About Restaurant Openings Around DC
A guide to the newest places to eat and drink.
Whitlow’s at The Wharf. 949 Wharf St., SW.
For nearly 80 years, Whitlow’s has been a fixture in the DC area’s bar scene—from at its very first, now-closed location in Penn Quarter to its current outpost on U Street. Now, Whitlow’s has taken to the water with a new location at the Wharf and its for-reservation tiki boat docked right outside.
Whitlow’s at The Wharf, which officially opened its doors on Friday, March 21, is a semi-shrine to Whitlow’s history. The two-floor space includes photographs, signs, and booths from the bar’s original 1946 location. Owner Jon Williams has also installed a 46-foot-long, 80-year-old bar on the ground floor, as well as a century-old, art deco bar façade upstairs.
“We like the old stuff,” he says. “It just kind of helps create the vibe.”
Food and dinks will also be reminiscent of the other Whitlow’s, including on-tap margaritas and espresso martinis, plus smash-burgers (beef or Impossible) and smoked wings smothered in “Mambo” sauce. The bar’s close proximity to the Anthem has also inspired rotating pre-show and late-night menus on concert nights with bites and sips themed after select shows.
Williams says that the location, which boasts a downstairs sound stage and an upstairs balcony, will also serve as an entertainment venue for local artists and bands across genres. The weekend live music will “complement what’s playing” at the Anthem, he says.
Whitlow’s on The Wharf will also serve as a new home for Whitlow’s on the Water, a 50-foot-long tiki boat—launched last year—that guests can reserve for private events. These new locations, along with the now-flagship U-Street bar, come after the closure of Whitlow’s of Clarendon in 2021.
“Five years ago, I would’ve never guessed I’d have a tiki boat out there, a new Whitlow’s on U Street, and a new one at The Wharf,” Williams says. “Crazy things happen, and I’m really happy.”
Williams hopes Whitlow’s will have the same broken-in and casual feeling of a hometown bar, especially amid the plethora of luxe dining spots along the Wharf.
“I think what we bring to the table is an affordable place to go have a beer, a burger, and relax,” says Williams. “I think that’s that fits well with what’s down here—and the views are next-level.”
