Busboys and Poets owner Andy Shallal is making a play to keep his flagship location at 14th Street NW open around the clock. “I think people really want to see D.C. become one of those cities that you can actually go to a place and have something to eat at a late night hour, especially on the weekend,” Shallal says.

This should come as welcome news to night owls because you can count the number of D.C. restaurants that stay open 24-hours faster than you can house a hash brown. There’s the IHOP in Columbia Heights, Osman & Joe’s Steak ‘n Egg Kitchen in Tenleytown, and The Diner in Adams Morgan for diner fare. Or, you can get a midnight meat snack at Yechon Korean Restaurant in Annandale. Surfside serves tacos all night long in Dupont Circle.

“We’re in the process of putting it through the city,” Shallal says. “Hopefully it will go through and there won’t be any opposition.” He adds that he could know as early as next week. 

Shallal plans to use the 14th and V streets NW location as a testing ground. “It would make sense to try it out in an area it should work in,” he says. “With the 14th Street Corridor and clubs on U Street [NW], there should be enough to support an all-night business.” 

There are also Busboys and Poets locations in Brookland, Mount Vernon Square, Shirlington, Takoma, and Hyattsville.

Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St NW; (202) 387-7638; busboysandpoets.com