Photo by furcafe

Joe Englert’s H Street NE bar The Argonaut was closed last night, thanks to a dispute with the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue, as Frozen Tropics reported earlier this morning. Englert tried to explain his side of what happened in a statement to the neighborhood blog, outlining a process that started with being notified that three of his businesses owed tens of thousands of in back sales and use taxes. He said two of those accounts were quickly resolved, but The Argonaut’s was more complicated, and “even though we kept in daily contact with the Department and even though we were told repeatedly that we were working in compliance, they came any way and shut us down,” Englert wrote.

Rather than continue to duke out the details with OTR, Englert said he planned to go ahead and pay up in full today, and it appears that’s already done, as Shaaren Pine of The Argonaut confirmed that the bar has been cleared to reopen tonight at its regular time, 5 p.m. Not without senses of humor about the ordeal, Pine told DCist the bar will be hosting an “Argonaut Tea Party” to celebrate tonight. Specials will include “Booty” pitchers for $8, while all other draft pitchers will be $15.