Tadich Grill Expanding to D.C.

The original Tadich Grill. [Photo: andreelau/Flickr]

Though it's been around for 164 years and entertained scores of offers to expand within that time, the iconic Tadich Grill, SF's oldest restaurant, always said no—until now. At a press conference held this morning, third-generation owner Michael Buich announced that Tadich will open a second location in Washington, D.C. in the first quarter of next year. "We're redefining manifest destiny, moving from the West back to the East," he joked.

Purists needn't worry: the original Tadich will remain untouched, and ownership is still 100% in the hands of Buich and his father, Steve. The new location will be co-owned and managed by Icon, Inc., the company responsible for helping equally old-school Joe's Stone Crab, out of Miami, expand to other locales.

"Tadich is one of those bonafide restaurant icons that have stood the test of time, and we're not going to copy it exactly," said Gerard Centioli, Icon's CEO. The new location will, however, retain the vibe of the original, with dark wood and a central bar. As for the menu, it'll remain largely unchanged; Buich says they'll import Tadich's famed lineup of West Coast seafood like oysters, Dungeness crab, and sand dabs, as well as feature some items native to the East Coast.

Tadich 2.0 will be located at 1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, in the heart of the political district and almost equidistant between the White House and the Capitol. Though they don't know exactly how many people it'll seat yet, the space will be large, at 7,387 square feet, and the throwback vibe and menu should make it popular with local politicos. Unlike the original, they're also planning to take at least some reservations.

The expansion isn't planned to reach any further than D.C., but Buich says he may consider additional branches if this one performs well. "We haven't planned out ten locations, but it's definitely something we'll think about," he told us. In the meantime, we and our colleagues at Eater DC will keep you updated on the new Tadich.

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