Old Ebbitt Grill

Old Ebbitt Grill, at 675 15th Street NW, is the oldest saloon in D.C. It was originally founded in 1856 as a saloon and boardinghouse, located somewhere in D.C.’s Chinatown area. Over the next 100 years, it moved to several downtown locations. In 1970, it was on the verge of failure when it was bought by the Clyde’s restaurant chain.
In 1983, it moved to its present location at 15th St., across the street from the Treasury Department and down the street from the White House.
675 15th St. was built in 1912 by architect Jules Henri de Sibour, in the Beaux-Arts style, and sold to the B.F. Keith’s theater chain in 1913. It operated as a vaudeville house and movie theater until 1956. In the early 1980’s, it was rebuilt into the Metropolitan Square office building, retaining the original facade but gutting the interior. The doors to the Old Ebbitt Grill, on the ground floor of the building, are part of the original facade.