A local eatery known for its vegetarian and vegan fare is no longer serving customers, at least for now.
Juice Joint Cafe (1025 Vermont Ave. NW) wasn’t open when a Borderstan reporter visited during normal business hours yesterday afternoon. Rumors of the eatery’s closure first appeared on local blog PoPville yesterday morning.
Whether the cafe is temporarily or permanently closed is unclear. The eatery’s phone line was recently disconnected and online requests for comment have gone unanswered.
Despite the uncertainty, an employee at next-door restaurant Bozzelli’s said they were sure Juice Joint closed for good some time during the day last Tuesday.
We’ll update this story if we hear back from the cafe’s owners.
A Dupont Circle diner is temporarily closed after a food safety and hygiene inspector reported it had a “heavy infestation of vermin” problem.
Luna Grill and Diner at 1301 Connecticut Ave. NW is closed until further notice following the D.C. Department of Health’s findings.
The grill is closed for “operating a food establishment with gross insanitary conditions that may endanger public health including but not limited to heavy infestation of vermin,” according to a DOH closure notice. It does not specify when Luna Grill will reopen or what must be done to meet DOH compliance.
A representative for the restaurant also couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
According to its Facebook page, Luna Grill was founded in 1996 and has been serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee and drinks in D.C. since. The restaurant has a second location in Arlington, VA.
Full DOH reports on restaurant closures are typically released within a few days of an inspection.
Photo via Facebook/Luna Grill and Diner DC
(Updated at 3:55 p.m. on Monday, July 27) A U Street Bistro will close next week.
Ulah Bistro, located at 1214 U Street NW, will close its doors for good, said an employee at the restaurant by phone this morning.
A Facebook status confirmed the restaurant will close its doors on Tuesday, July 28.
The bistro served a varied menu of pizzas, sandwiches and entrees in large portions.
Borderstan contributor and food blogger Aparna Krishnamoorthy gave the bistro high marks in a 2012 review.
“Ulah would be a great option the next time we are looking for a comforting bistro meal that does not break the bank,” wrote Krishnamoorthy.
Photo via Facebook.com/UlahBistro
The Pei Wei located between Nando’s Peri-Peri and Public Bar at 1212 18th Street NW closed on Saturday, one of the store’s former employees told Borderstan.
A visit to the store this morning found the shades drawn, doors locked, exterior sign removed and several pieces of kitchen equipment already missing.
A The Little Beet store will move into the space in October, said a spokesperson with The Little Beet.
The Little Beet is a gluten-free restaurant based in New York City that serves a menu of salads, simple proteins and juice.
The D.C. Department of Health said it closed a Subway near Howard University (2301 Georgia Avenue NW) yesterday due to the eatery “failing to minimize the presence of insects, rodents and other pests on the premises.”
An employee at that location confirmed this morning that the Subway franchise was closed by the health department, but said it was related to a broken water pipe in the back of the store.
“We solved the problem already,” said the employee, who did not want to be named. “They’re coming for another inspection before noon.”
When asked about the presence of insects, rodents or other pests, the employee said they could not comment.
A spokesperson for Subway could not be reached for comment.
Photo via Google Street View
(Updated 5:05 p.m.) A Dupont-area kabob restaurant was earlier today ordered closed by the D.C. Department of Health after an inspection uncovered vermin on the premises.
Sacrificial Lamb Kabob and Wraps at 1704 R Street NW was closed much of today for “failing to minimize the presence of insects, rodents and other pests on the premises,” according to a DOH food establishment closure notice posted on the front door of the restaurant yesterday.
The restaurant has since reopened.
Borderstan visited the restaurant earlier this morning and spoke with a manager there. The manager confirmed the presence of rats in the store’s trash cans, but said the rats were not seen inside the restaurant.
“It’s unfair,” said the manager, who did not want to be identified. “We passed a health inspection three weeks ago.”
A DOH inspection report from June 1 did not reveal the presence of rats at the restaurant.
Still, rats lurking in trash cans are enough to temporarily close a restaurant, says DOH Spokesperson Ivan Torres.
“We have to actually observe the animals or droppings, which is evidence of their presence,” Torres says. “It can be in the trash cans if the trash cans are on the premises.”
A full report from yesterday’s inspection will be posted online next week.
Local artists now have one less place in which to hang their work.
Gallery Plan B owner Paula Amt and director David Kalamar announced in a Facebook post yesterday that the gallery located across the street from the Studio Theatre is closed for good.
Amt confirmed the closure earlier today via e-mail.
“We are closing, not moving,” said Amt. “Our last exhibition finished yesterday and we will be out of the space by the end of the month.”
“We decided after the 10 year anniversary that it was time,” added Amt. “Go out on a high note with good memories and accomplishments.”
The business, which opened a decade ago on the first floor of 1530 14th Street NW, had been a popular exhibition space for local photographers, painters and sculptors.
Amt said a new art-themed business would open in the space later this summer, but would not offer any additional details.
Photo via GalleryPlanB.com
