This corner spot in Columbia Heights was once the site of Nob Hill, a popular African American gay bar. Nob Hill operated from 1957 to 2004, and, according to the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), which documented the site in 2016, this…

A “Pillar of Pastry,” as deemed by Paul Schwartzman of The Washington Post, Heller’s Bakery filled the air of the Mount Pleasant neighborhood with the sweet smell of doughnuts and apple turnovers for almost nine decades. Opened in 1928 by Ludwig…

Opened in 1978, Mamma Desta’s would be the first and most well known Ethiopian restaurant in Washington, DC. A 1982 review from The Washington Post stated that the restaurant was a “simple vision of eating; lots of stews, which are sopped up with…

The early twentieth century brought on an influx of Italian immigrants who sought to recreate the taste of home in a new country. One of the earliest Italian restaurants to grace Washington, DC, was Roma’s. Roma’s was first opened by Frank Abbo on F…

Harvey's Oyster House is one of the most famous Washington restaurants of all time. Founded as Harvey’s Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Oyster Saloon by brothers George Washington Harvey (1840-1909) and Thomas Harvey (1830-1872), the restaurant opened in…

In the age of racial segregation and discrimination that kept Washington, DC’s “fine restaurants” out of reach for African American Washingtonians, a wide range of eateries, such as informal cafeterias and full-service commercial restaurants, filled…

A pinnacle of the power-dining culture of DC, Duke Zeibert’s opened in 1950 on L Street NW near Farragut Square, by David “Duke” Zeibert (1910 - 1997). Duke first gained a loyal following while working at Fan and Bill’s, a restaurant that he had…

This restaurant opened as Peking Palace in 1955 and was located in the former space of Seafare, a restaurant which had operated in Cleveland Park since 1945. The original founder, S. Van Lung (1936- 1881), took so much inspiration from another…

Opened in 1891 by Sewell E. Reeves, Reeve’s Bakery began as a grocery store before becoming a tea room and then a soda fountain. Reeve’s drew customers of all kinds through its doors, as it offered gourmet and unique blends of coffee that were…

Phase One was a popular lesbian bar on DC's Barracks Row (8th Street SE), which was once referred to as "Gay Way," thanks to its many LGBTQ+ friendly businesses. Allen Carroll and his partner Chris Jansen opened the bar in 1971. Soon after opening…