FREE RIDE

Oyster Bar Is Newest King St. Investment

Photo by Susan Biddle/The Washington PostKING STREET, the primary east-street commercial corridor in Old Town Alexandria, is seeing renewed investment by business owners. It has scored another new eatery and is in the process of making some minor streetscaping improvements to the buzzing retail and restaurant strip.

This week, it was announced that Hank's Oyster Bar, the popular Dupont Circle neighborhood restaurant, will be opening a location on King Street near Patrick Street, about halfway between the Potomac waterfront and the King Street station on the Blue and Yellow lines. With it, expect a robust oyster selection and the popular lobster rolls from chef and owner Jamie Leeds.

According to Hank's announcement, the restaurant, scheduled to open in mid-September, will have 50 seats and 10 additional seats outdoors. That's a smart move, since Old Town's 18th and 19th century streetscapes are popular places to enjoy a meal or drink.

Writes The Post's Kirstin Downey:

More than 36 restaurants have opened outdoor seating in the past three years, adding to the area's foot traffic on warm evenings. Street-side dining has become so popular that city officials had to tighten limitations on where tables and chairs can be placed to ensure sidewalks don't fall victim to pedestrian gridlock.
One block of King Street has new wooden planters and new street banners will make their debut in the near future as well.

Down closer to the waterfront, the large storefront vacated by the Discovery Channel Store is available for a new tenant, and the Holiday Inn near Market Square is being transformed into a Hotel Monaco outpost to be run by the Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group.

» "A New Look Of Prosperity In Old Town" [WaPo]
» EARLIER: "A Few Hours ... Along King Street" [Free Ride/Express]

Photo by Susan Biddle/The Washington Post

ALSO IN FREE RIDE
COMMENTS (0)
  • Be the first to comment here now!
POST A COMMENT
All comments on Express' blogs will be screened for appropriateness, spam and topic relevance, so there is likely to be a delay before your comment is displayed. Thanks for your patience.
Remember personal info?
(you may use HTML tags for style)