Ruby Tuesday Closes at Van Ness and Wisconsin Ave, NW

Columns

by Prince Of Petworth May 28, 2012 at 10:22 pm 35 Comments

4200 Wisconsin Avenue, NW

Thanks to a reader for sending the heads up about the Ruby Tuesday abruptly closing at the corner of Van Ness Street and Wisconsin Ave, NW. Of course, not many will shed a tear…but some will.

Stay tuned for an update when a new tenant is signed.

cole

Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday. Who could hang a name on you?
- ah
  
  Still I’m going to miss you . . .
  
  Anyway, happy if something better replaces it. Ate there only a couple times, when daughter was performing in the art center next door. Actually, I don’t recall if I ate or just had a beer. Maybe the food came too slowly before the performance was starting.
  
  It’s a decent location for something good. Surely some enterprising restaurateur could make a go of it.
monkeyrotica

It’s about time Van Ness got some “American tapas,” whatever the f**k those are.
Denizen of Tenallytown

I’ve walked by this location dozens (hundreds?) of times, but never stepped foot inside. Even for their $5 premium cocktails during happy hour.

I did meet friends from out-of-town at the Chinatown location, though. They had picked the place and had already ordered appetizers by the time I got there. Probably one of the worst customer service experiences I’ve ever had. The food also sucked, but I was expecting that.
zindc

Will anyone (besides commuters from MD/VA) miss this place?
- Anonymous
  
  oh look at you, so urban and hip – i bet you’d never be caught in such a place. lame.
  - zindc
    
    hey – not meant to be snarky, I live near this place and it is always empty, I don’t know anyone that lives in the area that actually goes here
    - Trixie
      
      Erm, if it’s empty, it’s probably fairly safe to say that “commuters from MD/VA” aren’t eating there. Why would they? I’ve never met anyone in my entire life that would actually come into the city to eat at Ruby Tuesdays (especially since there are suburban locations). Ergo, I can only imagine that you WERE intending snarky superiority.
      - Anonymous
        
        Plus, and I hate to break this down for you zindc, but if you are living up in Van Ness you’re hardly riding the edge of urban coolness. In fact, you are living in a part of this city that closely resembles a VA suburb.
      - theheights
        
        Anonymous – this isn’t in Van Ness. It’s Tenleytown. And how does Tenleytown resemble the Virginia suburbs? Are you familiar with either? If you want to see a neighborhood masquerading as Fairfax, try Columbia Heights.
- Meg
  
  Yes, because everyone in the suburbs can’t possible appreciate good food. The loud city noises must train one’s palette for only the best cuisine.
  - theheights
    
    The dirty little secret of the DC area is that the food in the suburbs is sometimes better than food in the city. All you have to do is go up to Rockville for Chinese, Falls Church for Vietnamese, Bailey’s Crossroads for Thai to see that DC’s high rents kill good mom & pop restaurants.
    - Anonymous
      
      + langley park for indian.
      - Anonymous
        
        And PG County (mainly Hyattsville and Bladensburg) for Mexican.
      - DanF
        
        RIP Udupi Palace :(
    - Anonymous
      
      ethiopian is still best in the city though.
    - Anonymous
      
      Shhhhhhh! Don’t tell all of those annoying little hipster newcomers that there’s actually a lot of cool stuff beyond the borders of DC.
Anonymous

I will admit to visiting a Ruby Tuesday every now and then. Yes, it’s an – at best – average chain. But they have two things going for them: turkey burger sliders (I don’t eat red meat) and a usually decent salad bar (which are not as common as they once were).
- Anonymous
  
  +2. Those exact menu options are what I have at Ruby Tuesdays. I do love a salad bar!
Joe Blow

Just another mid-tier slop chute, like TGI Fridays. Or Bennigans. Or Beef OBradys. Whatever. Worthless places.

If you need fast, get McDonalds or Wendys. It will be greasy but cheap and at least it will be served hot and fast. If you have 5 minutes, you can get much better stuff from Five Guys or Chipotle.
- Anonymous
  
  McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Five Guys don’t serve alcohol.
Anonymous

I remember when this was Swensen’s…. sniff sniff
- saf
  
  I was thinking that too – I wish we could get them back. I would cross the park for an ice cream parlor!
andy2

Would be a great location for a brew-pub.
RRRRR

I worked here.
zindc

with the sizable young professional group in the area something akin to meridian pint would be great here, yes I know its not that kind of area, but I think this space could succeed with a similar tenant.
- andy2
  
  Agreed!
  There are probably lots of Meridian Pint patrons that live west of the park.
  Also – with easy walkability to Van Ness and Tenleytown Metro – there is no reason a Meridian pint couldn’t thrive.
  - theheights
    
    I think you’re absolutely right. With Cava going in up the street & Cafe Ole already there, a brewpub could bring people in and do well.
Snarky

it does have a nice patio area and a good location in general. This commercial strip along Wisconsin could do with something a little nicer, a little more hip, and a little more attractive. Not saying we have to have an Inn at Little Washington outlet, just something with a bit more character.
what

I went to this location once a few months ago when I was in the mood for cheap salad bar. I waited awhile for a hostess and when she finally arrived she gave me the 3rd degree about eating alone, to the point that it was embarassing. She sat me and I waited and waited and waited for a waitress. The place was not busy and I could see a cluster of wait staff jabbering near the kitchen. I finally just got up and left.
Anonymous

What’s really amazing is that the closing of a chain store was posted on PoP at all. Really, who the **** cares? It’s was a Ruby Fricking Tuesday!
- Anonnanah
  
  What’s even more amazing is that someone actually got worked up over it. Seriously, you’re just embarrassing yourself.
InTheGaP

After a hot day playing in the sun, hard to beat the Ruby Tuesday salad bar. Lots of good pork around DC, but tough to find big greens.
Ed

This place was closed down a few weeks ago for a day or two because of health violations. I walk past it every day to go to work… also, the Cava Grill space no longer has a fence around the parameter w/ the Cava Grill banner and the banner of the architect. I hope that doesn’t mean they pulled out of the space.
- Joe
  
  Doubt it. They bought the building.

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