James Beard Award winner Mashama Bailey (Insta@) and partner Johno Morisano open Diner Bar by The Grey inside the JW Marriott Washington DC at 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in December 2026, with the more upscale The Grey on Penn following in spring 2027. The verdict? Downtown is getting a Southern counter with serious pedigree.
A Savannah Bus Terminal Classic Finds a Downtown Address
For some backstory, The Grey filled a restored 1938 Greyhound terminal in Savannah, Georgia and its Diner Bar channels the station’s old Union News Cafe lunch counter. The DC spinoff takes over the former 1331 Bar & Lounge, and partners with Danny Meyer’s Union Square Events, as part of the hotel owner’s multi-million-dollar investment.
Order the Barbecued Salmon Biscuit and the Miss America
Bailey calls her cooking “Southern food on the move,” and the all-day menu runs from breakfast to late-night bar snacks. Mornings feature a barbecued salmon biscuit sandwich and chicken and waffles. Later, the “Miss America” riffs on fried bologna and cheese, and the crab cake fritter shrinks a Maryland favorite into a bar snack (the one I’m circling first).
Stay Late for Gin Cocktails in a Lounge Mood
After dark, Diner Bar shifts into a cocktail lounge with a frozen gin rickey, a classic gin martini with a sidecar, and the Double Occupancy with citrus, fennel, and green apple. It suits pre-theater bites and downtown happy hours.
The Grey on Penn Follows With a More Ambitious Menu
Morisano calls The Grey on Penn casual fine dining, and its buildout starts after Diner Bar opens. Bailey was the first Black female chef to win the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef and is North America’s Best Female Chef for 2026.
Diner Bar by The Grey will sit inside the JW Marriott at 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, about a block from Metro Center. Reservation options have not been announced, so check back before the December opening.
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