Oh crap, this is very bad of me. I just called the store, from Saf’s comment, and they said they’d be open tomorrow. This is where language barrier is a problem. I spoke to a worker yesterday at the restaurant, who said the store was closing, but English was not his first language and it seems I completely misunderstood. I take total blame here. I’ll walk by the restaurant again today to get some more clarity. On the phone they said, they’d be open tomorrow but I’ll quadruple check. I’m terribly sorry for the confusion.


I’m wondering if this could possibly be a hidden gem? It is located at 432 11th Street, NW and you can see the menus here. Is that a great sandwich spot that is a must visit or is it more of a good place to go if you work downtown?


“Dear PoP,

After the “success” of the outdoor tables over the summer (I only live around the corner so I’ve seen people out there on the sidewalk all summer) I thought maybe Rumberos had turned a corner. I walked by today on my way home from the gym a few minutes ago to see all the windows blocked up with white paper, like you would see during a building fit out.”

I walked by today and a neighbor and worker inside told me the place had closed. They were packing up all the tables. The neighbor was truly surprised because she said she had just seen folks outside this past weekend. Rumberos was located at 3345 14th St, NW in the Tivoli complex. Whenever we spoke of Rumberos in the past folks always had wildly different opinions. Some folks loved it and others hated it. I personally enjoyed it the few times I went but I wasn’t a regular. I am sad to see another empty storefront…

Will anyone miss them?

UPDATE Apparently they are not closing. A bit of a language barrier problem. Totally my fault. More details as they become available.


I know folks love their wings so I thought you’d be happy to hear this news. They opened up in early August. This spot is kinda wild because it is on a block of residential homes, and this restaurant just pops up in the middle (close to Georgia Ave). Unfortunately I wasn’t hungry when I passed it but has anyone checked it out yet? If so, how do the wings rank?


I received an email about some work going on at Ollie’s Trolley located at 425 12th St, NW. It’s Web site says:

“Voted best in town for our famous seasoned burgers and fries with 26 herbs and spices including to die for shakes and soft serve ice cream.”

Sadly, it doesn’t say who voted… and it doesn’t mention a renovation. Anyway, are these among the best burgers and fries in town?

I know the below sign is new:


Portico is located at 1914 9th Street, NW. I’ve walked by a few times and couldn’t remember if it was new or not. There is a bit more info from two commenters on Yelp. One says:

“Portico, has returned after a three year hiatus…The original owner, Mike, is back. He is Eritrean and the Italian influence shows through in the menu which includes a lot of pasta dishes. The bar/restaurant itself is in a basement with a lounge/live music area upstairs.”

The other says:

“The crowd was mixed gentrifiers and immigrants, which was nice as it’s hard to find places where the groups commingle even though we live side by side… My friend predicts Portico will be a hipster bar in six months.”

Anyone check it out? Any fans?


I just noticed that the ADU-Genet Cafe & Hookah spot has opened up at 811 Florida Ave., NW. I actually thought the hookah fad was over but also noticed someone smoking a hookah pipe at the Shawarma King’s new outdoor seating, located at 1654 Columbia Rd, NW. The outdoor spot looks really nice especially on this section of Columbia Road.


The Dubliner is located at 520 N Capitol St NW near Union Station. Filming the most recent PoPtrekker my partner in crime, Intangible Arts, was singing the praises of the Dubliner. I’m sad to say, I was fairly wrecked by the time we got there but I did enjoy my fried chicken salad. It has a great outdoor dining area and the inside had a classic pub feel.

You can see their menus here. Any big fans? For those that like it, do you prefer it more for the food or the bar?


Recently opened, Social, located at 14th and Meridian will soon be offering brunch. I’m always happy to hear about more brunch options. They will be “opening from 11-3pm Sunday, Bloody Mary menu and bottomless Mimosa.”

Ah Bloody Mary menu and bottomless Mimosa. Sweet, sweet words…


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