The New Pop’s Bagels Promos a Friday Freebie — And More D.C. Openings (2024)

Despite the sweltering heat and many locals on vacation, new spots to eat and drink continue to open across D.C. this summer. Consider this your guide to all the new restaurants, bars, and cafes that have debuted in July 2024 so far. This list will be updated weekly. If there’s an opening in your neighborhood that we’ve missed, let us know at dc@eater.com.

July 26

Pops Bagels

ECKINGTON—The team behind Poppy’s Stuffed Bagels expands in the Northeast neighborhood with free bagels for customers until 2:30 p.m. on opening day. Any toppings or schmear at the new Pop’s Bagels can be paid for separately. Nearly decade-old sibling Pops Bakery continues to supply bread, bagels, and buns to area restaurants like Lucky Buns, Hill East, Slash Run, Eat Brgz, and Anju. Its newest brand slings (bagel) sandwiches, plus latke balls coming soon, from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily next to Union Kitchen. 1625 Eckington Place NE

July 25

Van Leeuwen

UNION STATION—Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, the NYC-based national ice cream chain with four locations scattered across D.C., adds another scoop shop with 30 flavors at the ready. Ice cream fanatics who swing on opening day can enter to win three limited-edition keychains that unlock access to $2 scoops at a location until Sunday, September 22. 50 Massachusetts Ave NE

July 24

TAKOMA PARK—Red Hound Pizza brings Roman and Sicilian-style pies, focaccia sandwiches, salads, and desserts to the popular Maryland neighborhood. A seasonal, rotating menu of square pizzas comes by the slice or whole pie. Co-owners Andrea Alvarez and Charbel Abrache, the former head pastry chef at Seylou Bakery, swear by freshly-milled local flour to create the ideal dough. The pie project operates for lunch and dinner Wednesday and Friday, with an afternoon break from 3 to 5 p.m., and all day on Saturday and Sunday starting at 11:30 a.m. 7050 Carroll Ave, Takoma Park, Maryland

July 23

Immigrant Food

BALLSTON—D.C.’s “gastroadvocacy” chain Immigrant Food expands across the Potomac with its first-ever Virginia location in Arlington. The new all-day option inside the Nature Conservancy building offers free hibiscus tea through August 31. 4245 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Virginia

Hen Quarter Prime

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BUZZARD POINT—Hen Quarter Prime ventures out of Old Town and adds to the options next to Audi Field with staples like fried chicken doused with sauces, shrimp and grits with crawfish, and lobster mac and cheese, plus an epic weekend brunch buffet. The 6,600-square-foot eatery accommodates up to 200 inside, and another 24 patio diners can enjoy sprawling waterfront views of the Anacostia River. Its Chopped-winning chef Sammy Davis adds a few new dishes like a grilled branzino, seafood diavolo pasta, and multiple cuts of steaks. The restaurant also puts a spin on Lowcountry favorites, dressing up roasted Brussels sprouts with pickled okra, candied pecans, and pork rinds and cornmeal-breaded fried green tomatoes with truffled arugula and spicy remoulade. 2121 First Street SW

July 22

UNION MARKET—A masa-grinding master from Oaxaca fills a taco vacancy inside Latin market La Cosecha with the opening of Apapacho. The taqueria from culinary couple Alam Méndez and Elisa Reyna slides into the sleek space left behind by Las Gemelas, which ended its 3-year run in February. Apapacho’s headlining roster of tacos stars slow-cooked meats like al pastor, carne asada, and barbacoa, plus a vegetarian option (oyster mushrooms) to start. The setup includes a 30-seat interior, with room for 20 more across its breezy patio out front. For drinks, look for (frozen) margaritas, mezcal co*cktails, and Méndez’s personal favorite: micheladas. 1280 4th Street NE

July 20

WEST END—Arlington-born chain South Block adds a new D.C. destination for acai bowls, smoothies, toasts, and cold-pressed juices. The new shop is marks No. 17 in the region (and fifth in the nation’s capital), open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. 2109 M Street NW

July 18

THOMAS CIRCLE—The Continent introduces D.C. to upscale dishes influenced by the African continent. Co-owner and executive chef Tony Ijaodola leads a menu full of gigantic Nigerian tiger prawns and tomahawk steaks, while also incorporating staples like jollof rice, yam fries, and beef suya. The luxuriously-designed restaurant doles out inventive co*cktails like a Cape Town margarita that incorporates blood orange juice and cinnamon into the classic drink. The eatery opens at 11 a.m. daily, staying open till 12 a.m. Monday through Thursday, and until 3 a.m. on Saturday and 1 a.m. on Sunday. 1110 Vermont Avenue NW

