PoP Preview – Blackbyrd Warehouse (Opens Thursday)

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by Prince Of Petworth July 12, 2011 at 11:23 pm 40 Comments

Blackbyrd Warehouse located next to Marvin at 2005 14th St, NW (14th and U)

At long last the next project from the Hilton brothers is about to open this Thursday. I had the chance to take a peek on Tuesday afternoon and it was well worth the wait. Ed. Note: To my Petworth brothers, sisters and cousins, I peeked in their Petworth project (Billy Simpsons) and it is moving along. Work is honest to God getting done. More on that later. Blackbyrd is located right next to Marvin just north of U St at 2005 14th St, NW. It has a very similar but slightly more polished feel to the American Ice Company. There’s an industrial feel and the huge second floor is going to blow you away. As an admitted seafood lover I was psyched to learn that there will be a raw bar and other seafood options. Blackbyrd Warehouse opens this Thursday.

Finishing touches were ongoing when I stopped by but you’ll get a good feel for how it’s gonna look from all the photos below. This a great addition to 14th and U.

First floor

Lots more photos after the jump.

Old posters from the 2008 election. Including the Obama classic by Obey

First floor bar

First floor booths

Old school bar stools

Stairs to second floor

Second floor lounge

Second floor huge ceilings

Second floor facing the bar and 14th Street

Anonymous

Roofdeck? And I hear they might have live blues & jazz- true?
- Anonymous
  
  They must have a roofdeck. You can see it from the Marvin roofdeck. Love me some roofdecks.
  - chris
    
    I think the roofdeck you’re thinking of is actually a second Marvin roofdeck. They’re going to be knocking down the wall currently separating them. As of right now, I don’t think Blackbyrd has plans for one.
    - David
      
      No, that roofdeck *is* part of Blackbyrd. They may join it with Marvin, but that’s still up in the air.
      - SOUP
        
        Marvin’s deck will be extended into the space behind blackbyrd to be a supersized deck.
H Street Landlord

Beautiful.
- Tres
  
  +1 I’ll second that.
Anonymous

With this and Lost Society open now, this corner is really really starting to live up to it’s potential. Very happy to see this.
Steve

I don’t know if I could eat in a place that has Shepard Fairey on the wall. Might lose my appetite.
- Anonymous
  
  why?
  - caballero
    
    Because he isn’t very good. The only guy who produces good art within that genre is Banksy.
    - MoneyPitDC
      
      How can you write such a thing? Mr. Brainwash is a genius . . . one of the best artists to ever live . . . way better than Banksy!
      - hungeegirl
        
        mr. brainwash is a genius at paying other artists to do his work
      - caballero
        
        I can’t tell whether you’re joking or not. Are you? Because if you are serious, I don’t think we are ever going to get along….
      - Steve
        
        lol
    - TheRube
      
      But does Banksy have a clothing line?
  - Steve
    
    because, imho, he’s a hack. the dude sells tshirts with his logo on it for fack’s sake. he had an interesting point in the 90s when he stickered everywhere and forced people to question advertising/art/decoration, but then his work took an unfathomably shallow and cliched turn for the worst.
    - caballero
      
      Amen.
- Veronika
  
  Oh, Steve, it’s not that deep
Melissa Gorga

Thank you Jesus!
- SSRS
  
  LOL.
jm

menu?
Dave C.

Any celebratory grand opening specials?
- Jaynuze
  
  yes … 1/2 priced drinks … $14 martinis!! :-/
anon

I thought this was going to be a coffee shop? Has that changed or are they doing both food and coffee?

In any case, it looks great!
- d
  
  I thought so too! U St really needs more coffee.
  - pwedz
    
    there’s gonna be a Dunkin next door.. :)
Mango

So glad you kept the posters, Brothers Hilton! Looking forward to checking out the new space.
Anonymous

why did they open a similar bar DIRECTLY next door? does that strike anyone else as bizarre business strategy?
- Kev29
  
  A bar next door to the bar that has another one of their bars next door. And no.
- Eric in Ledroit
  
  maybe because everything they open is consistently packed to the gills and super-successful?
- E to tha G
  
  It’s the Starbucks mentality to business growth. Cannibalize every corner.
Anonymous

so here is the crazy thing, this building has no side wall… those posters are on the neighboring wall. If in some distant future the Marvin building gets demolished the Blackbyrd building will be totally open on it’s left side. I guess it doesn’t matter now cuz they have the same owner but that’s a wild decision to make.
- Anonymous
  
  is that bad from a structural engineering standpoint? especially if they plan to load up the second floor w/ppl?
  - Anonymous
    
    look at the photos and notice the structure.
G U St

These Hilton boys sure know what they are doing!!!! Everything they touch turns out amazing!! Bravo
Anonymous

I hate how this city gives the blanket herd thumbs up to certain ownership groups and blindly hates on others. Some facts. Gibson and Marvin are rarely packed these days, Patty Boom Boom is losing an insane amount of money and AMICO is smoking meat illegally offsite because it has no real kitchen – Note the company’s Monstserrat House getting caught operating as a highly illegal AMICO kitchen. Blackbyrd (strategically named like Marvin after a local legendary music act to appease the anti-gentrification contingent) is pretty but these predictions of success and assumptions in the original post are just dumb. Let’s see if a raw bar with no deck that took 2+ years to open and now is situated with Subway and Dunkin Donuts can cut it.
- anon
  
  Really interesting/valid points…BUT, I live next door and have to say you’re a bit wrong in regards to PBB and Marvins. Both are continuously packed and often have lines.
- Agitated
  
  How often are you out? Bah!! I work at nights 7 days a week. I can tell you those places do just fine. And, this new one is amazing.
  Gooooooooooooo Eric :)
MamaMo

Love that Mary..what a doll…she is a keeper!

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