Sweet Holy Tapdancing Christ! Polly's Has Closed!!!!

With all due respect to South Park, I kind of felt I had to go there with my title order to keep up with the local blogosphere's reaction to the news that beloved/stinky U Street institution Polly's Cafe has closed.



Polly's, located at 1342 U Street, quietly drifted into U Street lore earlier this week with a shuttering of their doors and a brief message on their website promising a personal note in the near future. There isn't a whole lot to say about this, since the announcement was (to me at least) unexpected, and I haven't received any word yet on what may ultimately fill the space.

Admittedly, Mr. and Mrs. 14thandyou weren't exactly Polly's regulars. We found the place to be merely OK, but as is typical of dive-y type places that certain longtime patrons have developed a fondness for, I didn't really get it. But it seems a lot of people did, and if nothing else Polly's was a unique, down-to-earth establishment in an area quickly becoming saturated with wine bars, gastropubs and $14 hamburgers.

And, for the record, those of you looking for a nice, relaxed, affordable breakfast/lunch spot would be well-served by heading across the street to the U Street Cafe. The brunch selections there are actually quite tasty, and unlike Polly's, it doesn't maintain that slight toilet-y smell. So, it's a winner on both counts.