Business & Tech

Board to Review Exterior Changes for New Blackwall Hitch Waterfront Restaurant

Alexandria's Board of Architectural Review (BAR)- Old and Historic District will examine demolition plans and exterior improvements for the new Blackwall Hitch Restaurant next to the Torpedo Factory at their meeting Wednesday.

Proposals call for removing and replacing an entryway roof and canopy. Renderings of the bar and restaurant show outdoor seating in the front, back and side of the restaurant, with outdoor bars and fire pits. The interior also includes plans for a raw bar. The interior of the 10,000-square foot eatery shows two main dining areas separated by a bar in the middle. 

Seating in the submitted documents for Wednesday's meeting show seating for 372 total, including 193 indoors:

  • Main dining area #1: 44
  • Main dining area #2: 63
  • Oyster/raw bar: 12
  • Lower bar lounge: 48
  • Inside bar: 26
Plans show there will be outdoor dining for 179:
South cafe patio #1: 20
South cafe patio #2: 20
Outdoor bar: 12
Outdoor dining #1: 55
Outdoor dining #2: 72

Lead restaurant partner Larry Ray, who hails from Annapolis, plans to spend $4 million to transform the former Torpedo Factory Food Pavilion, according to Washington Business Journal. The former food court closed in 2011. Ray is also part of a restaurant group that owns several of the Greene Turtle sports bar franchises. 

Alexandria City Council approved plans in December to transform the Torpedo Factory Food Pavilion into the Blackwall Hitch restaurant at 5 Cameron St. on the waterfront.

Ray's restaurant group plans to open the first Blackwall Hitch restaurant in Maryland’s capital city in the spring, according to Annapolis news reports.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Ray has suggested the Alexandria restaurant could open some time this year.

"The Hitch" will offer a variation of New American Cuisine with locally sourced ingredients. A wide selection of craft beers, international wines and specialty cocktails will also be offered.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from West End Alexandria