All-outdoor Bar Americano offers monumental views across the grassy lawn. | Bar Americano Bar Americano brings square-shaped pies, breakfast sandwiches, and wines to the famous lawn An old tourist kiosk on the National Mall gets a major upgrade this fall, flipping into a cute new cafe serving natural wines and some of the best pies in town. Bar Americano, opening Friday, October 18, comes from the team behind Park View’s beloved Sonny’s Pizza. Bar Americano Bar Americano customers can buy wine by the glass or bottle. “We’re transforming [the kiosk] into a little pizza and wine gem surrounded by museums and monuments,” co-owner Max Zuckerman tells Eater. Bar Americano sits right in front of the Air & Space Museum and a quick stroll to other Smithsonian staples like the National Gallery of Art and Hirshhorn. The pint-sized setup with all-outdoor seating opens up onto America’s famed front yard, making it a prime new picnic spot. “You can fuel up with a latte and pastry before going to an exhibit, or hang out with a glass of wine and a slice afterwards,” he says. Up in Park View, retro-styled Sonny’s has a big 5-year following for its tasty grandma-style pies on a focaccia-like crust, low-intervention wines, and large-format bottles of craft beer. Sleek sister bar No Kisses sits next door. The team also runs chill coffee shop and ping-pong club Doubles cafe in Columbia Heights. Sonny’s expanded for the first time this May with the debut of waterfront hangout Catboat Pizza Bar at Washington Sailing Marina. Its newest venture in the nation’s capital will operate Fridays to Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to start, and hours could extend depending on demand. The old kiosk, which closed down during COVID-19, used to crank out the usual Mall suspects like chicken tenders and hot dogs. For its new rehabbed run as Bar Americano, the morning menu will resemble that of Doubles with a full coffee program, homemade pastries, and made-to-order breakfast sandwiches. The afternoon and beyond will be like a simplified version of Sonny’s, he says, offering a familiar lineup of stellar square slices, sandwiches, salads, beer, natural wine, and spritzes. The opportunity came out of its existing partnership with Washington Sailing Marina in Alexandria, which is also a National Parks Service site operated by Guest Services. “There are definitely a lot of rules when it comes to how things on the Mall look, but it’s actually been relatively easy going through the process,” he says. He was surprised to find out many Mall kiosks do alcohol sales. “They just don’t really lean into it,” he says. As with Catboat, a portion of proceeds goes to the National Park Service. Bar Americano Bar Americano customers can plop down on the Mall’s well-manicured lawn. Bar Americano Bar Americano’s future hut-shaped home.