The Wharf Welcomes Its First True Barbecue Spot

Kinfolk’s look swings rustic and chic.

The Wharf finally has its barbecue fix, and its name is Kinfolk Southern Kitchen.

The Southwest Waterfront’s latest dining destination, debuting today for daily dinner service starting at 4 p.m., comes from the minds behind the Wharf’s longstanding options for sushi (NaRa-Ya) and Mediterranean (La Vie). Eaternity Hospitality Group’s latest act is all about American comfort foods like tempura okra, fried blue catfish, and pork ribs (685 Wharf Street SW).

“Southern cuisine is not defined by one state, or one region,” says Cindy Peet, director of events at Eaternity. “At Kinfolk, we are trying to capture a whole swath of American cuisine; in one meal you might explore the barbecue of Texas, the shrimp and grits of Georgia, and gumbo of Louisiana.”

Meats like jalapeno-cheddar sausage, smoked turkey breast, and brisket take a trip through Kinfolk’s enormous wood-fired oven that’s impossible to miss upon entry. Napkin-required ribs can be ordered in full or half-rack portions. The restaurant also boasts two smokers, both of which are large enough to pretty much fit a small cow.

Kinfolk’s on-brand barbecue look features lots of copper columns and wood elements

There’s also halal barbecue, which may seem like a departure from the rest of the food but actually continues the theme of family traditions.

“Our 100-year-old smoked tandoori chicken recipe comes from decades of family experience,” says Peet. “What is more Southern than good, meaningful food passed down through generations?”

The goal of the food program is to be soulful rather than fussy, she says, as evidenced by crowd-pleasing favorites like a smash burger with pimento cheese and a playful Farmhouse Spaghetti that comes with smoked bacon and either a fried or a poached egg.

Given its focus on the South, bourbon is naturally a big part of the menu. This is made abundantly apparent by barrel-aged cocktails that serve anywhere from two to six guests. The brown liquor is showcased in everything from a Stateline Sazerac to a Southern Charm Old Fashioned.

Kinfolk joins a robust slate of restaurants and bars that continue to pop open at the Wharf, Hoffman & Associates’ 7-year-old glossy development that currently welcomes 8 million visitors each year.

The residential and retail-centric neighborhood kicked off its second phase in fall 2022 with the addition of a Pendry Hotel, two Gordon Ramsay restaurants, a Bartaco, and most recently, Zooz cocktail garden. But Kinfolk represents the first true barbecue option at the $3.6 billion development that encompasses a mile-long scenic stretch of the Southwest neighborhood.

Kinfolk customers can saddle up to the bar at brown leather stools.

Floor-to-ceiling windows sport views of Wharf boats bobbing outside.

“Barbeque is something that we’ve been looking to bring to the Wharf (and something guests and residents have demanded),” says Andrew Son, president of District Wharf Properties.

Kinfolk’s space represents one of the last few remaining opportunities for business leases in the Wharf, which Son notes is currently 98-percent leased across over 300,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.

The Southwest Waterfront itself, of course, was here long before the Wharf was. Its centuries-old Municipal Fish Market — the oldest continuously operating open-air fish market in the U.S. — is currently undergoing a big transformation, with longstanding vendor Jesse Taylor Seafood leading the charge. And D.C. just announced plans to dump $11.5 million into the historic site to replace its crumbing piers, reports Washington Business Journal.

—Tierney Plumb contributed to this report

Kinfolk Opening Menu March 24 (1).pdf