Shaw’s burgeoning restaurant and bar scene is arguably the hottest in Washington, with a slew of new projects. The next big name in the neighborhood: Takoda, an American restaurant and year-round rooftop beer garden from hospitality entrepreneurs Ryan Seelbach and Eric Lund. The two-story space at 715 Florida Ave., Northwest is being built from scratch in a 1920’s-era brick structure, originally a Federal Life Insurance building.
Seelbach and Lund are also behind Dupont hotspot, the Huxley. While the nightclub and lounge caters to a velvet rope crowd, the duo hope to foster a warm, approachable neighborhood vibe for their second venture; the name is Native American, meaning “friend to everyone.” Bars on both levels will serve 38 to 40 American craft drafts, and also emphasize an extensive whiskey selection. Dinner and snacks will center around riffs on American bar classics—think creative spins on wings, burgers, and more—plus an active rooftop brunch on the weekends.
Edit Lab at Streetsense (Red Hen, Daikaya) is behind the classic-industrial look of the entry-level bar and dining area, and 120-person beer garden above. Guests on the first floor will find two and four-person booths and seated tables, surrounded by the building’s original brick walls and wood ceiling beams. The roof deck will be accented with hanging and potted plants around a horseshoe-shaped bar, and will be partially covered with a canopy system. Removable windows allow for year-round eating and drinking with an outdoor feel.
Takoda aims to be open by early September, just in time for those last weeks of outdoor summer sipping. Stay tuned for more details closer to the debut.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
