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Wheelhouse to open Wednesday night in Chevy Chase, D.C.

Nautical-themed eatery offers seafood, raw bar, American classics Wheelhouse, a Chesapeake Bay-inspired American restaurant, will open Wednesday night in the Chevy Chase neighborhood of Washington, D.C., Bo Blair, founder and CEO of Georgetown...

Dan Murphy • •4 min read
Wheelhouse to open Wednesday night in Chevy Chase, D.C.
Food & Drink

Wheelhouse to open Wednesday night in Chevy Chase, D.C.

Nautical-themed eatery offers seafood, raw bar, American classics

By

Elia Griffin

June 9, 2026 11:56 a.m.

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    Wheelhouse, a Chesapeake Bay-inspired American restaurant, at 5714 Connecticut Ave. NW in Chevy Chase, D.C. Photo credit: Elia Griffin

    Wheelhouse, a Chesapeake Bay-inspired American restaurant, will open Wednesday night in the Chevy Chase neighborhood of Washington, D.C., Bo Blair, founder and CEO of Georgetown Events Hospitality Group, told Bethesda Today on Tuesday.

    “We’re so excited to get up and running,” Blair said. “We’re glad to offer something really cool for the whole neighborhood.”

    The vintage yacht club-themed restaurant at 5714 Connecticut Ave. NW is just beyond the Montgomery County-Washington, D.C. border. On Wednesday, the restaurant will open at 5 p.m. to the public.

    For the last four nights, the restaurant has been testing service with friends and family, taking feedback, tweaking operations and improving the final menu, Blair said. He said many of the first diners at the restaurant expressed excitement about having a new restaurant concept and a place to gather with friends, bring their kids, or watch sports at the bar.

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    Wheelhouse is the latest concept from Georgetown Events Hospitality Group, which also owns and operates several other restaurants in the District and Connecticut. In addition to coastal restaurant Millie’s in Northwest D.C., the company is behind Due South, The Bullpen, Surfside and the Jetties sandwich shops, which include a location in downtown Bethesda.

    Wheelhouse has a coastal, nautical theme. Photo credit: Emili Hibbitts

    The 4,500-square-foot full-service eatery can seat 211 with indoor and outdoor seating and boasts a 33-foot bar, according to a Wednesday press release from the restaurant. The eatery also has a separate takeout service counter next to the restaurant that also will serve ice cream.

    Blair said he was particularly proud of the restaurant’s bar area, which is decorated with sailing flags suspended on the ceiling above. The bar also has TVs where patrons can gather to watch sports.

    According to Blair, the restaurant plans to begin offering takeout service, ice cream and a weekend brunch menu on June 20. Starting Thursday, the eatery will offer lunch and dinner service.

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    Wheelhouse is in the former space of the Wine & Organic Market next to Citibank. The area around the eatery is a commercial strip along Connecticut Avenue that’s home to other restaurants such as Opal, BirdSong, Parthenon and Little Beast.

    Blair noted that he was particularly excited about the restaurant being near the Avalon Theatre and being a dining option for moviegoers.

    Wheelhouse offers “New American” cuisine that keeps in line with its nautical, coastal theme with a focus on Maryland seafood, the release said. The restaurant will offer an all-day lunch and dinner menu featuring a raw bar, burgers and sandwiches, salads and seafood dishes, plus brunch on the weekend.

    Many of the dish names on the menu draw from sailing terminology: the Topsail Caesar salad; The Jib, a French dip handheld with shaved prime rib on a toasted baguette with horseradish cream and au jus; and The Boom, a salad with grilled New York Strip steak, iceberg lettuce, blue cheese, smoked bacon, radishes and a horseradish ranch dressing.

    Other items on the menu include Maryland crab soup, fried calamari and hush puppies for starters, a fried oyster po’ boy and an open-faced tuna melt on a Portuguese muffin, plus sides such as sweet corn and tomato succotash.

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    Entrees at Wheelhouse are offered starting at 4 p.m. daily and include soft shell crabs, pan fried branzino, roasted local rock fish and grilled kabobs with shrimp, rockfish and vegetables.

    In addition to food, Wheelhouse also offers a “robust” cocktail program, according to the restaurant, with nine signature cocktails, martinis and frozen drinks, including a frozen Aperol Spritz. Wine, beer and mocktails are also available.

    • Wheelhouse boasts a 33-foot bar with TVs. Photo credit: Emili Hibbitts
    • The restaurant has a variety of seating types from booth, high top bar and outdoor patio dining. Photo credit: Emili Hibbitts
    • Wheelhouse in Chevy Chase, D.C. Photo credit: Emili Hibbitts

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    Originally published at Bethesdamagazine