“metrobar announces railcar bar opening and first look lottery” Have a sneak peek of the first look

640 Rhode Island Ave, NE

From a press release:

“metrobar, the award winning transit-themed outdoor venue celebrating all things DC, is excited to announce that doors are opening this July to the inside of our railcar bar. Track work is complete and you and your crew are invited to go off the rails and grab drinks in railcar 5058 this summer!

photo by Chelsey Christensen

The new railcar bar features a tri-colored hexagonal tiled floor (no carpet, no terra cotta), 2-top and 4-top table seating for 38 people, including 26 repurposed Metro seats reupholstered with our take on “Potomac Blue”. The table tops are rounded walnut and matched by the bar facade which features an inset metal “Metro map” design and concrete-inspired bar top. The space includes a new audio-visual system with indoor / outdoor DJ booth, upgraded lighting, art frames, and accents from the Metro and the era of its design. Finally, the bar features flip up windows that open out onto the covered platform.

photo by Chelsey Christensen

The railcar bar is launching with a public soft opening on Saturday, July 8th, followed by the official opening the following week. Free tickets for this “first look” soft opening event will be awarded by lottery (one entry per person). Winning riders will be chosen at random and notified the day before the event, with tickets for the winner and a guest including one free drink per person. Limited VIP passes will also be awarded. The lottery is free to enter here.

metrobar opened in June 2021, adjacent to the MBT and the Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood Metro station, and is centered around a refurbished 5000-series Metro railcar. As a DC-inspired bar and cultural venue, the arts-driven space is meant to connect people and celebrate the District’s rich history and culture, with a focus on craft cocktails featuring DMV-made spirits, local beer, wine, and good vibes. The idea was born over drinks in 2019 with a rough sketch on a bar napkin; and although it has taken longer than expected to answer the question, “What if you could repurpose a Metro railcar and turn it into a bar?”, we have been overwhelmed by the continued support from our DC community.

We are incredibly grateful for all of our patrons, our amazing staff who have stuck with us, the fantastic food vendors, all of our creative, industry, government, and community partners and friends, and the collaborators that kept this project on track, including designer Leslie Lofgren of The Forum, fabricator Wits End, contractor Loray Group, architect Steve Sorrell, and the teams at EventsDC, WMATA, and Bryant Street.”