A significant vibe shift is underway in Washington as a popular DC bar, favored by Republican staffers, announces its closure, paving the way for a new bar that exclusively accepts cryptocurrency payments.
Local news outlet PoPville first reported on Thursday that a D.C. branch of Pubkey, a bar located in Greenwich Village known for its vibrant bitcoin community, has taken over the lease of Hill Country. This Texas barbecue restaurant and music venue recently closed its doors in Penn Quarter after serving the area for 14 years.
This change is part of an emerging trend of crypto-centric social venues that have been opening across the country in recent years. Pubkey, which debuted in 2022 near New York University’s Manhattan campus, is characterized by its casual atmosphere—a subterranean dive bar cum podcast recording studio, featuring a pub grub menu crafted by an Eleven Madison Park alum. Here, patrons can mingle as long as they pay with cryptocurrency. When Eater visited in 2022, they noted the menu’s variety, including regional styles of hot dogs, alongside quirky décor like a stuffed raccoon next to a TV playing A Christmas Story.
