Rhino Bar: 63 Years of Drinking at 3295 M Street in Georgetown
Three bars in 63 years at one Georgetown address: Shamrock 1952, Winston’s 1972, Rhino Bar 1998. The full arc of 3295 M Street NW before retail took it.
Bars & Restaurants
Washington has always had a serious food and drink scene, even if most people don’t think of it that way. These posts explore the bars, restaurants, saloons, and breweries that fueled the city across the centuries.
Before Heaven and Hell: 2327 18th St NW Was the First DC Black Panther Party HQ
Heaven and Hell is the name people remember at 2327 18th Street NW. But the building’s first life as a political address began in December 1969 with the Black Panther Party.
Martin’s Tavern Georgetown: JFK, Booth 3, and 93 Years
The man whose name is over the door at 1264 Wisconsin Avenue was a Boston Braves shortstop in the 1914 World Series before he opened a Georgetown tavern the year Prohibition ended. Ninety-three years and four generations later, it is still open, still owned by the same family, and still has a brass plaque on the booth where John F. Kennedy proposed to Jacqueline Bouvier.
When Did They Ban Smoking in DC? A History of Washington’s Indoor Smoking Ban
Washington tables still held ashtrays until a 1997 Clinton order and a decade-long fight at the Wilson Building cleared the air.
The Brickskeller: Dupont’s Legendary Basement of Beers
Brickskeller was an iconic DC institution that many locals remember fondly. Learn about its slow demise and the beer renaissance that arrived in DC, as well as a look back at the 1957 advertisement for its opening.
Severine G. Leoffler: The Man Who Fed 1919 D.C. with His Iconic Liberty Lunches
Step back in time with this captivating 1919 photo of Leoffler’s Liberty Lunch stand in Washington, D.C., where just 20 cents could buy government workers a box lunch filled with surprises. Discover the story of Severine G. Leoffler’s entrepreneurial spirit in the early days of street food.
Remembering Piggly Wiggly: An Ode to a Seriously Southern Brand
Take a trip down memory lane and experience the nostalgia of Piggly Wiggly, the seriously southern brand that no longer exists in Washington. Check out this cool old advertisement from 1922.
Russia House Was Once the Irish Free State Legation
Before it was Russia House, this Connecticut Avenue mansion flew the flag of the brand-new Irish Free State. A 1925 photo shows it in its diplomatic prime.
Exploring the History of Chez Billy (3815 Georgia Ave. NW) in Petworth
3815 Georgia Avenue NW has been a restaurant since 1929. In the 1960s it was Billy Simpson’s, Washington’s Black political forum.