hiring, shouldn’t be long before they open up in Dupont Circle.
  • Hot n’ Juicy Crawfish is coming to Woodley Park. Doesn’t that sound delicious?
  • Latin Tapas coming to Barrack’s Row? Yes please! Pacifico, will be taking over the Capital Video Sales Location
  • Michael Voltaggio is looking for a second location, perhaps a new VOLT, perhaps something different. Very excited to see what he has in store.
  • Mike Isabella’s new restaurant is all over the interwebs. Check out the new website/twitter/facebook for Graffiato DC. Check out the construction photos on his facebook page. (Opening Spring 2011)
  • Excited to try Fiola, Fabbio Trabocchi’s new restaurant opening in Penn Quarter? Well you can check out his cuisine at the Gallery Cafe , while he prepares food to pair with the “Views of Venice” and “German Master Drawings from the Wolfgang Ratjen Collection” exhibits.
  • Tegeste Ethiopian a new Ethiopian restaurant comes to North Columbia Heights.
  • Ripple is looking to expand their digs to the shoe store next door.

DC

  • 901  - A new upscale lounge at 901 9th street, from the local entrepreneurs that brought you Capital City Brewing Company and Vida Fitness. DCMud has the details (April 2011)
  • The Fojol Brothers go Ethopian. I love this food truck, I can’t wait to give it a try.
  • Lincoln – An “upscale casual” spot from the team behind Hudson will be opening in the former home of Il Mulino. The same design team that developed Sei and Oya will be designing the restaurant that is expected to open…on Lincoln’s birthday of course (February 12, 2011) – Via GoG
  • Watershed – Tim Carman provides an update on Todd & Ellen Gray’s new project  that is set to open in April 2011
  • A new Bavarian Beer Garden will be competing with Biergarten Haus for DC’s beer garden lovers. Opening near Barracks Row – (Date TBD
  • Michael Landrum announced plans to open up a coffee shop in the CitaVista building named Ryse. From yesterday’s Washingtonian chat “This first RYSE is designed to be a prototype and City Vista is the ideal location, both in symbolic and real terms, to establish and fine tune the concept before seeding more under-served, but not un-deserved, neighborhoods throughout the city–creating jobs and points of community gathering along the way”. Way to go Michael Landrum!! Also, whoever is leasing out CityVista, can you please take over some buildings in my neighborhood? Taylor Gourmet, Kushi, Ray’s, Busboys and Poets in one building? Seriously? Call me. There are plenty of empty restaurants in Ballston right now.
  • Ping Pong Dim Sum - This fantastic spot for dining out with a crowd is expanding with a second location in Dupont Circle (Spring/Summer 2011)
  • Bobby’s Burger Palace - Food Network Titan, Bobby Flay has announced plans to bring his burger concept to the DC area with planned locations in Bethesda, Md; Washington, D.C.; Baltimore, MD
  • Tonic on Top - The Foggy Bottom bar you love, Tonic is renovating their upstairs restaurant into additional bar space.  (Via GoG)
  • Georgia Avenue Meeting House – You know that Gillian Clark that you just saw on Diner’s Drive In’s & Dives? Her next restaurant is planned for March 2011 and it will be serving soul food.
  • Red Toque Cafe – Delicious Kabobs in the Shaw neighborhood. PoP has the details.
  • International House of Pong – No, it is not related to Ping Pong Dim Sum or Comet Ping Pong, but it will offer table tennis and New American Cuisine in Georgetown.
  • Casa Nonna - My guess is that someone in NYC read @jigolden’s review of Casa Nonna and demanded that they open a location in NYC. Well their wish will come true in Spring 2011.
  • Fired Up Pizzas – A new Food Truck offering wood-fired pizza, can be found at the Bethesda Central Farm Market. (via Y&H)
  • Dangerously Delicious Pies – Mobile pie from the famous Baltimore Bakery that recently expanded to H Street. I hope they serve Pumpkin!
  • Fabio Trabocchi, the former chef of Maestro in Tyson’s Corner is (this close to) returning to DC with Fiola, which will showcase his excellent Italian fare that recently earned him 3 stars by the NY Times. He will be taking over the Le Paradou space in Penn Quarter (according to Tom Sietsema.) Opening Spring 2011
  • Georgia Avenue Meeting House will be serving southern fare by Gillian Clark. You may remember her as the southern chef with lots of rules, or her excellent fried chicken at The General Store in Silver Spring. Opening TBD
  • Watershed – A new seafood restaurant was announced this week by Todd & Ellen Gray of Equinox. The restaurant will be located in the bustling NoMa district and all entrees are expected to be priced at less than $22. SWEET! – Opening Late Spring 2011
  • Paul Bakery – The France based bakery will be opening up shop at 801 Pennsylvania Avenue NW according to WBJ. I am looking forward to it opening, because I have a small obsession with croissants.
  • District of Pi – Obama’s favorite pizza is expected to open in Penn Quarter on…..3.14.11 Pretty sweet opening date.
  • District Commons/Burger Tap and Shake – EatMore Burgers and DrinkMore Shakes from the team behind TenPenh and DC Coast – Summer 2011
  • The Pearl Dive Oyster Place - Next restaurant in Jeff Black empire (BlackSalt, Black’s Bar and Kitchen, Black Market Bistro) will be in Logan Circle
  • Energy Kitchen – An NY chain, where no menu item is north of 500 Calories will be expanding to Washington DC, specifically, Georgetown, Chevy Chase, and downtown DC. It’s nice to see a chain cater to health conscious eaters. – Date : TBD
  • G Spot Tavern – coming to 5413 Georgia Ave, NW. The terrible name is obvious, let’s not discuss it.
  • Graffiato – The Going Out Guru’s reported that Mike Isabella has announced his new restaurant Graffiato,an Italian eatery that is shooting to open in February of 2011.
  • Elisir – Enzo Fargio will open a tasting menu focused restaurant in Federal Triangle – March 2011
  • Rogue 24 – Chef RJ Cooper from Vidalia is opening a 24-course restaurant near the Verizon Center – Early 2011
  • Shake Shack – Opening up in Dupont Circle in the former Fuddruckers space – Early 2011
  • EatMore DrinkMore Taqueria*– the team behind Kaz Sushi Bistro & Masa 14 will open a Mexican taqueria in Logan Circle.  *The restaurant is unnamed, so we thought they could name it after us!– Spring 2011
  • Serendipity 3 – Opening in the old Nathans space on the Corner of M & Wisconsin in Georgetown.  – TBD
  • Go Burger – Adding to the gourmet burger trend in DC, the team behind BLT Steak will be opening a their take on the burger in Dupont Circle – Fall 2010
  • Italian Shirt Laundry & Italian Cinema – The group behind restaurants such as Againn and Acqua will be opening a pizzeria and bakery (Italian Shirt Laundry) in Logan Circle . They will also open Italian Cinema, an upscale Italian Restaurant in Logan Circle as well–2010
  • Brixton Pub – A new gastropub serving the U Street Corridor – TBD
  • Jack Rose – The genius behind Bourbon and Breadsoda will be bringing yet another restaurant and bar to U Street. – 2010
  • Hill Country – NY Based BBQ heading to Penn Quarter.  – Winter 2010
  • District Burger – New casual burger & shake restaurant coming to Washington Circle – TBD
  • Dino – An EM DM favorite is looking to expand to Columbia Heights.
  • Tackle Box – The seafood shack from Georgetown will be expanding to Cleveland Park – Winter 2010/2011
  • Flip Burger – Top Cheftestant Richard Blaise is searching out a location for his burger concept in DC. (via Washingtonian)
  • Hamilton Square-  Clyde’s is behind the concept for the old Border’s space on 14th & F. Dining room upstairs, nightclub on lower level. – Late 2011

