949 Wharf Street SW. photo by Fredde Lieberman
From a press release:
“Whitlow’s, the neighborhood bar and live entertainment space, is taking its paraphernalia and sports memorabilia to The Wharf.
Located in the two-level space that formerly housed The Brighton, Whitlow’s at The Wharf opens Friday March 21 at 4 pm,
just in time for the University of Maryland’s first round March Madness game.
photo by Fredde Lieberman
Just like its sibling on U Street, Whitlow’s at The Wharf will feature live music on an entertainment stage. Longtime Whitlow’s fans will be happy to know that this iteration is filled with familiar vintage neon signage, art and whimsical trinkets from the original Whitlow’s bars. That includes, according to owner Jon Williams, the neon sign that was mounted on the side of the building of the 1940’s era Whitlow’s on 11th and E Streets.
Whitlow’s at The Wharf’s 46-feet long bar is the centerpiece of the first-floor space. It is positioned across from antique booths secured for the original Whitlow’s from St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Large garage doors open to an expansive patio.
photo by Fredde Lieberman
On the second level is a smaller bar with a 100-year-old Deco bar façade and more vintage Whitlow’s antiques. A second outdoor area, a long balcony, completes that level.
The Whitlow’s tradition began in 1946 when David Whitlow opened his bar and grill on the corner of 11th and E Street, NW. Over the next 25 years, Whitlow’s became an unmistakable landmark in downtown D.C. Greg Cahill purchased the restaurant in 1971 but changed little of the tavern that had become so much a part of the city. In 1989, Whitlow’s closed its doors to enable a mass redevelopment of that site. Greg and Susie Cahill, along with their son Jon Williams, re-opened Whitlow’s in Clarendon’s Wilson Boulevard in November 1995. Whitlow’s on Wilson became a neighborhood gathering spot known for homestyle cooking, brunch, happy hours, live music and all-around good times. The Arlington location closed in June of 2021.
In 2022, the family decided on the lively Shaw neighborhood in NW Washington, D.C, opening first in a smaller location on 9th Street and then after a year-long run, moving to its current, three level spot at the corner of 9th and U Streets NW.
Whitlow’s at The Wharf’s party boat, Whitlow’s on Water, will be docked just outside the new location, bringing that Tiki-boat just across from the bar.
For this opening weekend, Whitlow’s at The Wharf, will open at 4 pm, Friday March 21 and at 2 pm on Saturday, March 22. Regular hours begin Monday March 24. (Monday – Friday 11 am – 2 am | Saturday 10 am – 2 am | Sunday 10 am – midnight)”