About Restaurant Openings Around DC
A guide to the newest places to eat and drink.
Buffalo Billiards. 1835 14th St., NW.
Buffalo Billiards closed six years ago after a 25-year run in Dupont Circle when a new landlord refused to renew its lease. Come next spring, the pool hall and bar will make a comeback on the 14th Street corridor, in the former home of the Source Theatre. This time, the owners have purchased the building for $4.5 million.
Co-owner Geoff Dawson says he’d actually had the building under contract almost 20 years ago, but one of the founders of the Source convinced him to help save the theater instead. Although theater advocates attempted to save the venue once more, their bid was ultimately not successful.
“We watched it for about six months, and I got wind that there were some developers getting ready to pull the trigger,” Dawson says. So he says he called his business partner, Curt Large, and said, “‘Hey let’s do this. Let’s see if we can bring Buffalo Billiards back.'”
Dawson and Large also operate a number of bars in the area, including RocketBar, Nanny O’Briens, Penn Social, Astro Beer Hall, and many others. They hadn’t been actively looking to relocate Buffalo Billiards until the 14th Street location became available. The new two-story space is slightly smaller than the original but still sizable, with 8,000 square feet.
Dawson is bringing back some relics of the old Buffalo Billiards, including an original mural (it was painted on a plywood frame) and a bronze bear that used to sit at the entrance. He’s also acquired a century-old Art Deco bar made out of burled walnut and is restoring billiards tables from the 1950s.
In addition to pool, expect shuffleboard, darts, and basketball arcade games. Buffalo Billiards will continue to host billiards and shuffleboard leagues and tournaments. They will also have “the latest and greatest” TV and sound systems for sports fans. Down the line, Dawson says they may build a roof deck.
The menu will include plenty of beer and cocktails (including some non-alcoholic offerings), plus burgers, sandwiches, fries, and salads.
“It’s like we’re kids again doing this thing that we’ve done so many times,” Dawson says. “This one really is personal.”
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.
