HAMBURGER HAMLET NAME FADES INTO BETHESDA HISTORY WITH BANKRUPTCY, LIQUIDATION AUCTION

EXCLUSIVE!

Bish Thompson's, O'Donnell's, Swenson's, Hot Shoppes, Little Tavern... all legendary names in Bethesda dining history. Today, all are just that: history.

Add one more venerable name to the list this Friday:

Hamburger Hamlet.

The burger brand name that has adorned the Georgetown Square Shopping Center since 1973 is taking a final curtain call.

Around this time last year, Hamburger Hamlet had teamed with California chain Du-par's as a joint, 24-hour restaurant venture. A few months later, the Hamburger Hamlet chain quietly filed for bankruptcy. The Bethesda Hamburger Hamlet business (not the restaurant space itself, for which the lease runs out in 2023) was sold to an unknown buyer on October 30 of this year, according to an online listing. Du-par's Hamburger Hamlet was still open as of Sunday morning, and there is no official word that it will close yet. But by this Friday, "everything must go!" Dining room tables, chairs, booths, banquettes, kitchen equipment, food storage, waiters' trays, restroom toilet paper and soap dispensers; you name it, it's up for auction. 

This leaves the future of Du-par's Hamburger Hamlet in doubt. An employee who answered the telephone Sunday confirmed the Hamburger Hamlet name will be dropped, and that the name will be changed to simply, Du-par's. He said new exterior signs would be installed.

How the renamed restaurant would operate with no tables and chairs, or basic kitchen and restroom equipment was unclear. It certainly raises skepticism, but it is certainly possible they could close briefly, and install all new furniture and equipment. It's interesting to note that the prominently-placed refrigerator case that holds the famous Du-par's pies and baked goods is not among the items up for bid. Was Du-par's the buyer of Hamburger Hamlet?

On the other hand, the Capitol Online auction website states that "Hamlet is shutting its [sic] doors."

So stay tuned, but what I can confirm this morning is that the Hamburger Hamlet name is officially history in Bethesda.

DU-PAR'S HAMBURGER HAMLET MENU - EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS!

Du-par's Hamburger Hamlet opened Saturday, and the great news is, just about everything I hoped would be on the menu was.
As you remember from last week, this is a joint venture by famous Du-par's of California (and a Las Vegas location), and Hamburger Hamlet.
I stopped by, and you're in for a 24-hour treat at Georgetown Square shopping center.
I made sure to take photos of the brand-new menu, and as you can see, the Country-Fried Steak, Old-fashioned malts and shakes, Du-par's year-round Thanksgiving dinner platter, and Famous Du-par's Brownie Sundae - just to name a few - are all on there!
Click to enlarge:

DU-PAR'S HAMBURGER HAMLET BETHESDA BURGER AND MENU PREVIEW

If you're a fan of classic American food, this Saturday's grand opening of the new, 24-hour Du-par's Hamburger Hamlet, in Bethesda's Georgetown Square shopping center, is wonderful news.

While chefs on two coasts continue to confer on the final menu, let's examine the Du-par's menu at its existing Los Angeles and Las Vegas locations (which just happen to be two of my favorite cities in the world!).

You have some standard starters like crab cakes and chicken tenders.  But you also have their signature Yellow Split Pea Soup, for something new and different.

24-hour breakfast may be the best part of Du-par's concept. Not a cheap diner-quality breakfast, but freshly made from high quality ingredients.  Du-par's takes pancakes as seriously as I do. So seriously, that their secret pancake recipe is kept under lock and key at 6333 W. 3rd Street in Los Angeles.

One California touch is Knott's Berry Farm jelly for your toast. I hope they keep that.

One example of a morning Blue Plate special that sounds great to me is the Country Fried Prime New York Steak with 2 large, fresh eggs.

How about those burgers? Out west, Du-par's burgers are made with fresh-ground Harris Ranch grain-fed, all-natural chuck. 

Du-par's will eventually compete directly with Bobby's Burger Palace up Democracy Boulevard at Westfield Montgomery Mall.  I can't wait to try the Du-par's burger.

In California and Vegas, Du-par's offers the basic hamburger and cheeseburger.  Beyond that, they have a Patty Melt, Bacon and Swiss Burger, Mushroom and Jack Burger, and Avocado and Bacon Burger.

One major part of the Du-par's concept that Bethesda is definitely getting is the on-site bakery.

Du-par's bakes pies fresh daily, and you can also order whole pies to go. These aren't just your standard apple and cherry varieties, either.  Out west, Du-par's has a massive list of pies, and the ones that get my attention are peach, chocolate meringue, banana cream, chocolate cream, rhubarb, gooseberry, Southern pecan, and blueberry cream cheese.

As a brownie sundae nut, I'm pleased to report they have one on the menu, as well as classic malts and milkshakes. How about a Banana Split Boat? Can you tell I'm hoping the dessert menu stays true to its West Coast origins?

Frankly, I don't know how we lucked out and managed to get a Du-par's here in Bethesda. But I'm ready to test out the menu, and find out if it lives up to its storied, 70-year history.