ROCKVILLE — Little Miner Taco, which started as a D.C. area food truck that operates food hall stalls in Brentwood and North Bethesda, Maryland, opened its first location with a full-service bar, a salsa bar, and a brand-new logo. The Rockville Town Center newcomer partners with Montgomery County Public Schools foundation Dine With Dignity to raise money for meals. Little Miner Taco will donate all proceeds from each kid’s meal to the fund and spread the word about the program. The kid’s meals are only $3 and include either a cheese (or chicken) quesadilla and chicken with rice. 39 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland

July 16

VIRGINIA SQUARE — The third location of Tortas y Tacos brings Mexican favorites like flautas, burritos, and nachos to Arlington, Virginia. Owner David Villalobos tells ArlNow that the menu is a “copy and paste” of his other eateries. 3811 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Virginia

July 15

MCPHERSON SQUARE—Namak Mandi, which means salt market in urdu, is named after an area in Peshawar, Paskistan. The new Pakistani restaurant slides into the old G Street Foods location, expanding from the original in Falls Church, Virginia. The menu features kebabs, tikkas, and naan cooked in a tandoor oven, plus spiced stews and a local seafood platter. Save room for dessert, as there are traditional pudding options along with gulab jamin (fried sweet dough balls) and ras malai (paneer cakes in sweetened milk). 1030 15th Street NW

July 13

Claudia Rosenbaum/Eater DC

TAKOMA PARK — Cielo Rojo’s co-owners Carolina McCandless and executive chef David Perez opened a new Mission-style burrito shop called San Pancho in the heart of artsy Takoma Park. The 980-square-foot shop is brightly decorated with photographs of San Francisco’s famed Mexican taquerias celebrating the culture of the historic Mission District, taken by McCandless’s friend Kelly Puleio. Burritos are the real star here, made in six different option: regular, super, vegan, California, baby, and bean and cheese, which range in price from $9-$18 (or seven, if you count the burrito bowl). Four different kinds of breakfast burritos are available on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and on the weekends from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Keeping true to the California style, the burritos are made with pinto beans, Mexican rice, melted cheese, and lots of onions and cilantro. The flour tortillas are made in Mexico and imported from Texas. 7056 Carroll Avenue, Takoma Park, Maryland

July 12

Logan Circle—San Francisco-born wine bar Amelie opened its first location outside of California and NYC this month. Amelie is led by Paris-trained chef Anthony Lemortellec, formerly of Boqueria, who focuses on French classics like tuna tartare, pan-roasted branzino, and seared hanger steak. He told Washingtonian he plans to put a focus on local, in-season produce. The wine bar showcases small French wineries with 75 carefully curated wines by the glass, plus an apertif-heavy co*cktail list. The casual, retro-styled space can accommodate up to 105 customers. Hours are 4 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday, and until 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 1315 14th Street NW

July 9

Scott Suchman for Yellow

UNION MARKET—Hot off a huge 2024 James Beard Award win for America’s best chef, Michael Rafidi expands his reach in D.C. Yellow, his relaxed Levantine cafe known for its fragrant coffees, za’atar-dusted pastries, and wood-fired pitas, adds a 3,500-square-foot flagship in the booming Northeast neighborhood on the ground floor of an old meatpacking warehouse. Location-specific items prepared in Yellow’s large pastry kitchen include twice-baked ras el hanout pecan croissants, a pull-apart raspberry and cardamom bun, blondies built with ginger, rhubarb, and walnuts, and red shatta morning buns, all from the mind of Yellow’s executive pastry chef Alicia Wang. Breakfast served until 11 a.m. also calls for sfeeha (lamb meat pie with garlic toum and lemon), eggy orders like wood-fired shakshuka, Yellow’s “Urfa-thing” bagel that carries its own trademark, and strawberry rose cruffins. Diners can expect much more than baked goods in the morning. During the first few months of service, Yellow Union Market operates from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a lunch menu that includes a wide range of spreads and sandwiches. 17 Morse Street NE

July 6

GEORGETOWN — River Club rejuvenates Georgetown waterfront’s dining scene this summer with tableside spirit service, decadent decor from Beirut, and a meze-styled menu encapsulating the far-reaching flavors of Lebanon, Italy, and Spain. The 3,400-square-foot space is utterly unrecognizable from its former life as dumpling standby Bangkok Joe’s. Nearly every design detail was sourced 6,000 miles away in Beirut, which in turn helped support the Lebanese capital’s manufacturing and artisan economy. 3000 K Street NW

—Tierney Plumb contributed to this report