A new restaurant self-described as a “five-star dive bar” will cut the ribbon at its new location in Old Town on Thursday.
The Commodore (220 N. Lee Street) is the second location for business partners Rob Van de Graaff and Steve Kim, who also own The Commodore in D.C.’s Dupont Circle. The space was previously home to Mystic BBQ & Grill, which closed last fall after being open for a year and a half. Before that, it was home to Myron Mixon’s Pitmaster BBQ.
A women’s bar crawl and fundraiser is coming to Del Ray this Saturday as Women’s History Month is now underway.
The bar crawl is scheduled from 2-7 p.m. Saturday, featuring all woman-owned spots like Rosemarino D’Italia and Piece Out Del Ray. The crawl is being hosted by Del Ray Psych and Wellness (1900 Mount Vernon Avenue).
Daniel O’Connell’s Irish Restaurant and Bar just hit a milestone.
On Saturday, Feb. 28, the restaurant at 112 King Street will host its 20th anniversary party. The festivities start at noon with live music and continue for 12 hours, featuring raffles, contests and happy hour from 3-5 p.m. with $6 pints of Guinness — the price of a pint back in 2006.
Whiskey from a new distillery in the West End will soon be sold at ABC stores in the city, the company’s owner tells ALXnow.
Motherwell Distilling Co. launched operations at 877 S. Pickett Street in December, led by business partners Vince and Marcy Crisler and Andrea and Adam Bennett. The new distillery, which is the first of its kind in Alexandria since the Prohibition era, now has its sights set on distribution.
A new dive bar concept is coming to Del Ray’s pop-up bar at the end of this month.
Fresh from its Christmas-themed concept Joy on the Avenue, owner Bill Blackburn and the Homegrown Restaurant Group are in the midst of outfitting the company’s seasonal pop-up bar. An exact date for the opening hasn’t been set, but Blackburn told ALXnow the plan is to open by the end of February.
A new sandwich and wine shop is opening this spring in the Bradlee Shopping Center.
Chord Bread and Bottle is planning to open at 2690 J King Street by the end of April, owner Scott Shirley told ALXnow. The vacant property, formerly Unwined wine shop, will first need to undergo interior renovations, he said.
A D.C.-based wine boutique with a focus on sustainably sourced libations is expanding into Old Town this year.
DCanter Alexandria is preparing to open in suite 112 at 1101 King Street, on the ground floor of CityHouse Old Town apartments. The shop, which first opened on Capitol Hill in 2013, hopes to join Old Town “in the first quarter of 2026,” co-founder Michelle Lim Warner told ALXnow.
A popular holiday-themed bar crawl is returning to Del Ray this Saturday.
The 10th annual Candy Cane Bar Crawl will be held from 12:30 to 6 p.m., encouraging attendees to eat, drink and be merry, according to a flier posted by the hosting Del Ray Business Association. This year’s crawl includes raffles, trivia, a photo booth and costume contest, along with 18 participating restaurants promising festive libations.
A Christmas-themed pop-up bar has officially opened its doors in Del Ray.
Joy on the Avenue opened its doors at 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue on Nov. 22 and will remain until Jan. 4, when it will wrap with its annual Festivus party.
The Department of Beer and Wine finally has a new home in Del Ray.
The gourmet beer and wine shop held a soft opening over the weekend at its new location at 2805 Mount Vernon Avenue. The location was formerly occupied by the ASAP Printing and Mailing Company and shares the building with a Truist bank.
An appealing annual cider festival is right around the corner in Old Town.
The Alexandria Cider Festival will return to Lloyd House at 220 N. Washington Street this Saturday, Nov. 22, with cider tastings from Lost Boy Cider and Ciders from Mars, live music, food, games and a souvenir glass for ticket holders.
