The Grace opens in Shaw, reviving the beloved Passenger space
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The Grace brings comforting tavern food like wings with green goddess blue cheese to Shaw. Photo: Courtesy Hawkeye Johnson Photography
The Grace, a cozy new saloon taking over the storied Passenger space, opens in Shaw on Wednesday.
Why it matters: In the time of $20+ cocktails and triple-digit dinners, affordable-ish neighborhood taverns are having a moment.
The big picture: Before opening upscale Indian restaurants like Pappe and Karravaan, chef Sanjay Mandhaiya cut his teeth cooking in hotel kitchens and high-volume American restaurants.
- "Afterwards, all I wanted was a cold beer and a sandwich," he tells Axios.
That post-shift craving inspired much of the Grace's menu, including an English club sandwich he first made at the Hyatt three decades ago — piled high with grilled chicken, avocado, bacon, tarragon mayo and fried eggs.
The vibe: Think neighborhood tavern meets polished cocktail bar.
- CORE architecture + design leaned into Americana with rich wood and hand-blown chandeliers, plus artwork from DC artist Maggie O'Neill. Downstairs is built for lingering at the bar; upstairs is designed more date-night ready.
The food: Elevated comfort food comes from executive chef Courtney Evans, who you might recognize from Netflix's "Next Gen Chef."
- The former chef de cuisine at Charlotte's acclaimed Leah & Louise brings Southern influences to dishes like crab-and-corn hush puppies, fresh oysters and a crispy chicken sandwich with garlic labneh and pickled vegetables.
- The menu aims to hit a range of price points, from an $18 Cuban to a $50 butter-basted tavern ribeye.
To drink: Easy sippers like coconut ranch water with house-pressed cane juice, most around $15. Yes, there's still a $19 espresso martini if that's your thing.
What's next: Leaning into the Passenger's legacy, the Grace plans to roll out a late-night menu served from 9:30pm to 1am, plus daily happy hour with roughly $10 drinks, $12 sandwiches and a hearty bottomless weekend brunch.
Flashback: The Passenger, originally owned by brothers Tom and Derek Brown, was a late-aughts cocktail institution — home to the original Columbia Room and beloved by industry insiders. Mandhaiya, himself a Passenger 2.0 regular, hopes to write the next chapter.
If you go: The Grace, 1539 7th Street NW.