Mr. Smith’s on M Street to Close by September

Another Georgetown classic is about to vanish.

Mr. Smith’s — “the friendliest saloon in town” at 3104 M St., NW, since 1965 — will close within weeks, probably by Sept. 1, its general manager Juan Andino told several media outlets.

Andino told ABC 7 News and others that the Boston-based landlord is raising the rent to levels his business cannot afford. He also said that he hoped to relocate the restaurant elsewhere in Georgetown, just as those who ran the closed Neyla, due to a lost lease, have indicated.

Said local advisory neighborhood commissioner Bill Starrels: “Mr. Smith’s, a fixture on M Street since 1965, was one of Georgetown’s enduring establishments. It added a nice flavor to the scene, and its piano bar will be missed.”

Mr. Smith’s with its piano bar and sing-alongs amid vintage furnishings is known to many Washingtonians as a spot where they had some of their first dates. As the restaurant wrote on its website: “One customer summed up Mr. Smith’s quite nicely a few years ago when he said, ‘…with its faded Victorian elegance, Mr. Smith’s is the place to go for good food and great fun!’ ”