Cocktail Pop-Up Green Zone Secures a Permanent Home in Adams Morgan

After four years of pouring drinks at various locations across D.C., pop-up cocktail party the Green Zone has bought a place of its own to fill with hard-to-find beers and Lebanese street foods.

Owner Chris Hassaan Francke tells Eater he recently purchased an existing bar at 18th and Kalorama Streets NW in Adams Morgan; he’s planning to renovate the two-story establishment and unveil his new venture in late April or early May. The updated space will feature a bar on each floor. Francke envisions having the downstairs be “more intimate,” while upstairs will aim for an “upbeat” vibe. He calls the design a “mix of minimalism and traditional Middle Eastern design within the constraints of an old building,” with authentic accents like Moroccan tile bar tops and a few pieces of commissioned art.

The drink list is projected to feature about a dozen seasonal, Middle Eastern-inspired cocktails, as well as several staff favorites. There will also be draft beer and a variety of bottled and canned selections from Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan, as well as wine. One bubbly cocktail served at a recent pop-up, called Karoun, Karoun, Karoun É!, was composed of Ararat Brandy and sour cherry juice.

Francke says the bar’s presence will help the neighborhood change its reputation as a Jumbo Slice-loving mecca for college kids.

“It will be totally different and a welcome addition to the block, as it trends more upscale and grown-up,” he says. Other recent arrivals have included Italian restaurant Rosario and the two highly anticipated restaurants tucked inside the Line hotel.

Fracnke plans to serve street foods found in Lebanon including flatbreads sprinkled with za’atar and cheese, and wants to keep the kitchen open late night. The projected hours of operation are from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday, and from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

The Green Zone has been operating as a pop-up bar since May 2014, showing up at places including Black Whiskey and EatsPlace; its longest and most recent residency has been at Zeba Bar in Columbia Heights. Other one-off events have taken place at Room 11, Hank’s Oyster Bar, and Archipelago.

Its next stop, which could be its last before opening in Adams Morgan: an appearance slated for Monday, April 2 at Service Bar.