The exterior of the forthcoming G.O.A.T. sports bar. (Photo by Alexis Fedoroff)

By DCist contributor Emelyn Rude

Clarendon is getting yet another place for people to grab a drink and watch sports later this year, and this one is purporting to be “the greatest of all time.”

Taking inspiration from the popular sports slang term, the team behind the G.O.A.T. Sports Bar has already signed a 20-year lease for the former Hard Times Café space at 3028 Wilson Blvd. in Arlington, effectively replacing chili cheese dogs with a familiar sounding iteration of “gourmet American comfort food” and flat screen televisions.

“Our mission is to offer simple yet delicious food, a variety of drinks, and a relaxing environment to lounge in,” says Mike Cordero, executive chef and president of MacNac Hospitality. “The G.O.A.T. will be an inviting sports bar that can be enjoyed beyond game day.”

As of right now, the G.O.A.T.’s team is aiming to open the doors in June. A spokesperson for the restaurant notes that this opening could be moved up as early as March, though undisclosed issues between the former tenant and landlord are slowing the bar’s construction.

Whenever G.O.A.T. opens, it’ll join Bracket Room (1210 N. Garfield St.), Mister Days (3100 Clarendon Blvd.), Citizens Burger Bar, (1051 N Highland St), Spider Kelly’s (3181 Wilson Blvd.), and Whitlow’s on Wilson (2854 Wilson Blvd.), all restaurants within a five minute walking distance of each other and all places to go on game day.

To accommodate these sports fans, the space itself will be completely revamped from its previous era under Hard Times ownership. By moving the kitchen from the first floor to the basement, The G.O.A.T. will have room to house three full bars, a 200-person dining room, and three full viewing walls to ensure that all seats are “the best in the house.”

Upon its opening, the G.O.A.T. will be the third MacNac Hospitality project flanking the Clarendon Metro Stop, the other two being Bronx Pizza & Subs (3100 Clarendon Blvd.) and Don Tito (3165 Wilson Blvd.). Other Northern Virginia establishments run by the group include A-Town Bar and Grill (4100 Fairfax Dr.), Barley Mac (1600 Wilson Blvd.), and Don Taco (808 King St.) Another Clarendon locale from the team may be on the way soon, but more information on this project has not yet been released.

Menu details at The G.O.A.T. are still under wraps, but Cordero promises his future patrons simple, homey American comfort food with a gourmet twist, such as upscale macaroni and cheese and fancy burgers.

But whatever the food, drinks, and opening date may be, MacNac Hospitality team is confident that this bar and lounge will truly be their “greatest of all time.”