Three Things Only Metro Center Locals Understand About Working in the Area

All Washingtonians know Metro Center as a prime office-space location, but those who call the neighborhood home (during work hours, anyway) know it’s also a great place for dining and entertainment.

Quick, delicious breakfasts: West Wing Café, 1111 Pennsylvania Ave. NW 

For those who don’t get a chance to have breakfast before they leave for the office in the morning – and, let’s face it, that’s probably most of us – there’s Metro Center’s West Wing Café. Many commuters and office workers probably pass by the tucked-away deli with the orange awnings, assuming it’s just another place to grab packaged snacks and overpriced bottled soda. But Metro Center regulars know this is the place to get a breakfast combo — good coffee and a New-York-style bagel with real egg, real cheese and your choice of (you guessed it) real meat, all for just about $6. The staff is friendly, the premises are clean and inviting and the lines are short. For our money, nothing beats that trifecta when it comes to D.C. breakfasts on the go.

Surprisingly diverse entertainment: Warner Theater, 513 13th St. NW 

A mere three-minute walk from West Wing Café is a spot most people even vaguely familiar with Metro Center probably know about: Warner Theater, the sidewalk of which is D.C.’s answer to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The cement along the perimeter of the historic theater, which opened in 1924, boasts the handprints and messy, authentic signatures of dozens of actors, from Whoopie Goldberg to William Shatner. With its long history and opulent décor, the theater may seem, well, stodgy. But those in the know understand that just taking a look at the theater’s variety of offered musical, dance and comedic events shows the place is anything but.

Upcoming shows include appearances by a wide variety of entertainers, from ‘90s sitcom star Sinbad, to ‘70s funk crooner Chaka Khan, to the Washington Ballet, to the deadpan comedian Lewis Black. Those on a budget assuming the events will be out of their price range will be delighted to learn they’re wrong. Tickets for Black’s spring 2018 “The Joke’s on US” tour, for example, start at just $37.

Wine and dine a client: Old Ebbitt Grill, 675 15^th St. NW

Less than half a mile from the Warner sits D.C.’s oldest bar and restaurant, the aptly named Old Ebbitt Grill. Established in the mid-19^th century, the eatery boasts a Beaux Arts décor that, with its mahogany-and-velvet booths and marble bar-tops, leaves little room to wonder why it’s been a favorite haunt of numerous presidents, journalists and other D.C. bigwigs over the years.

One might assume getting a table at the Old Ebbitt would be virtually impossible and the food and drinks intolerably expensive. But as those who work in Metro Center know, making a reservation on non-peak days and nights (Fridays and Saturdays) is in fact painlessly and quickly done via OpenTable. And the food and drinks at this Zagat-rated eatery are surprisingly affordable, too. So go ahead and wow an out-of-town prospect or current client with spicy sausage garganelli paired with a bottle of Grüner Veltliner Gmörk 2016 ($18.59 and $30, respectively), or try the pan-seared swordfish ($20.99) with a local craft pale ale ($7.39). You won’t regret it.

Back to Work!

Those looking for office space in Metro Center, be it shared, temporary, long-term or virtual, need look no further than Metro Offices’ centrally located One Metro Center location. Featuring an expansive rooftop terrace equipped with trellises, furniture, internet connectivity and outstanding views of the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument, the building is located in the heart of Penn Quarter, just two blocks from the White House. And it is directly connected to the Metrorail’s most-ridden line, the red line. For more information about any of the Metro Office locations, visit us here.

tags: metro area,metro center