Brookland’s Finest will serve its last slice in April. | Brookland’s Finest The latest restaurants calling it quits around D.C. This is a curated list of D.C. area’s newly announced restaurant and bar closures, with new updates published every month. See a closing we mi ssed? Drop us a line. ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA—After a decade-long run in Shirlington Village, rustic Italian restaurant and wine shop Osteria da Nino announced plans to shut down on Easter Sunday (April 20). Despite its loyal following for orders of carpaccio, burrata, fresh pastas, pizzas, and tiramisu, its rent for 5,000 square-feet off the main drag was ultimately too expensive. “Unfortunately the numbers [to stay open] in our current location were just too high to continue on,” per a statement from the team on Facebook. A potential catering offshoot could keep the brand alive around Northern Virginia. 2900 S. Quincy Street, Arlington, Virginia BROOKLAND—American standby Brookland’s Finest just announced plans to close this spring after a 10-year run. The corner neighborhood staple’s much-loved Colonel burger is one of the best in the city, and home-made pies, seasonal salads, and deviled eggs were also popular here. In a closure statement circulated online, its owner Tony Tomelden cites several reasons for cause — including a decrease in foot traffic, high cost of goods, and payroll challenges Initiative 82 presents — but it had nothing to do with a landlord dispute. “I can’t tell you how much we appreciate all of you, and how grateful we are for the last ten plus years in operation,” he says. The plan is to call it quits in mid-April. The vet D.C. restaurateur is also behind H Street’s beloved dive the Pug and whiskey bar Union Trust. 3126 12th Street NE DEL RAY—Dolce & Bean, Alexandria’s family-run cafe for gelato, pastries, decadent chocolates, and espresso drinks since 2017, will close for good on Monday, April 21. 2003 Mt. Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia CHINATOWN—Jackey Cafe, the 40-year-old destination for late-night lo mein, will close forever on Friday, April 4. “Facing rising rents and food costs, Jackey Cafe has made the difficult decision to shutter their doors,” per community blog @savechinatowndc. 611 H Street NW SOUTHWEST WATERFRONT—After a short, two-year run along the Southwest Waterfront, Lucky Buns is closing and will hand the keys over to fast-growing noodle bar Jinya Ramen this month. The last day of business is Sunday, March 30. D.C. chef Alex McCoy’s Adams Morgan hangout, which has been around since 2017, is devoted to burgers that top Creekstone Farms beef with global condiments like bacon XO jam. A Union Market stall followed in 2019, and its massive Wharf digs debuted in April 2023. “Going forward, we will be focusing our continued growth solely on small-footprint, locally focused locations,” per a statement from Lucky Buns. 675 Wharf Street SW BALLSTON—Latin-leaning taqueria Bartaco closed in Ballston Quarter’s food hall, reports ArlNow. Open here since 2021, Bartaco is known for tacos topped with crispy oyster to ahi tuna, rice bowls, elote, chips and dip, and a tequila-fueled happy hour. Bartaco maintains a Virginia presence in Reston and the Mosaic District, plus two in D.C. (Mt. Vernon Triangle, the Wharf). 4238 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia ASHBURN—After an 11-year run, Loudoun County’s popular Old Ox Brewery will cease operations on Saturday, April 5. The sprawling brewery features a patio and tap room to try its lineup of porters, ales, and hoppy IPAs made on-site, plus weekly pizza pop-ups and comedy shows. The owners, who are pursuing retirement and other plans, say they previously identified a “great buyer” to take over Old Ox and keep it going after its lease ended at the end of April. But landlord had already found another replacement: “Unfortunately, the new tenant is a public entity and we simply could not compete with them,” adds the statement; an Old Ox comeback elsewhere is “possible,” though “it’s too soon to tell.” All brewery equipment is now up for auction through April 17. Meanwhile, D.C.’s City-State Brewing recently ceased production, too (though its tap room remains open for events). 44652 Guilford Drive, Ashburn, Virginia PENN QUARTER—Hill Country Barbecue Market, D.C.’s two-level standby for award-winning brisket, line dancing, and basement karaoke since 2011, will close on Friday, March 28. The reported replacement tenant is NYC-based Pubkey Bar, where Donald Trump became the first president to make a transaction using bitcoin. The menu is straight-ahead drinking food, with waffle fries, Chicago dogs, and smash burgers. The landlord exercised its 30-day option to terminate Hill Country’s lease, which was “not the outcome we had hoped for,” per the restaurant’s founder Marc Glosserman. The 14-year-old offshoot of the New York original showcased family recipes and amassed a strong Republican fan base over the years. 410 7th Street NW TRUXTON CIRCLE—Fast-casual Persian place Maman Joon shut down its months-old Shaw location inside the old BKK space. But when one location closes, another opens: Maman Joon just took over Roti’s former stall in the L’Enfant Plaza food court. The local kebab chain maintains two other D.C. locations in Columbia Heights and Tenleytown. 1700 New Jersey Avenue NW Fight Club Fight Club’s crowd-favorite FC Chicken Doink. CAPIT0L HILL—Pandemic-born Fight Club, Beuchert’s Saloon’s irreverent sandwich pop-up that graduated to permanent Capitol Hill digs in 2022, closed up shop on Sunday, March 2. A tiki-styled bar slinging boozy punches on draft joined specials like beer-and-shot combos and free industry pours. Sandwiches with funky names starred ingredients like potato chip-crusted pork loin and brisket. The playful, 60-seat party pad with a DJ booth featured a Street Fighter arcade game and pop art portrait of Danny Devito. “As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end and so we have come to our end,” per a closing statement. 633 Pennsylvania Avenue SE Albert Ting The Cove capitalizes on prime real estate along the Anacostia River. SOUTHEAST—The Cove, Navy Yard’s 40,000-square-foot, cabana-covered hangout on the banks of the Potomac since 2023, won’t reopen for spring. “Due to unforeseen circumstances, The Cove’s short-term lease may come to an early close,” per a statement from B Social Hospitality, adding an exact date has not been announced. The big beach bar’s closure appears to be partially induced by a fast-moving residential takeover of its prime real estate that formerly housed Bardo Brewing. B Social, the nightlife group behind Logan Circle’s new Jefe lounge and Arlington’s upcoming bar Boe, hopes to “reimagine and reintroduce The Cove in a new space in the future” and will “share more details as plans develop.” The Cove was tricked out with yard games, bucket swings, a DJ pavilion, and multiple bars, with food pop-ups from places like Taqueria Habanero. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Del Ray Business Association (@visitdelray) ...read more read less