An Italian takeout and delivery spot in Old Town with customizable pastas is preparing to celebrate the launch of its new dine-in service.
Hank’s Pasta Bar, located above Hank’s Oyster Bar at 600 Montgomery Street, is officially launching dine-in service this Thursday, May 7, with a grand opening celebration scheduled next Thursday, May 14. The restaurant, an “elevated casual eatery,” has a full bar and offers a menu of “traditional Italian fare with contemporary touches,” according to a press release.
“It’s the kind of place you’d find down a side street in a Tuscan hill town, after being tipped off by a friend who says, ‘trust me.’ If you know, you know,” co-founder and Hank’s Oyster Bar Chef Jamie Leeds said in the release.
The trattoria is the result of a partnership between Leeds and Chef Darren Norris of Shibuya in Chevy Chase, Md. Its menu features a build-your-own pasta bowl starting at $16, with seven pasta options and nine homemade sauces to choose from, as well as various proteins, vegetables and other toppings.
The concept initially got its start in 2016 and closed for renovations in 2019. In August 2020, it reemerged during the COVID-19 pandemic as Hank & Mitzi’s Italian Kitchen, which lasted through June 2021. The restaurant eventually reopened in August 2025, exclusively offering takeout and delivery — until it introduced dine-in service this spring.
In Old Town, the new and improved Hank’s Pasta Bar intends to “bridge the gap” between fast-casual and full-service dining. Customers will order meals electronically at their tables, but the dishes will be served on plateware by a server.
“This is about giving people options,” Leeds said. “You can sit down and stay awhile, or grab something great and go. Either way, it’s thoughtful food, made to feel easy.”
Leeds and Norris say they’re aiming to focus on high quality ingredients, including their pasta, which is sourced from Italy’s Le Marche region.
Alongside build-your-own pasta, the restaurant serves up various antipasti including a ricotta crostini, Italian chopped salad and burrata with slow-fermented tomatoes. Other signature dishes include a four cheese lasagna and fusilli pesto, made with shrimp and pistachio pesto.
The restaurant is planning a bubbly celebration to mark the start of dine-in service. From May 14-17, the restaurant will pour a free glass of prosecco or a non-alcoholic sparkling alternative to the first 50 dine-in guests.
Hank’s Pasta Bar’s hours in Old Town are 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 4-9 p.m. Sunday.
