A History Of Political Schemes Linger Over One DC Tavern

In Washington, D.C., 90 years of history really isn't all that long. This is even true when it comes to restaurants and bars. The city's most venerable restaurant, the Old Ebbitt Grill, was opened before the Civil War. Martin's Tavern, which opened in 1933 (not at all coincidentally just after Prohibition was repealed), may not be the oldest place in town, but if we can believe half the stories told about it, it's been the site of a few history-making occasions over the years.

D.C. is a political town, first and foremost. Unsurprisingly, the list of famous patrons who've bent an elbow at Martin's includes politicians galore. It's hosted a streak of presidents from Harry Truman through to George W. Bush. (Barack Obama broke the streak, although his daughter Malia did eat at Martin's.) If you're playing along at home, this adds up to 11 presidents you can mark off your bingo card, nearly double the mere half-dozen presidents that've been hosted by Colorado's historic Buckhorn Exchange. Madeleine Albright, the first female Secretary of State, considered the tavern her home away from home. It's also said to have been where John F. Kennedy asked Jacqueline Bouvier to be his future FLOTUS. Countless backroom deals may have been brokered at Martin's over the years, and maybe even some super-secret spy stuff; it was once a favorite watering hole of the founders of the Office of Strategic Services, a predecessor of the CIA.

Martin's Tavern's political connections are evidenced by the names of some of its booths. Several commemorate past presidents, including Harry Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and George W. Bush. There probably won't be a booth for Donald Trump, though, since the only D.C. restaurant Trump dined at during his first term in office was a steakhouse located in a hotel that bears his name. It doesn't look like there will be one named for Joe Biden either; he is another recent president that is yet to visit Martin's. 

Despite a slew of presidents dining at Martin's, not a single political luminary gets a mention in its menu. Martin's menu does feature a few dishes named for family members — among them Billy's beef chili and Grandma Martin's meatloaf — but only one item bears a celebrity moniker: Ty Cobb salad. (We're not sure if Cobb was a salad guy, but Cobb salad was Jackie O.'s lunch order of choice in her life after the White House.)

Why does a baseball player stand as the only menu-worthy celeb? Cobb played centerfield for the Detroit Tigers from 1905 through 1926 before finishing his career with two years playing for the Philadelphia Athletics. The tavern's original owner Billy Martin was also a baseball man, spending some time with the Boston Braves before World War I. When Martin's baseball career was over, he enjoyed hosting old pals, including Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Cobb in a back room dubbed the "Dugout." Even this inner sanctum of Martin's Tavern saw its share of politics; Thomas Corcoran and Benjamin V. Cohen, who were members of the Roosevelt administration, used to meet here frequently.