Old Ebbitt Grill

Ebbitt House: 1856 to 1925

The property at the southeast corner of F Street NW and 14th Street NW was originally four parcels acquired by William Crawford in 1798. Crawford built two Federal-style houses on the eastern lots by 1800. Bushrod W. Reed purchased those lots in 1833 and constructed a double-wide Federal-style building on the corner between 1833 and 1836.

Crawford's daughter Sarah and her husband Richard Forrest inherited the houses; after their deaths, the property passed to William J. Smith, who combined the houses into Frenchman's Hotel. In 1856, William E. Ebbitt bought Frenchman's Hotel, turned it into a boarding house named Ebbitt House, and sold it to his son-in-law Albert H. Craney in 1863. Caleb C. Willard purchased the boarding house in 1864, converted it into a hotel, and later acquired Reed's property, joining the two buildings and adding bathrooms above a narrow alley.

Old Ebbitt Grill: 1926 to 1983

After the Ebbitt House Hotel was razed in 1925, the bar's paneling and decorations were moved to 1427 F Street NW, where the restaurant was incorporated as a stand-alone business by Anders Lofstrand, Sr. The establishment was referred to as both Ebbitt's Grill and Old Ebbitt Grill. Lofstrand, a veteran bar entrepreneur, had helped incorporate the Calvert Club in 1914. His son invented a machine for washing drinking glasses at the restaurant. After Lofstrand's death in 1955, Peter Bechas purchased the restaurant in 1961.

Bechas faced repeated tax problems: between 1961 and 1970, sales tax was paid in only six of 105 months, and he was prosecuted for non-payment in 1963, 1966, and 1970. The business also failed to deposit employee withholding taxes. By 1969, the restaurant was known for pork chops, seafood, and steaks, and for serving dinner until 12:30 A.M. In July 1969, it was among 171 firms cited for non-payment of taxes. The IRS closed Old Ebbitt Grill on June 5, 1970, for failure to pay $10,995.15 in taxes.

Old Ebbitt Grill: 1984 to present

Old Ebbitt Grill reopened in early October 1983 at 675 15th Street NW, with Clyde's Restaurant Group spending $4.4 million on construction and interior design by Andrews & Chatelain. The interior mimicked the previous bar, including game trophies rumored to have been shot by President Theodore Roosevelt. A replica of the original mahogany bar was installed. The restaurant seated 200 at tables and booths, with green leather seats, velvet-covered walls, etched glass dividers, and an oyster bar.

A charcoal-burning grill and a Cruvinet wine dispensing system were added. A back waiter system was introduced, requiring waiters to balance plates on their arms for faster service. The Omelet Room was not included in the new location due to health campaigns against high cholesterol; a private dining room was placed in the basement instead. The restaurant quickly became popular with yuppies, lawyers, and tourists.

A 1986 review noted the best appetizers and worst omelets and pancakes in the city, with hefty portions and moderate prices.

About the restaurant

Old Ebbitt Grill contains four bars: the Old Bar in the Main Dining Room, the Oyster Bar near the entry, Grant's Bar toward the rear, and the Corner Bar up steps along G Street NW. Etched glass panels separating the Old Bar from the Main Dining Room were created by Charles Shefts. Grant's Bar, named for General Ulysses S. Grant, features a ceiling mural by Carol Loeb and an oil painting by Peter Egeli replicating a Mathew Brady photograph of Grant.

The Main Dining Room has booth and limited table seating; the Atrium Dining Room offers table seating and fixed benches, with a large marble fountain open to the atrium of Metropolitan Square. Ebbitt Express is located in the Atrium Dining Room. The Cabinet Room downstairs is available for private events. Artwork throughout includes paintings by Kamil Kubik, Peter Egeli, J. Robert Burnell, Claiborne D. Gregory, Jr., James Harrington, and Robin Hill, as well as a Howard Chandler Christy painting, carved waterfowl decoys, and sculptures by John Dreyfuss.

Did You Know?

• Old Ebbitt Grill is Washington's oldest bar and restaurant.
• President Ulysses S. Grant and President Andrew Johnson both dined in the restaurant frequently.
• Future president William McKinley lived at Ebbitt House from 1877 to 1890 during his entire congressional career and dined almost nightly with his wife in the restaurant.
• In 1995, Old Ebbitt Grill created a popular annual event known as the Oyster Riot.