The copper-and-glass bar at the new Founding Farmers takes design tips from its namesake distillery in D.C. | Founding Farmers The D.C. area welcomes fresh new options for pies, Korean cuisine, mocktails, and much more This is Eater DC’s guide to all the new restaurants, ba rs, and cafes that opened in March. For more 2025 debuts, check out our roundup of best new bars and other winter arrivals to note. If there’s an opening in your neighborhood that we’ve missed, let us know at dc@eater.com. Friday, March 21 View this post on Instagram A post shared by VIA ROMA PIZZERIA (@viaroma.us) WOODLEY PARK—A Roman place that specializes in cloud-like pinsa — a pizza that’s curiously crispy on the outside but super soft in the center — makes a local comeback. Two Naples natives opened the first Via Roma in Camp Springs, Maryland, in 2020, which later closed. Doors open at 5 p.m. 2606 Connecticut Avenue NW WHARF—Whitlow’s Bar & Grill, the historic watering hole that closed in Clarendon in 2021 after nearly 30 years and resurfaced in Shaw, debuted its second D.C. location along the scenic Southwest Waterfront. Owner Jon Williams completely transformed the Wharf’s Brighton bar into the waterfront dive of his dreams, complete with tons of TVs, beers, wings, and burgers. A second-story level with a newly added bar sports an additional patio overlooking the Potomac. 949 Wharf Street SW FOGGY BOTTOM—Planted right on George Washington University’s campus, national chain Panda Express brings college kids a quick new option for portable lo mein and orange chicken. It’s a 180-degree switch from the space’s former life as Beefsteak by José Andrés, the celebrity chef’s veggie-friendly counter that closed a year ago. 800 22nd Street NW MT. VERNON TRIANGLE—La Betty opens with natural wine and small plates from Tessa Velazquez, and her brother Zak, children of Baked and Wired family. Snacks include fries, harissa with feta and nuts, Parker House rolls, and a zippy spring salad. La Betty is the reinvention of the same space that opened in 2019 and closed during the pandemic. Expect vinyl music and DJ sets from Thursday to Sunday night. 420 K Street NW Wednesday, March 19 GEORGETOWN—Green Almond Pantry, Georgetown’s longstanding staple for fluffy focaccia, chocolate cake, and Turkish-Mediterranean dishes for lunch and takeout, adds a next-door sibling for dinner. My Little Chamomile, chef Cagla Onal’s anticipated sit-down spot nestled in an alley, showcases homey plates and wines. 3210 Grace Street NW Tuesday, March 18 UNION MARKET—Industry vets and buds Jean Paul (J.P.) Sabatier, Drew Porterfield, and Ralph Brabham, the team behind Logan Circle’s pint-sized drinking den Jane Jane, added a second venture across town. Bar Betsie, named for Sabatier’s mom who had a penchant for hospitality, features hip neon accents reflected off mirrored walls, wood paneling, intimate booths, banquette seating, and 14-seat bar and outdoor patio slinging light snacks, beers, wines, and cocktails. 1328 4th Street NE Rey Lopez/Eater DC Buffalo chicken dip and spicy pork rinds at Bar Betsie. Friday, March 14 COLUMBIA HEIGHTS—Fresh new Salvadoran spot SalviMex slides into Mi Cuba Cafe’s old space with a menu full of ceviches, quesadillas, burritos, soups, and more. 1424 Park Road NW U STREET NW—Spark Social House, billed as the country’s “first nonalcoholic LGBTQ+ bar,” swings open in the iconic space that long housed the Gibson speakeasy. Spark Social revives its dearly missed back patio and opens at 8 a.m. daily with hot (Lost Sock) and cold (Commonwealth Joe) coffees, teas, and turmeric juices, plus spirit-free cocktails served until as late as midnight on weekends. 2009 14th Street NW DUPONT—Upscale Korean restaurant Onggi started limited service inside D.C.’s old Duck Duck Goose, with a grand opening scheduled for April 1. Owner Tanya Kim and executive chef Geewon Kim (no relation) honor Korean “Jeong” cuisine with a menu marked by a ceremonial tea cleanse, velvety squash porridge with white kimchi, and plenty of banchan for the table. Beverage director Colin Sugalski turns to trendy bars in Seoul to whip up a milky-and-fizzy Maksa (a combination of Makgeolli and Sprite). 2100 P Street NW Wednesday, March 12 ALEXANDRIA—Founding Farmers, the fast-growing, farmer-owned restaurant group that got its start in Foggy Bottom, debuts new spring digs across the Potomac. A ridiculously long menu showcases its greatest American hits like rotisserie chicken, fried chicken and waffles, salads, sandwiches, pastas, seafood, steaks, cakes, pies, and ice cream. A cafe component, open daily with coffee, pastries, and chocolate, joins a copper-and-glass bar fueled on spirits from its D.C.-based distillery. Reserve here. 461 Swann Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia Wednesday, March 5 LOGAN CIRCLE—Knead Hospitality + Design transformed the mezzanine level of its 14th Street NW Mexican restaurant Mi Vida into Sagrada, a trippy, sage-scented tasting room that explores the transformative power of psychedelics—through food. While no actual psilocybin is used, the $111-per-person affair mirror the stages of a psychedelic trip across an eight-course journey, from ceremonial cacao poured in clay cups to visually immersive dishes full of mushrooms, beets, and pumpkin. Hours are Sunday to Friday, with two seatings nightly for a choice of “plant-based” or “flexitarian” menu options. 1901 14th Street NW DOWNTOWN—James Beard Award-winning hospitality magnate Stephen Starr (St. Anselm, Le Diplomate, El Presidente, Osteria Mozza, Pastis) resurrected an iconic D.C. power spot located two blocks from the White House. The Occidental, billed as Starr’s “most glamorous and decadent” D.C. restaurant to date, serves tableside martinis, Champagne, and caviar alongside a classic midcentury American menu full of prime rib and luxe lobster dishes. First opened in 1906 by the Willard hotel’s founder Henry Willard, Starr’s revival of the legendary two-story venue strives to showcase white-tablecloth hospitality at its best. 1475 Pennsylvania Avenue NW ...read more read less