The former Taqueria del Barrio at 821 Upshur Street is getting a new owner, a new design and new cuisine change very soon.

821 Upshur Street has had many lives since the strip of storefronts was build in the early 1900s. For the past 20 years the space has been a restaurant serving the community, first anchored by W. Domku Cafe. The very popular Scandinavian fusion restaurant opened in 2005 (I loved the sauerkraut sandwich, and a friend of mine loved the gravlax), and closed 11 years later in 2016.

After sitting empty for a while, it got a fresh coat of mural paint, a new awning and Taqueria del Barrio opened its doors in 2017. The Mexican cuisine restaurant did well on the block, hosting popular events and offering family-focused meals. After surviving COVID-quarantine restrictions like other restaurants in our area, del Barrio closed at the beginning of 2022 when the owner reportedly took ill and couldn’t keep del Barrio open.

Petworth News ran a public survey on behalf of the building owners back in July 2022 to find out what kind of cuisine people were interested in seeing at the location. Almost 1,800 people responded, choosing from a list of options and offering So. Many. Amazing. Comments.

The vast majority were interested in a family-friendly restaurant of almost any cuisine type. The building owners wanted to bring in an experienced restaurateur who would be focused on serving the community — two pieces critical to the restaurant succeeding.

A new restaurant has been chosen, and 821 Upshur Street NW will become the “Petworth Social Bar & Grill.” The new restaurant will serve Southern Comfort food, “American cuisine with a cajun flavor on many dishes,” restaurant owner Ranu Rawat tells me.

Right now they’re hoping for an early October opening, but there is still interior work to do, and they have to get a new ABRA (alcohol) license.

Will it replace the old Petworth Citizen as a popular go-to, casual saloon for the area? As an American-style restaurant, will it compete with the Hitching Post, Honeymoon Chicken, Cinder BBQ, Timber Pizza and Commonwealth Cantina for comfort food and a family-focus? It might… we’ll have to learn more about the menu and what the interior is going to be like, and how they connect with the community. I think there’s enough stomach space to support it, and clearly there’s resident enthusiasm for another restaurant.

Petworth News will have more information soon, including possible menu items, an interview with the new restaurant owners and more. Stay tuned!