(Updated at 2:45 p.m.) Ocean Shack, a new seafood restaurant and sports bar in Waverly Hills, is now open.
The restaurant officially opened on Wednesday, Nov. 15, but the owner, Cody Zhou, says he also plans to host a grand opening on New Year’s Eve.
“We will host a New Year’s Eve party where we will have a photo booth, DJ and champagne toast… and also give away a lot of gifts, drinks and food,” he told ARLnow.
The 1,767-square-foot space at 2163 N. Glebe Road in the Glebe Road Shopping Center became available after Thirsty Bernie closed in May due to poor sales.
Zhou, who operates several restaurants in Fairfax and Alexandria, including Ocean Crab in Chantilly and Mochinut in Reston, says he decided to expand into Arlington after the property owner approached him with a lease offer for the soon-to-be former Thirsty Bernie space.
“She’s a regular customer at Ocean Crab,” Zhou said. “She invited us over to the space. We looked at the surroundings and felt like this area could use something different.”
Zhou said he was also inspired by the increasing diversity in Arlington’s dining scene.
“When you look at the surrounding area, you will see a lot of Japanese restaurants opening up like Tiger Dumpling… so many Vietnamese restaurants and bubble tea restaurants are popping up around Arlington because there’s a population supporting those non-traditional American foods,” he said.
Like its Chantilly counterpart, Ocean Shack offers a variety of seafood dishes such as lobster rolls, tilapia sandwiches, fried oyster baskets, fried shrimp tacos and snow crab bowls.
The restaurant also has 16 beers on draft and serves specialty cocktails.
While seafood is on the menu, sports are on the numerous TVs at Ocean Shack. Taking a page from its sports bar predecessor, Ocean Shack bills itself as a destination for catching the big game.
“Whether you are stopping in for a business lunch, family dinner, date night or a night out with your friends for watching sports,” says the restaurant’s website.
Operating hours are 5 p.m. to midnight from Monday through Wednesday, noon to midnight on Thursdays and Sundays, and noon to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.