Almost a year after closing, a D.C. bar acclaimed for its wings -- and loyalty to the Washington Nationals -- is making a comeback.
Let's hope the Nats can do the same.
Casey Callister, a loyal customer of Duffy's Irish Pub since it opened in May 2006, signed a lease on the Vermont Avenue NW location across from 9:30 Club, and former owner Andy Duffy will return as general manager, bringing back his signature wings and fish and chips recipes.
Callister -- who owns Garden Thieves Pictures, which produced several documentaries, including "Ballou," about the famed Ballou High School marching band -- reached out to Duffy about reopening last month.
Before closing in November -- the bar couldn't overcome its early struggles when its hours were restricted and it couldn't open a patio -- Duffy's won the City Paper's Best Wings seven times in eight years. It was also considered one of the best Nats bars in town. Food and Wine Magazine and Thrillist also ranked Duffy's wings in the top 25 in the country.
While a date for reopening hasn't been set, the bar is almost ready, Duffy said. Let's hope it coincides with a pennant race.
Duffy's emailed its customers Saturday evening with an IndieGoGo campaign to help with the reopening.
