A Beer, Doughnut, and Fried Chicken Mecca Takes Root in Shirlington

A 14,000-square foot beer, doughnut, and fried chicken mecca will touch down in Shirlington late next summer when Astro Beer Hall opens its second location.

Like the first, the new spot at 4001 Campbell Avenue is a collaboration between Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken owners Elliot Spaisman and Jeff Halpern and Tin Shop’s Geoff Dawson and Peter Bayne, and visitors can expect similar cosmic decor, over-the-top sandwiches and doughnuts, and local beer offerings.

Also like the original, Astro Beer Hall Shirlington will brew La Colombe coffee all day at its full-service coffee counter, alongside Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken’s decadent, creative doughnuts and breakfast sandwiches.

The kitchen will also offer lunch, happy hour, and dinner with an expanded menu of Astro’s beloved fried chicken, sandwiches, salads, made-to-order cake doughnuts from a cake-making robot, bar snacks, and more. They’ll serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

While the original Astro Beer Hall in metro-D.C. caters mostly to office workers in the area, the partners chose Shirlington for its mix of residential area and offices.

“Finding a spot like Shirlington has really been a blessing: the community there, how they are supporting their local businesses, the amount of people out on the sidewalk and the street, all the existing businesses,” says Tin Shop co-owner Peter Bayne.

It’s also one of the rare areas in Virginia that allows open containers, something Bayne points out isn’t even possible in D.C. yet. Astro Beer Hall Shirlington will have 20 taps for beers and cocktails, plus “washing machines” for frozen beverages.

Scott Suchman

Ceilings in the multi-level space sore to over 20 feet high and there are seats for about 500 inside. Bayne says the real draw is the expansive outdoor patio along the sidewalk with seating for about 80. A large, rectangular bar near roll-up glass garage doors will make it easy for folks sitting indoors or outdoors to grab a beverage from the bar. Inside, large screens will allow for visitors to watch sports.

There will also be lots of games, notably a giant astroid game with 12x12 foot screens and a big toy canon for shooting the astroids, in addition to pool and arcade games.

The original location at 1306 G Street, NW, Washington, D.C. opened in October 2019.

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