A spiffy new Town Hall spreads out in the former Blue Ridge space. Photographs by Jeff Martin.
Slideshow: An Early Look at the New Town Hall
Neighborhood pubs offering homey food and quality brews are all the rage, and Glover Park’s newly opened Town Hall fits right in with its dark-wood decor, 14 draft lines, and a menu featuring roast chicken and steamed mussels. But it’s more apt to say that the five friends who own the eatery are ahead of the curve, having debuted a smaller version of the neighborhood go-to seven years ago, just two blocks away. When Blue Ridge finally closed its doors after a semi-tumultuous run, the Town Hall owners brokered a deal with its owners to move into the newly vacated space.
At the old Town Hall, diners bumped elbows with hard-partying young professionals. In the new venue, the owners have partitioned off distinct areas around the expansive two-story space for a more intimate feel. The full menu is available throughout, but families can order dinner in the downstairs dining room—the only one without a television—while sports fans may prefer nabbing a high-top table in the first-floor bar area. Upstairs, there’s a billiards room, more bar areas, and cozy nooks for quiet sipping. Come spring, the outdoor patio (now equipped with a fire pit) will be open for dinner, late-night festivities, and perhaps Sunday outdoor barbecues. Outfitted in comfy Adirondack chairs, the second-floor deck will be another prime spot for outdoor indulgences in warmer months.
Chef Paul Madrid still helms the kitchen, and offers the same dinner and brunch menus with favorites like a grilled pork chop with mac and goat cheese, a juicy burger, and brioche French toast. The six signature cocktails—including the extra-gingery Dark and Stormy—will also be familiar to Town Hall regs. There are more craft options among the new beer list, but the half-price wine special is still in effect every Tuesday.
Next up for this crew of restaurateurs: Sixth Engine in Penn Quarter, slated to open in the a former firehouse, the District’s oldest. Check back with us for updates in the coming weeks.
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.
