Beuchert’s Saloon Returns Today (10/20), “Welcoming Guests Back to Its Capitol Hill Dining Room for the First Time Since March 2020”

623 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE // Photo Credit- Beuchert’s Saloon

From a press release:

“Beuchert’s Saloon will re-open its doors for full-service dining on October 20, for the first time since March 2020. Regulars of the beloved Capitol Hill restaurant will find many of the classic Beuchert’s dishes from chef Andrew Markert and cocktails from beverage director Mackenzie Conway resurrected on the menu alongside new seasonal additions. All will be served in the warm, intimate saloon setting that neighbors have called a home-away-from-home over the restaurant’s nearly nine-year run. With the day-to-day operations of the kitchen under the care of chef de cuisine, Bart Hutchins, Beuchert’s will be open for dinner seven days a week with weekend brunch service rolling out in the following weeks.

When D.C.’s dining rooms closed at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, Beuchert’s operated for carryout- and delivery-only until August 2020 when Markert sent the restaurant “on vacation”, while Fight Club, a sandwich-and-boozy-punch concept, set up shop in the space to safely employ staff and serve guests during the pandemic. All the while, fans of Beuchert’s, as well as its staff, looked forward to the day Beuchert’s could reopen.

“I got questions from guests about when Beuchert’s was going to come back at least once a day”, says Markert. He continues, “We have formed such tight-knit relationships with our Capitol Hill community over the past 8-plus years, I think it really became a fixture for the neighborhood. Aside from serving our guests again, I’m excited to get back into the kitchen cooking the Beuchert’s menu. Sandwiches are very creative and fun, but I’m looking forward to diving back into the nuances and techniques that originally made me fall in love with cooking.”

Guests will find the dinner menu in a slightly different format from when they last saw it. A “farmstand” section highlighting Mid-Atlantic seasonal produce and another section dedicated to shareable, medium-sized plates remain, with a new lineup of larger-format entrees added. Fan favorites making a comeback on the Beuchert’s menu include Crispy Cauliflower topped with caramel miso, puffed quinoa, and fermented chili powder; Bucatini featuring dry-aged pork ragu, spring onions, garlic chips, and finished with ricotta salata; Carolina Gold Rice with black walnut and cress puree, Shepherd’s cheese, black pepper, and porcini mushrooms; and Beuchert’s signature burger, a Roseda Farms beef patty stacked with lettuce, tomato, onion, and bread and butter pickles, all on a brioche bun. New to the lineup are seasonal plates including Seared Rockfish topped with white sturgeon caviar and leeks two ways: melted with brown butter and served crispy; Pan-Seared Foie Gras accompanied by squash butter, a benne-miso biscuit, chili honey, and sorrel; and Winter Squash fried in a parmesan tempura batter and finished with hazelnut oil, preserved lemon cream, and gremolata.

At the bar, guests can sink into their favorite stool and order a standby cocktail from a section of the drink list dedicated to Beuchert’s quintessential house cocktails including Beltway Boy with Overholt Rye, foro amaro, aperol, Peychaud’s, and an absinthe rinse; Southeast Side featuring OGD Bourbon, grapefruit, ginger, lemon, and mint; and Mike and Ike’s Hot Cider, an autumnal nod to the bison above the bar, made with spiced rum, apple cider, and baking spices, all topped with maple foam. The remainder of the cocktail roster is divided into “From The Tin” (cocktails that are shaken) and “From The Glass” (cocktails that are stirred) with options including the Oaxacan Bombin starring Bahnez Mezcal, burnt vanilla honey, and grapefruit juice and the Book of Eli featuring Michter’s Rye, amaro dell’etna, dry vermouth, benedictine, bitters, and thyme, respectively. Rounding out the Beuchert’s beverage program are “unhootched”, nonalcoholic options including a zero-proof cocktail, beers on draft and by the bottle or can, and an expanded wine list featuring new varietals discovered during Markert’s and Conway’s tasting sessions for the wine program at their other upcoming restaurant, Newland.

Before Beuchert’s reopens on the 20th, Fight Club will finish out its time in the space and serve its last round of sandwiches and boozy punches on October 16. Markert has been on the hunt for a permanent, stand-alone space for the sandwich shop and is close to securing a local spot to reopen Fight Club as the fully-realized concept he dreamt up prior to the pandemic altering its opening plans. Nearby on the Hill, Markert is also opening Newland, his most ambitious concept-to-date, slated to open in the former Montmarte space (327 7th Street SE) this winter.

Beginning October 20, Beuchert’s Saloon will be open Sunday through Thursday from 4-10 PM and Friday and Saturday from 4-11 PM (the bar will remain open until last call). Reservations for the indoor dining room and Pennsylvania Avenue-facing streatery are available via Resy.”