CARLA Brings the Bar Back to Adams Morgan

A familiar hospitality duo returns to the neighborhood with cocktails and a corner rooftop view.

Adams Morgan nightlife enters a new chapter with the arrival of CARLA, a multi-level bar and lounge from hospitality veterans Bill Thomas and John Roberts. Opening at 2001 18th Street NW, the new gathering place brings together what the neighborhood has long done best: good drinks, good music, and good company.

For Thomas, the return is something of a homecoming. Over more than 25 years, he has helped shape Adams Morgan’s bar culture — from The Blue Room in the late 1990s to Bourbon and the acclaimed Jack Rose Dining Saloon, now known worldwide for its expansive whiskey collection. CARLA builds on that legacy with a more relaxed, neighborhood-focused approach.

Thomas and Roberts say the new lounge is a return to a simple idea: the best bars are not just about what’s poured, but the moments that happen after.

Guests can settle into the multi-level space for classic cocktails (most ~$12!!), shareable plates, and an ever-changing soundtrack of live bands and DJS. But everything comes together to lean into the art of gathering.

At CARLA expect walk-in-only service, happy hour deals, a menu of unfussy favorites, and a neighborhood habit waiting to happen. And you just may meet Carla; Thomas and Roberts told KSM they named the bar after a friend who is just “the coolest, most chill girl you’ll ever meet.”

The bar is open Tuesday through Thursday from 5pm to 1 am and Friday-Saturday from 5 pm to 2 am. CARLA is closed Sunday and Monday.