Dacha’s Ballpark-Adjacent Beer Garden Might Be Ready for Nationals Opening Day

The owners of Dacha, the outdoor beer garden in Shaw known for a deep list of German drafts and the Elizabeth Taylor mural that looks over the neighborhood, are on track to open a Navy Yard location close to the first day of Major League Baseball season.

Washingtonian reports that owners Dmitri Chekaldin and Ilya Alter have their fingers crossed for a late March opening inside the Dock 79 development that houses the Salt Line and All-Purpose Capitol Riverfront. Baseball season begins Thursday, March 28, when the Washington Nationals will begin a three-game series against the visiting New York Mets.

According to Washingtonian, the new Dacha will feature an indoor area with a 150-seat dining room. Taylor Burlingame, who succeeded Michael Rafidi as executive chef of the ill-fated Requin at the Wharf after working at Michael Mina’s RN74 in San Francisco, will oversee a menu that features more refined plates than the beer-friendly fare available for dinner in Shaw.

Like nearby beer garden Bardo, the new Dacha will have an outdoor area within view of the Anacostia River. Instead of Liz Taylor, there will be an exterior mural of Jackie Kennedy Onassis (JFK will lord over another mural inside).

In other beer news for the neighborhood, Atlas Brew Works expects to open a 4,500-square-foot brewery and taproom on Half Street SE in 2020.

• Dacha Is Opening a Huge Waterfront Beer Garden, Bar, and Restaurant Near Nationals Park This Spring [Washingtonian]
• Atlas Brew Works Is Putting a Supersized Second Facility Right By Nationals Park [EDC]