Bustling Rooftop Bar Takoda Plans to Open a Navy Yard Location Next Year

Five years after debuting in Shaw, Better Hospitality Group (BHG) will bring another Takoda Restaurant & Beer Garden to Navy Yard for next summer. The 7,000-square-foot space at 1299 First Street SE, nearly twice the size as the original, replicates the layout in Northwest with a second-floor space and third-story rooftop that BHG is billing as the biggest in the neighborhood. BHG executive chef Julio Estrada’s top-selling tots, bottomless brunch, burger, chicken wings, and sliders will all arrive at the new location. A 24-line draft system will dispense eight cocktails on draft and 16 all-American beers to go along with its domestic whiskey pours. Meanwhile, BHG is on track to bring a 10,000-square-foot edition of its Penn Quarter Boardwalk bar to the Wharf by the end of the year.

In other news...

• Northeast’s anticipated Indian cocktail bar Daru is finally targeting an opening date for next week.

• Persian kebab spot Maman Joon opened in Tenleytown in a former Beefsteak space (4531 Wisconsin Avenue NW). [P]
• Shelter, the low-ABV beer hall that Neighborhood Restaurant Group beer director Greg Engert opened in Capitol Hill in September, expands to full capacity at the Roost food hall on Friday, July 30.
• Foggy Bottom food hall Western Market just secured its largest tenant ahead of its 2022 debut, reports WCP. ExPat, an 8,000-square-foot sports betting bar/restaurant that encourages customers to wager on their smartphones, comes from restaurateur Tim Ma, bar owner Ben Sislen, and Union Kitchen co-founder Jonas Singer, who just formed a hospitality group of the same name.
• New York taqueria Tacombi will open an outpost in Crystal City this fall (1550 Crystal Drive, Arlington, Va.), Northern Virginia Magazine reports.
• Chef Alex McCoy (Lucky Buns) teams up with fellow Union Market vendor Laoban Dumplings with a new line of bite-sized “cheeseburger” dumplings that drop Friday, July 30.

Laoban Dumplings/official photo

• Maryland’s Guinness Open Gate Brewery kicks off its three-year anniversary on Thursday, July 29, with a release of Honey Amber Ale, along with live music, free cookies, and prizes all weekend.