B was for Billy Goat Tavern

Billy Goat Tavern is a multi-faceted watering hole, a dive bar with a short-order burger counter, wedged into the corner of a shiny glass and steel office building. And then there’s the outdoor seating area on the wide sidewalk along New Jersey Ave. A short distance from the Capitol, Union Station, and Georgetown Law, this bar seems to cater to a mixed crowd.

Billy Goat is a rough copy of the infamous Chicago joint by the same name. The original Billy Goat Tavern got its name after the owner, William Sianis, adopted a goat that had fallen off a passing truck and wandered inside his bar. Sianis was such a fan of his bar’s new mascot that he renamed his bar and grew a goatee. In 1945, Sianis tried to bring the goat, Murphy, to game four of the Chicago Cubs-Detroit Tigers World Series. Sainis had even purchased a ticket for the goat but was denied admission because of the animal’s odor. In frustration, Sainis exclaimed, ‘"The Cubs ain't gonna win no more,” allegedly casting the Curse of the Billy Goat on the Cubs, who since have not won a World Series or even a Pennant.

The wall behind the bar at the DC Billy Goat is decorated with Chicago memorabilia, and other walls are covered in framed news articles depicting the famed history of The Billy Goat Tavern.

The DC version of Billy Goat has even replicated the original’s short-order counter with famous “cheezborgers” featured prominently. The Billy Goat and its gruff (forgive the pun) staff were showcased as “The Olympia Restaurant” on a 1978 episode of Saturday Night Live.

The cheezborgers at Billy Goat Tavern are quick, tasty, and cheap, and the staff is quite pleasant. As the crowd grew for the A-B-DC happy hour, we moved out to the patio and enjoyed the last of the sun’s rays disappearing from the DC landscape.

Billy Goat should definitely be a stop the next time you find yourself in the neighborhood, and it’s even worth a special trip to satiate your hunger with a cheezborger, have a cold beer, and marvel at the strange history of its namesake.