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Thanking our Customers
July 16, 2009 In celebration of 75 years of service, Martin's Tavern hosted a special day for customers by rolling back prices to 1934. Martin's Tavern Gift Cards May 22, 2009 Give the gift of great food and friends with a Martin's Tavern gift card! Yeas & Nays: Is ‘The Bachelor’ off the market? May 29, 2009 Click here to read the gossip happening at Martin's Tavern in this week's Yeas & Nays column Martin's Tavern Featured on WUSA-9 June 3, 2009 Click here to read the story and watch Billy reminisce on 75 years of tradition! Martin's Celebrates 75 years with Willard Scott! 6/9/2009 Welcome to our new website - stay tuned for updates & announcements on our 75th Anniversary celebration, menu updates and more.... March 27, 2009 |
Georgetown ghosts
We ducked into a crowded Martin's Tavern in Georgetown, where sipping pints of beer at the bar were several groups of tourists pointing to the occupied wooden booths that overlook Wisconsin Avenue and N Street NW. Instead of seeing patrons dining there, they saw ghosts.
"That's booth number three where they got engaged," a woman whispered to her husband, referring to what is now known as "The Proposal Booth." There, on an otherwise ordinary Wednesday in June of 1953 - having just returned to Washington from covering the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II for the Washington Times Herald - the young Jacqueline Bouvier accepted John F. Kennedy's proposal of marriage.
Following Mass at nearby Holy Trinity Catholic Church, however, Kennedy preferred to sit in Booth No. 1 - "The Rumble Seat" - to read his Sunday newspaper while ordering brunch.
Richard M. Nixon, meanwhile, not only liked to sit in Booth No. 2, he had a hankering for Martin's meatloaf. That table is now called "The Nixon Booth."
A few seats away is Booth No. 6, "The Truman Booth," where Harry S. Truman often dined with his wife Bess and daughter Margaret.
"Margaret wrote 14 mystery novels set in Washington and many of her novels include Martin's Tavern," the restaurant recalls, including the best-seller "Murder in Georgetown," where on page 58 it reads: "She seemed anxious to comply and they arranged to meet at seven at Martin's Tavern."
If those historic booths are all taken, diners of Martin's Tavern might settle for Booth No. 24, "The LBJ Booth," where Lyndon B. Johnson regularly huddled with longtime House Speaker Sam Rayburn.
