11th Street NW Columbia Heights: Your Fall 2026 Guide

"Coming Fall 2026 to Columbia Heights. Chinese/Korean fast casual for all."

That's the sign at 3226 11th Street NW. In a September 18 post, PoPville reported a fresh coat of paint on the storefront after a neighbor walking a dog sent in a photo. The sign gives a season and no date. That fits Columbia Heights this fall. Look at what has an actual date on the calendar this October and nearly all of it is on 11th Street, between Kenyon Street and Park Road. On 14th Street, the side with the Metro, the big retail center and the plaza, most of the news is about things that haven't happened yet.

One Address, Four Chapters

The address explains why the Major Yum sign drew attention. PoPville's caption lists the storefront's history. It was Jeans N Things first, then Bad Saint, then Johnny's All American, and now it will be Major Yum. Johnny's posted a notice in January 2026 saying it was "closing at this location, effective immediately." In July, PoPville reported that chef Scott Chung's new concept was coming to the address.

PoPville's first report described Major Yum as fast-casual Chinese-Korean. The menu will include "Chung's Chicken," pickled vegetables, specialty Asian drinks, beer and wine. Eater DC put it in its fall 2026 openings preview on September 8, with a fall target and no set date. The restaurant's Instagram showed the interior coming together. As of the September 18 update, it hoped to open "in a few weeks."

Major Yum is the one opening on the strip that's clearly close. The rest of 11th Street's October is already scheduled.

The Calendar Runs Through The Coupe

Most of the strip's dated October events lead back to one address. The Coupe is at 3415 11th Street NW. It hosts DC WitchFest this month, and its own calendar has evening events for most of the weeks in October.

WitchFest is free. The organizer's Eventbrite listing promises "40+ Spooky Artists and Vendors," plus performers and tarot and astrology readings, and asks guests to come in their "best witchy outfit or costume." The event spreads beyond The Coupe. Halloween food and drink specials are planned at Wonderland Ballroom, RedRocks, El Chucho and Odd Provisions, and Wonderland Ballroom and District Bridges sponsor the performers. On October 10, that makes it the busiest stretch of the neighborhood. You can walk from the vendor tables to a drink special a few doors away.

On a regular weekday, The Coupe's fall menu is the seasonal draw. Its September post lists a pumpkin iced chai, a pumpkin cream cold brew and an apple-cider mule, along with seasonal food. Coffee in the morning, a mule at night and Halloween bingo for kids on the 30th all happen in the same room. That's how one venue ends up holding so much of the strip's October.

Venue calendars change, so check The Coupe's events page before you plan a night around a specific date.

The Corner at 11th and Kenyon Got Its Patio Back

Fall evenings on 11th Street depend on having outdoor seats, and over the summer one of the best-known patios disappeared for a while. PoPville reported on July 15 that Wonderland Ballroom's streatery at 11th and Kenyon had been taken down while a permit was delayed. By August 25 the outlet ran photos of a refreshed exterior and a new streatery in use. The city's June 2026 alcohol license roster lists the license at 1101 Kenyon Street NW, under the name The Wonderland Baltimore, as active.

That timing matters this month. Wonderland is a WitchFest sponsor and one of the bars offering specials, so the rebuilt patio is ready for the strip's biggest day of the season.

The Space at 11th and Park Is Still a Question

At the north end of the strip is the strip's best-known open question. The corner of 11th Street and Park Road NW was the Bi-Rite Super Market, then Meridian Pint, then Makan and Thirsty Crow. Meridian Pint closed in 2019, and Makan and Thirsty Crow closed in 2025. On July 14, PoPville published a reader's note about chairs being carried into the empty space. The outlet added that it had heard a beer bar and restaurant "along the lines of what Meridian Pint did" was coming. It also said the deal hadn't been signed when it first heard the news.

That's the most recent report. As of early October, no operator, name or opening date has been made public. Until one is, treat the space as a rumor.

East on Sherman, a New Weekend Slot

The strip's activity continues a few blocks east. Ulivo, the Italian spot at 2737 Sherman Avenue NW, released a new fall menu. Eater DC reported on September 30 that it is adding Saturday brunch, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting in October. On Saturdays, that gives the east side of the neighborhood a midday option that didn't exist this summer.

Over on 14th Street, the News Is Mostly "Coming Soon"

On 14th Street, which has the Metro, the big-box retail and most of the foot traffic, this fall's news has been about things that are pending.

DC USA is the retail center Grid Properties developed in 2008. The Washington Business Journal reported in late September that the owner is marketing the property for sale. The same report says the tenant mix keeps changing, with recent additions like Burlington and Lidl and a Bouldering Project climbing gym "coming soon." No public opening date for the gym appears in that coverage.

Signs for the 2AM Project went up at 1375 Kenyon Street NW, with the entrance on the plaza off 14th Street. PoPville's late-September update still had no opening date.

Pho Việt at 3513 14th Street NW announced a temporary closure starting Monday, September 14, for a move and renovation. The owners planned to open a location at 1521 11th Street NW, south of Columbia Heights, on September 18. PoPville reported that the owners hope to return to Columbia Heights by early 2028 at the latest, though that's a hope and not a firm date. Some readers will notice that a 14th Street favorite has found a temporary home on another 11th Street, a mile or so south.

PoPville has also reported some 14th Street storefronts going dark. IHOP at 3100 14th Street NW was dark for several days in July with no closure sign posted. In late August, Z Burger and Maman Joon at 1400 Irving Street NW had been dark for about a week. In both reports, phone calls went unanswered and no official announcement had been made, so neither report confirms a permanent closure.

Taken together, 14th Street's news this fall is about a property being marketed, a gym on the way, a new sign without an opening date and a restaurant that has moved out for now. Any of these could become a dated opening later in the season. For October, the dated plans are on 11th Street.

The Plaza Keeps One Fixed Saturday Slot

The Columbia Heights Civic Plaza at Park Road and 14th Street is the one place where both sides of the neighborhood meet on a set schedule. FRESHFARM runs its Saturday market there from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. all year. The 2026 season runs through December 26, with shorter winter hours of 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. from January through March 2027. FRESHFARM lists produce, Mexican food, baked goods, bread, cheese and dairy. It also runs a Wednesday market from 3 to 7 p.m.

The plaza is a block and a half from the corner of 11th and Park. On October 10, the market closes at 1 p.m. and WitchFest runs until 4 p.m., so you can do the market in the morning and walk over to 11th Street for the afternoon. On the other three Saturdays this month, the market is still the one plan in Columbia Heights that never needs checking.

If your block is on 11th Street or near it, you know its storefronts change hands and come back under new names. At Roger Taylor, we keep track of those changes too, from the address that went from Bad Saint to Major Yum to the corner at 11th and Park that's still waiting on a tenant. When you want to talk through what's coming to the blocks around your home, Let's Connect.