U Street now has a new spot to eat, socialize and watch endless sports with the opening of Sports & Social DC.
Sports & Social DC is a sports-themed restaurant located at 1314 U St. NW. The restaurant exhibits the versatility to be able to fit the younger demographic of college students and the exciting nightlife that exists in D.C. through sports. Due to this, the establishment has the potential to make its mark.
Kayla Cooper, a junior political science major at Howard University and a host at Sports & Social DC, spoke on what the restaurant can bring to the community while working the VIP premiere of the event.
“We’re really trying to bring the community together…[and] trying to shift U Street. I do know the history of U Street … people might think we’re playing into the gentrification, but we’re actually just trying to do the opposite. We’re trying to bring people together with an environment, in which most of whom love sports, and even if you don’t, you can just come by for vibes,” Cooper said.
The restaurant features numerous TVs where sports are played day and night. There are also split spaces in the restaurant for people who would like to have a more calm and relaxed dinner while watching the game, and a section called The Social Club for people who would like to mingle.
Bryan Harris, senior general manager of Sports & Social DC, spoke on all the restaurant has to offer.
“Sports & Social DC is very gender fluid, it’s not just a sports bar for men. One of [the] most bookings that we get is bachelorette parties. So you’ll see cars pull up in front of our restaurant, women start their day there and then take off,” Harris said.
“We’re really just trying to check all the boxes the best that we can, but more so offering variety. Our guests aren’t just the Monday Night Football watchers, it’s the people coming in for brunch, you know, or really just coming in to get some really good wings. However, football doesn’t hurt,” he added.
As far as the menu goes, Sports & Social DC prides itself on being creative, while still being able to bring everyday American foods to the table. Some of their top items include the following:
- Traditional jumbo wings, served fresh and brined for 24 hours.
- Loaded nachos with a cheese blend, pico de gallo, fresh jalapeños, sour cream, guacamole and black beans.
- The pimento cheeseburger with smoked bacon and pepper jelly jam and housemade pickles.
- The truffle and mushroom flatbread with arugula and goat cheese.
- Spicy tuna bites on crispy rice topped with sesame oil and sriracha.
John Suley, Corporate Executive Chef of Sports & Social DC, has had experience overseeing food for celebrity cruises all around the world. With this, he has been able to use all the different cooking techniques he’s seen around the world and simplify them for everyday customers.
“So what we really try to do is apply all the best techniques that we’ve learned over our career and simplify the process. We could still have great ingredients, but we can’t do 30 steps as when I worked in a mission restaurant, you gotta do four,” Suley said. “You could still do great stuff and you can be creative about it, but it really has to be thought about how we’re going to deliver that product to the table in a time which doesn’t take too long. Plus it’s about having the guests eat something and have that lasting memory.”
Sports & Social DC will be hosting holiday-themed parties where they will have prizes for different superlatives throughout the holiday season. Many are interested to see what else the restaurant has in store for the rest of the year.
Copy edited by Diamond Hamm
