An unassuming Florida Ave. row house used to be home to one of the most successful Black-owned restaurants in D.C. – Harrison's Cafe. Opened in 1920 by Robert Hilliard Harrison and his wife Lottie Harrison, the restaurant aimed to offer a first-class dining experience to African Americans who were excluded from the posh restaurants downtown.
The joint served up everything from 20-cent hamburgers to full lobster dinners and was popular among Howard professors, students, and LeDroit locals.
To avoid the city's strict midnight liquor curfew, Harrison's served alcohol in private rooms above the café, where patrons could continue the festivities until the wee hours of the morning.
The establishment shut down in 1962, shortly after Robert Harrison's death, but it was an establishment in the community for over 40 years with almost no rivals.
Get to Know Le Droit Park
Kaela Cote-Stemmermann
LeDroit Park rowhomes. (AgnosticPreachersKid/Wikimedia Commons)
Share article
Neighborhood Guides
Get to Know 11th Street NW in Columbia Heights
11th Street in Columbia Heights is one of my favorite hangout spot in the District. You can garden, snack on crispy pig ears, and grab fr...
How To Spend a Day In Harpers Ferry
Harpers Ferry is everything a day trip should be: cute, accessible, packed with activities, and most importantly, has lots of great food....
How To Spend a Day In Frederick
Less than an hour drive away from D.C., Frederick is full of historic charm, bookshop nooks, antique emporiums, and quiet hikes.
Finding the Best Block In DC: Takoma
Start at Lost Sock Coffee Roasters, a small-batch specialty coffee roaster located in the old Takoma Theatre.
Walk A Mile On Pennsylvania Ave SE
Welcome to the another installment of our walking series, where we pick a D.C. street to walk a mile on and see what cool stuff we can fi...
Where To Eat At Eden Center
Eden Center is the most exciting strip mall you’ll ever go to. It's back halls are packed with dozens of Vietnamese bakeries, delis, bill...
Your Guide to DMV Airports
Yes, take the Blue or Yellow line to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport stop.
Walk a Mile On Florida Avenue
Welcome to another of our walking series, where we pick a D.C. street to walk a mile on and see what cool stuff we can find along the way!
The latest in DC
The loophole (barely) keeping Empower alive in D.C.
The embattled ride-share service can continue to offer free rides, a judge ruled yesterday, but the company and its CEO still owe nearly...
The D.C. Mayor's Race is Actually Heating Up
The two frontrunners traded jabs at a mayoral forum Monday, marking a shift in what has otherwise been a sleepy mayoral race.
Two D.C. Council Candidates Form Alliance in Historic First
The partnership shows how ranked choice voting is reshaping traditional campaign strategy.
A missing part of the teen takeover conversation
D.C. can’t stop talking about curfews. But what do teens have to say about them?
How Adams Morgan Got Its Name
How community members gave Adams Morgan a uniting cause.
Get To Know the Architecture of DC Homes
D.C.’s neighborhoods are a patchwork of distinct architectural styles, each tied to a specific historical moment.
DC's Best New Restaurants and Bars
Welcome to our rolling list of all the best new restaurants opening in Washington, DC!
DC Blooms Better Than the Cherry Blossoms
The city is filled with flowering trees and bushes that get overlooked thanks to the spotlight-stealing cherries.
