The Pitch Tavern co-owner/manager Dwane Reid

by Kenji Jasper

With less than 50 minutes before opening, the energy inside The Pitch Tavern is electric. Nas’s Magic 3 thumps through the sound system behind the mirrored bar with black framing. A bearded man in the rear talks on the phone while examining the walk-in refrigerator, and co-owner/manager Dwane Reid is wiping down the bar.

“Our family is West Indian: Guyanese and Trinidadian. My uncle, Jay Narain, the original owner, played football, or soccer as you call it,” co-owner Reid explains about how The Pitch Tavern came to be back in 2015.

“Soccer is played on a pitch. Cricket is played on a pitch. In baseball there’s a pitch. That’s where he got the name.”

Narain and his family have owned the 4015 Georgia Avenue where the upscale bar is located, which is also home to the Petworth Laundromat on the first-floor, for most of the last 20 years. On the other side of a glass door tattooed with the bar’s crest, you’ll find a perfect neighborhood place for a few rounds and a quick bite. The spot is open six days a week from afternoon until late night. After the Narain’s weathered COVID and a family crisis or two, the bar reopened in May.

“Our wings are unchallenged!” Reid boasts “Honey Old Bay, the lemon pepper and Buffalo lemon pepper, and our burgers are really good too.”

The Pitch boasts a list of starters that includes: Beef Suya with Jolloff Rice, Jerk Chicken and Fried Plaintain Egg Rolls, and Crisp Fried Shrimp, are just a few of the offerings.

“Barely three blocks from the up and jump of the new Upshur Street and with strong competitors south and east, the new Pitch Tavern offers something that trendy watering holes and bistros don’t. The Pitch is your home. No one comes there just once.”

“You’re gonna be comfortable. We’re not going to bust you over the head with prices. Everyone that comes in here has intermingled with each other. We’ve put so many people together romantically, business-wise, and so on.We’re from the community and we understand how the community works. There are places in this neighborhood where I’ve gone and could’ve feel comfortable. Those places no longer exist. You’re welcome here anytime.”

The Pitch Tavern
4015 Georgia Avenue NW
(202) 750-7159
thepitchtaverndc.com