Maryland

  • Founding Farmers - The farm fresh restaurant has secured a lease for a new Potomac, MD location.

Virginia

  • Mudbug – ArlNow reports that a new restaurant named “Mudbug” will open in the former El Pollito space in Crystal City. I know mudbug is a name for crawfish, but seriously, pick a new name.
  • Rabbit – a new gourmet sandwich/salad/yogurt shop from the owner of Tangysweet in Clarendon. Their slogan – slow fast food. Got that? Opening Spring 2011
  • Flippin’ Pizza Trucks – Bringing NY Style Pizza via a Food Truck to Fairfax and Arlington Counties.
  • Pork Barrel BBQ - Opening this winter in Del Ray
  • Virtue Feed & Grain – Cathal Armstrong is expanding in Old Town with an Irish American Pub – Spring 2011
  • Cava – Mediterranean joint is expanding to Clarendon, underneath the Gold’s Gym. –Spring 2011
  • Ray’s the Catch – Michael Landrum’s long awaited take on seafood is slated to open this fall. Not sure I believe it, but I have my fingers crossed.
  • Lost Dog – The puppy friendly pizza parlor will be opening a location in Mclean
  • Taylor Gourmet – Will open up a restaurant in the Mosaic Development in Falls Church – Fall 2012
  • Society Fair – located at the corner of Washington and Duke Streets, will combine a market, butchery, bakery, wine bar, and restaurant with 30 outdoor seats and 50 indoor seats.
  • Pete’s New Haven Apizza – Opening up in Clarendon in the Clarendon Center Development.  – Winter 2010
  • BGR Joint – The local chain expands to add a location in Clarendon – Winter 2010
  • Tangy Sweet/Red Velvet – MORE CUPCAKES are coming to Clarendon, well cupcakes and frozen yogurt – Winter 2010
  • The Alpine – This iconic (well… old) restaurant changed hands to the Liberty Tavern Group, and thus far their lips are sealed on their plans.
  • Buzz Bakery – This old town favorites for  cupcakes and coffee will be opening up in Ballston this winter– Winter 2010
  • Mad Rose Tavern – An American Bar opening up in the Lady Hamilton space in Clarendon – Fall 2010
  • Trader Joes – Thus far, it is just a RUMOR, but I am hearing that they may be opening a store in Clarendon.
  • Matchbox is RUMORED to be looking for a location in Arlington. *Correction, ArlNow confirms they are definitely looking for a space in Arlington.  - 2013