It’s All About the Rooftop ‘Beer Garden’ at Takoda

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Takoda in Shaw was initially supposed to open in December. But at least the delay means today's debut of the restaurant's rooftop "beer garden" will coincide with some nice spring weather.

The rooftop bar, overlooking Florida Avenue NW, is no doubt the main attraction of Takoda. Open year-round, the space is enclosed with windows that open up all around plus a small deck. A horseshoe bar supplies 24 draft beers, including a lot of local brews and "so basic" options like Bud Light, plus around 50 whiskies.

The restaurant comes from Ryan Seelbach and Eric Lund, who also own The Huxley. (The nightclub was recently forced to pay a $5,000 fine and temporarily close after giving bottle service to a group of teens last Halloween, Borderstan reports.)

But Seelbach and Lund are apparently serious about making Takoda a restaurant, not a nightlife destination. They've hired chef Damian Brown, who's worked at Blue Duck Tavern and was most recently chef de cuisine at Capitol Hill's Stanton & Greene, to execute the modern American menu.

Small plates include bacon popcorn, rosemary parmesan tots, and wings in flavors like PB&J barbecue and Old Bay. Entrees range from chicken and sweet potato waffle with black pepper maple syrup to a "triple bacon" burger with two bacon-infused patties, bacon and cheese fondue, applewood smoke bacon, and an egg on a pretzel bun. For dessert, there are deep fried Oreos.

Happy hour specials, available from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, will include different deals each day like cider and salad Tuesday and whiskey and wings Wednesdays.

Beyond the roof garden, which will have even more greenery soon, there's also a dining room and bar in the building's second floor. Edit Lab at Streetsense designed the two-level space, which was once a Federal Life Insurance Company building. Take a full look below:

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Takoda, 715 Florida Ave. NW; (202) 525-1252; takodadc.com

Photos by Jessica Sidman