After 18 years on L Street, Northwest, Mackey’s Public House is moving to a new location around Metro Center in March. It will close its current space on February 24.
General manger Elizabeth William declined to share the exact address of the new location but says it will be posted on Mackey’s website next month.
“We lost the lease, and it’s going to be renovated,” William says. While the bar was interested in renewing its lease, “they won’t do another contract for us.”
The hotel adjoining Mackey’s was recently rebranded as part of a $3.5 million renovation by Red Lion Hotels. In the process, the hotel owners were looking to bring in a new higher paying tenant that complemented the hotel brand, the Washington Business Journal reported in 2015. No word yet on what that restaurant might be.
William says Mackey’s new location will be bigger than the current one, but other than that, don’t expect too many changes to the look or menu. “We’re moving everything,” she says. “Everything is going to be the same.”
The hotel owners were also considering what to do with Recessions, the basement dive bar known for cheap beers and karaoke, WBJ reported.
Recessions manager Mohammad Kaz says the bar’s lease isn’t up for another year, but he’s not overly worried.
“We don’t know what will happen at that time, but right now, things look good for us,” he says.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
