We’ll start this year’s look back at the year that was in Capitol Hill food and drink with the goodbyes. You will note that many of the dozen most prominent Capitol Hill and the nearby restaurant, bar, and cafe closures are also part of 2023’s “hello” stories. When it comes to the economy of food and drink, we suppose you can look at every loss as an opportunity. CHS sees it more as a continuum as the buildings and street corners change and shift through the years with some spaces continuing their place as neighborhood gathering spaces for decades even as a rotating cast of characters puts them into motion, shutters, gives way, or settles in for long, fruitful stays. Remember what we had and enjoy what is new.
SAD GOODBYES
- Witness: Brothers and sisters, Broadway once had a Southern-flavored cocktail bar that served mint juleps, waffles, and fried chicken. It passed from this earth at the tender age of 10 in 2023.
- Rancho Bravo: Like many of our goodbye notes, Rancho Bravo’s adios story is also a hello. Owner Freddy Rivas told CHS the costs had added up and, after nearly 15 years of business, Rancho Bravo wasn’t penciling out anymore. Teto’s Cantina has stepped into the breach. Vaya con dios.
- HoneyHole: We’re making the call. HoneyHole — after inexperienced management under new owners and downright irresponsible management in its final days of business — died in 2023. Sometimes legends come back to life.
- Kimchi Bistro: Just as the Hill has been hit by a wave of new Korean flavors, this 21-year-old veteran of the neighborhood’s food and drink scene shuttered. Its replacement? A Korean hamburger joint, believe it or not. Continue reading