Downtown’s Rural Society Has Closed

Rural Society, the Argentinian steakhouse from Iron Chef alum and Philadelphia restaurateur Jose Garces, has closed after three years in D.C.

The news is tied to the new hotel flag flying at 1177 15th Street NW. The property previously known as the Loews Madison Hotel was recently sold and is now being managed by Hilton Hotels. Hilton is currently developing new food and beverage programming for the hotel, a spokeswoman tells Eater.

“It’s a little early to provide more details,” she says.

In Dupont Circle, Hilton Washington just unveiled a new restaurant and bar off its lobby. Find flatbreads, crab cakes, and sandwiches at Four Oaks, and riffs on classic cocktails at companion Sidecar.

The now-defunct Rural Society featured cowboy-inspired fare centered around a wood-fired grill, with dishes like grass-fed Uruguayan rib-eye and a variety of grilled vegetables.

It appears the Rural Society brand is being wiped from the restaurant group’s palate entirely; another also shuttered inside Chicago’s Loews Hotel in Streeterville earlier this year.

“There are no current plans to reopen Rural Society in [DC] at this time,” a spokeswoman from Team Garces told Eater.

Garces has at least two other ventures in mind for the city.

He’s mapped out plans to bring a version of his booze-fueled gastropub Village Whiskey to Shaw (there is “no update to share yet” on its ETA, adds the spokeswoman). Garces is also expected to establish a Latin-themed food hall near Union Market at some point in the future.