It may be one of the physically smallest areas in the continental U.S., but the District of Columbia is no less mighty for its size. Washington D.C. is home to some of the best steakhouses and more than 20 Michelin-starred restaurants. But, where D.C. truly shines is its bar scene — a tradition centuries in the making.
The year was 1856 when the Old Ebbitt Grill first opened its doors to the public. In 1856, James Buchanan was elected the 15th president of the United States, and Thomas Edison wouldn’t patent the lightbulb for another 23 years. The Ebbitt started as a boarding-house-slash-saloon run by the eponymous William E. Ebbitt. The then-called Ebbitt House Hotel (and its then-nameless restaurant within) served regulars from President Ulysses S. Grant to Andrew Johnson, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, and Warren G. Harding. Per the lore, President McKinley even lived at the Ebbitt boarding house during his time serving as a Congress member. Years later, the Old Ebbitt Grill has remained important to American history, serving as the setting of a pivotal lunch meeting during the Iran–Contra affair of 1986. However, the name “Old Ebbitt Grill” didn’t even come about until 1926, after the boarding house portion of the business closed.
The Old Ebbitt Grill has served D.C. since the 1800s
The Old Ebbitt Grill remains the oldest operational bar in Washington, D.C., and it ranks among the oldest restaurants in U.S. history. Although it has changed physical locations a number of times over the years, Ebbitt’s original boarding house location was near today’s Chinatown. Currently, the bar resides at 675 15th Street NW in the Beaux-Arts building, where it has lived since 1983. The move came with a whopping $4.4 million remodel, and indeed, the Old Ebbitt Grill is renowned at least as much for its history as for its ambiance.
The bar’s interior is decked out with antiques, historical beer steins, wooden bear statues formerly belonging to Alexander Hamilton, and mounted game trophies reportedly hunted by former patron Teddy Roosevelt himself. The deep mahogany bartop (a faithful reproduction of the previous location’s bartop) is flanked by three carved glass panels separating the bar from the dining room. The panels depict images of the U.S. Treasury building, Capitol building, and White House. Throughout the bar, walls are adorned with original paintings of U.S. landscapes, hunting scenes, and patriotic historical events. From old gas chandeliers, brass lighting fixtures, and murals on the ceilings to lace curtains over the windows, the Old Ebbitt embodies a cozy outdoorsman theme with historical decor elements.
D.C.’s oldest bar attracts presidents, musicians, and more
Tourists appreciate the Old Ebbitt’s architectural flair for the American past. Regulars, on the other hand, might be more inclined to notice new additions to the menu — which happen fairly regularly. This 150-year-old bar keeps it fresh and new, routinely posting updates to its official Instagram (which has over 18k followers) about upcoming events, promotions, and seasonal drink rotations.
The Old Ebbitt’s dining room seats 200, and those seats have housed some pretty iconic diners over the years. In fall 1989, The Rolling Stones sat down to dinner at the Ebbitt (“Steel Wheels” had recently been released). A few weeks earlier, Sting dined there with then-President George H. W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush.
Today, the menu holds everything from pasta to salads, burgers, sandwiches, and steaks (the favorite food of presidents like Taft and Roosevelt), as well as a full breakfast menu. The Old Ebbitt also serves an award-winning wine selection and an array of classic and specialty cocktails. Foodies who just want to post up for a round or two and enjoy the ambiance can grab a hard seltzer for $7.99. Dinner entrees run for $23.99-55.99 and include classic fare like trout parmesan and pork chops with sweet potato puree. Arguably, the main gourmet event at the Old Ebbitt Grill isn’t its “grill” at all but its raw bar. The restaurant is outfitted with a dedicated oyster bar and hosts an annual oyster-eating event called the Oyster Riot.
