Adams Morgan is set to welcome another bar to its already lively 18th Street strip. The Imperial, part of the Jack Rose Dining Saloon, officially opens on Wednesday, Nov. 13 to the delight of local residents and bar owners alike.
The 5,500-square-foot bar and restaurant located at 2001 18th St. NW aims for a dining menu focused on mid-Atlantic flavors. And for drinks, owner Bill Thomas brings his signature obsessively collected vintage whiskies to the table 鈥 this time with a twist in scenery.
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We got the inside look at the Imperial, the highly anticipated cocktail bar and Mid-Atlantic restaurant from the Jack Rose team. The three-story Adams Morgan spot opens tonight! Use the link in our bio to get鈥鈥 Rey Lopez (@reylopez809_rey)
Unlike its predecessor Jack Rose, a dark-tinted and smokey-vibed bar only two doors up 18th Street, the new three-story bar is naturally lit with open windows and a marble-heavy theme.聽
The Imperial, however, will keep true to the grim-yet-elegant mantra of Jack Rose with a speakeasy basement, named Dram & Grain, all while forging a new image with an open rooftop overlooking U Street.
Jack Rose鈥檚 public relations director, Brittany Julep, highlighted that further changes from the mother establishment鈥檚 design revolve around food just as much as the change in scenery.聽
The menu鈥檚 range, just as extensive as the alcoholic beverages selection, includes a variety of French inspired dishes. From the centuries-old foie de gras to a 鈥渨hole fish of the day,鈥 the Imperial will also serve a medley of vegetarian dishes as well as oysters.
Pricing, like the menu, covers a wide range: some plates cost between $11-$17 while others go for $39.聽
As surrounding areas like the U Street corridor also grow, a shifting consumer base may prove to be an obstacle for Adams Morgan bar patrons. are now available on the corridor, a residential growth that will likely demand a commercial one.
The Mysterious Adams Morgan Bar Complex That Took Five Years to Build Is Finally Here
鈥 It’s Adams Morgan! (@ItsAdamsMorgan)
When asked about their bar consumption habits related to the growing interest in 14th and U Street, Adams Morgan locals don鈥檛 much mind the pricing or another bar on the strip.
Joe Qian, an Adams Morgan resident and World Bank officer, pointed to the 鈥渄ecent food and different vibes,鈥 while also adding the importance of having 鈥渉undreds of alcohol varieties.鈥澛
鈥淚t鈥檚 perfect for a scotch lover,鈥 he said.
Another neighborhood local and George Washington University employee, Autumn Anthony, had a similar take but not entirely the same excitement for Jack Rose鈥檚 alcohol collection.
The self-described 鈥渨ine or the occasional cocktail鈥 consumer, who also lives less than two blocks away from The Imperial, said she鈥檚 excited for 鈥渟omething a bit more fancy than the bars on the strip.鈥澛
Anthony said when relatives visit, she takes them to Georgetown for drinks and not the strip because 鈥渋t鈥檚 not entirely the kind of place I want to take my mom or grandmother.鈥
鈥淚鈥檝e taken a few peeks inside when I walk by,鈥 she said of the Imperial. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to go, it just looks pleasant and I鈥檓 hoping their food is good enough for more than a drink. I like dark wine, I don鈥檛 like a dark place to drink it in.鈥
Other than the Imperial posing a more refined space for locals, Anthony expressed doubt that Adams Morgan residents would generally prefer to seek a 鈥渇un night out鈥 elsewhere. She said the neighborhood holds a stronger sense of community that isn鈥檛 always visible.
The idea that Adams Morgan functions as a whole isn鈥檛 alien to local bar owners either. John McEntire, the owner of the local Irish pub Shenanigan鈥檚, said he鈥檚 more than happy to see another bar open on Adams Morgan.

McEntire said 鈥渁 sense of community鈥 is the norm among bar owners in the neighborhood as some bars will 鈥渇ill up their responsibility鈥 of keeping the bar scene functional and attractive to incoming customers.
After McEntire was asked whether bar owners keep in close contact to nurture this聽 communal sense, he laughed and said he had just got off the phone with Bill Duggan, the owner of the legendary Madam鈥檚 Organ bar.
As for competition, McEntire pointed to local bars and said 鈥渋f they鈥檙e good, we鈥檙e good.鈥 He explained that the strip succeeds as a whole because if one slips, customers would project that perception on the scene as a whole.
The communal efforts of Adams Morgan鈥檚 bar scene attracts visitors just as much as immediate locals, too.
Stuart Elnagdy, a Columbia Heights resident and a political researcher in the National Endowment for Democracy think tank, said he prefers the 18th Street bar scene over other Washington areas.
鈥14th and U is growing. It is a nicer place than when I moved here. I do go there because it鈥檚 fun,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut, when I鈥檓 in charge of a night out, I want Adam鈥檚 Morgan. It just has that vibe.鈥





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